Medovyi Krai bee-breeding farm, Velyki Luchky

A family apiary with a century of tradition

Medovyi Krai (“Honey Land”) is a family honey brand from Zakarpattia and at the same time a breeding farm for the Carpathian honeybee. The farm is based in the village of Velyki Luchky near Mukachevo and is run by beekeeper Yurii Khoma. According to the owners, the family has kept bees for more than a hundred years and has sold queen bees for over three decades. Since 2005 it has held the status of a pedigree bee-breeding farm, and since 2019 that of the Zakarpattia Breeding Plant. So behind every jar of honey there is not just flavour but a long effort to preserve the local mountain bee.

Why go and where to buy

Medovyi Krai's apiaries are migratory: during the season they are moved around Zakarpattia following the bloom, so there is no permanent place for tours, and apiary visits are not confirmed. The easiest way to get to know the products is to visit the Medovyi Krai honey shop in central Uzhhorod on Svobody Avenue, where you can choose honey, ask about the varieties and pick up a gift from Zakarpattia. Honey can also be ordered on the farm's website with delivery across Ukraine, and beekeepers can arrange queens and bee packages by phone.

What to try and buy

Most honey in Ukraine comes from cultivated crops such as sunflower, buckwheat or rapeseed. Medovyi Krai honey is different: the bees gather it from wild mountain plants, which gives it a distinct herbal aroma. The range includes:

• several varieties of Transcarpathian honey, including high-mountain wildflower honey;
• honey blends;
• honey drops (dragée sweets);
• for beekeepers — purebred Carpathian queen bees (orders from the second half of May to early August) and bee packages (in May).

Breeding began with the “Vuchkove” type of Carpathian bee, and today the farm uses its own micro-lines; moving the apiaries helps avoid inbreeding. The Carpathian bee is a local mountain breed adapted to cool springs and long winters, valued for its gentle temper, economical winter feeding and ability to work even in changeable weather. Beekeeping has deep roots in Zakarpattia: honey was medicine, festive food and a trade good, and family apiaries were handed down from generation to generation.

Practical information

• Medovyi Krai honey shop: 32 Svobody Ave., Uzhhorod (ground floor of a residential block); Instagram — honey_land.shop. Check opening hours by phone.
• Farm: 15B Druzhby St., Velyki Luchky, Mukachevo district — not a visitor attraction; visits only by prior arrangement.
• Phones: +380509168155, +380509118636, +380681431651; e-mail [email protected]; website honey-land.com.ua.
• Getting there: Svobody Avenue is one of Uzhhorod's main streets, easy to reach by city transport or on foot from the centre. Velyki Luchky is about 10 km west of Mukachevo, reachable by car or by suburban minibus from Mukachevo.
• Prices for honey and queens — on the website or by phone.

Website and social media: honey-land.com.ua · instagram.com

Photos: pchel-pitomnik.com.