Boryslav Museum of History and Local Lore

The history of Prykarpattia is full of difficulties and joys. And the local nature is so beautiful and unique that it is reflected in the best works of world writers and artists. And it is always interesting to learn more about your homeland. For this purpose, a local history museum was opened in Boryslav.

BoryslavHistorical and Local Lore Museum is a local history museum in the city of Boryslav, Drohobych district, Lviv region, a collection of materials and objects from the nature, culture and history of Boryslav region, in particular, local oil industry. The Boryslav Historical and Local Lore Museum was established on March 20, 1986, to mark the 600th anniversary of the city of Boryslav.

The Boryslav Museum of Local Lore was founded on the initiative of local historian Mykola Kryzhanivskyi. The museum building has a sad history. It was within its walls that the NKVD department was located during the formation of Soviet power. Here, in the basement, those who did not want to obey the iron paw of communism were shot.

Now the museum has about 5 thousand exhibits. The exhibits familiarize visitors with different areas of the region's history. For example, in the natural history department, you can see all kinds of minerals, a variety of flora and fauna of the Carpathian region. Among the museum's exhibits, there are quite rare and interesting specimens. Here are just a few of them: a solid wooden barrel, a silver antique hryvnia, a fragment of an ancient Russian bracelet, a fire pump from the 19th century, and many others. The painting "Old Boryslav" by the German artist R. Volkel, which depicts the city in 1918, is of particular value.

Mykola Kryzhanivskyi, a biology teacher at the local high school (who became the first director of the institution), collected the museum's funds on a voluntary basis. To help him, a museum council was created, consisting of about 10 people. Some of the materials for the museum were taken from the Stefan Kovaliv and Ivan Franko Museum (director Mykhailo Ivasenko) and the Oil and Gas Industry Museum (director Yaroslav Myrka). Some residents of Boryslav donated their belongings and documents to the museum. Its collections were housed in the wooden building of the old school No. 4, which no longer exists, and the place for the exhibition was provided in the church building, which caused a mixed reaction among local residents.

Subsequently, due to illness, M. Kryzhanivsky resigned as director of the museum. Some time later, on January 12, 1989, Stepan Storonsky was appointed to this position. However, the institution almost did not work at that time due to the beginning of the revival of religious freedoms in Boryslav and, in particular, the return of the religious building to the religious community in 1989.

In 1995, when Ukraine became independent, the Boryslav Museum of the Oil and Gas Industry, which was located in the former Palace of Culture of Oil Workers, ceased to function (in the 2000s, a revival began, in fact, a new museum was created), and the remains of its funds were transferred to the city's Museum of History and Local Lore.

In 1996, the museum opened an exhibition hall with a total exhibition stand area of about 47 m². The exhibits of the Boryslav Museum of History and Local Lore are housed in 5 halls:

• The Natural History Hall consists of 2 rooms and tells about the flora and fauna of the area, minerals, and climatic conditions;
• The Hall of Ancient History - here are the remains of a mammoth, tools of the primitive communal system and the Middle Ages. An interesting exhibit is a barrel made of solid wood (kodub);
• The Hall of History of Boryslav of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries contains materials on the history of the city's oil industry, including tools for oil production. There are also photographs of Boryslav, a portrait of the inventor of oil refining, and a painting by artist Volkelt "Boryslav. 1918". It shows the extraction of ozokerite and household items: a grain fan, weaving tools;
• the section "Boryslav and the Second World War";
• a separate room "The Life and Work of Stefan Kovalev" dedicated to the local teacher, school principal, and publicist. It contains photographs, documents, and personal belongings of the writer and local historian.

The corridor of the museum features paintings by contemporary artists: Roman Hohovskyi, Roman Yushchak, Roman Kovalyk, Mykhailo Yaremkiv, Natalia Orshyk, and Liubov Paniv. There is also an exhibition hall with permanent exhibitions.

Opening hours: 11:00-17:00, weekends - Saturday and Sunday. Ticket price: adult - 15 UAH, children - 8 UAH. Cost of the tour: group - 30 UAH.