Kurgan Galicia grave, Krylos

The Galicia Grave mound is not one of the most famous sites in Krylos and the Ancient Halych National Reserve. Moreover, it does not quite fit into the overall picture of the historical past represented by the monuments preserved nearby. The "Galicia Grave" mound has an even older history, and we can only guess how many undiscovered secrets it hides. According to the chronicler, it was here, to the highest point of the Krylos settlement (316 meters), that local nobles brought one of the contenders for the Galician throne, Prince Mstyslav Yaroslavych of Peresopnytsia, in 1206. They said to him, smiling slyly: "We have brought you here, you have already sat on the grave of Galicia, so you have reigned in Galicia as well! They laughed at him, and the loser returned to Peresopnytsia.

"Galicia's grave" seems to have appeared long before the Slavs. After all, the area where the village of Krylos is now located was inhabited much earlier. During excavations near the Assumption Cathedral (some two to three hundred meters to the northeast), archaeologists discovered Early Iron Age ceramics from the 10th to 6th centuries BC. These nondescript shards showed that the Assumption Cathedral was built on the site of a much older settlement that existed here one and a half to two thousand years earlier.

And what about the mound? A huge surprise awaited the scientists. After repeated attempts in the early 90s of the 20th century, experts were lucky enough to find the remains of a burnt longboat, a warrior's equipment - a dagger, spear and arrowheads, three axes, traces of gilding from a shield, and more. There were no human remains in the boat, so it was assumed that it was a cenotaph-a symbolic burial to sacralize the site. Moreover, the chronicle says that the "Galicia Grave" was used during the enthronement ceremony of Galician princes; the prince, accompanied by nobility, went to its top. The found military armor, as it turned out, was made in the 10th century, so it turns out that the cenotaph was built by our direct ancestors.

Some scholars suggest that the burial could have been real, not symbolic. Mykhailo Hrushevsky, in particular, hypothesized that the founder of Halych, the legendary Hal (or Halytsia), was once buried in the mound. Then where are his remains? The fact is that the mound has been excavated by amateurs more than once, and during the First World War, when the front line was passing through these parts, a dugout for Austrian soldiers was set up on the "Galicia Grave" mound. The burial urn with the ashes could have been thrown away during the construction of the defensive structure. This means that "Galicia's Grave" is quite capable of surprising us or our descendants more than once.

In 1998, during the solemn celebration of the 1100th anniversary of Halych, a small museum was set up inside the "Halychyna Mohyla" mound. The exposition is based on a luxurious, recreated longboat, military equipment of ancient times, and illustrative materials. You can go inside only with one of the museum staff.

You can get to the "Galicia Grave" mound from Ivano-Frankivsk or Halych, following the H09 highway. At the entrance to Krylos, turn right (if you are traveling from Halych), then follow the local country road to the Ancient Halych National Reserve (about 1.5 kilometers). There are directional signs on the territory of the reserve.

Opening hours: 9:00-18:00 daily.