Museum of the History of Ancient Halych (Metropolitan Chambers) in Krylos

The Museum of the History of Halych, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, is located in the Metropolitan Chambers – an architectural monument from the early 19th century, which at one time served as the summer residence of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky. This is the oldest museum institution in Halych, situated in the heart of historical Krylos. The idea for its creation belongs to the renowned archaeologist Dr. Yaroslav Pasternak and the UGCC Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky, who, in his later years, expressed the desire to establish a museum-reserve near the foundations of the chronicle Uspensky Cathedral of the 12th century. This dream of the UGCC hierarch was realized in 1937 by Yaroslav Pasternak. He gathered the most interesting and original finds from his excavations in Krylos in the chapel of St. Basil, an architectural monument of the 15th century. This was the first museum on Krylos Mountain.

Currently, there are two museums operating here: the history of ancient Halych and the history of the church. Although there are many important monuments on the territory of the National Reserve "Ancient Halych" that must be seen in person, it is advisable to start the tour from here. Why? Because the exhibitions of both museums in the Metropolitan Chambers provide a good understanding of the historical background of events that took place here many years ago. The exhibition of the Krylos Museum presents the historical and cultural heritage of the ancient city, archaeological and architectural finds from the past that testify that Halych-Krylos was once a powerful state and religious center, the capital of the mighty Halych-Volyn state.

History

The Metropolitan Chambers, where the Museum of the History of Halych currently operates, is an architectural monument of the 18th century. Once, it was a two-story palace of the Halych Metropolitans. Some researchers believe that it was built on the site of a princely palace from the times of Kievan Rus. This has not yet been proven, but archaeologists have discovered the foundation of a stone column nearby at a depth of three meters.

Interestingly, during the construction of the Metropolitan Chambers, materials from the monastery of the prophet Elijah were used, the foundations of which can be seen on the outskirts of Krylos (landmark – the monument-symbol "Sword and Plow"), next to the highway connecting the cities of Halych and Ivano-Frankivsk.

The Museum of the History of Ancient Halych was established in 1938 at the initiative of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky – he wished for such a museum-reserve to be created near the foundations of the chronicle Uspensky Cathedral. The idea was brought to life by Dr. Yaroslav Pasternak, who dedicated many years to researching the history of this princely city. Initially, the finds collected by Yaroslav Pasternak during the excavations of the Krylos settlement were exhibited in the chapel of St. Basil, an architectural monument of the 15th century. Later, the collection was moved to the Metropolitan Chambers.

The exhibition of the Museum of the History of Halych, which can be conditionally divided into two periods – pre-chronicle and chronicle, is located in seven halls on the first floor of the Metropolitan Chambers. In the first two, visitors become acquainted with rare exhibits from pre-chronicle Halych, that is, from the Stone and Bronze Ages: linear-band, Trypillia, cord, Komariv, Lypets, and Chernyakhiv cultures. Tools (scrapers, plates, chisels, punches, bone hooks, horn hoes) testify to the economic activities of people of that time.

In the 6th-3rd millennium BC, the territory of Prykarpattia was inhabited by carriers of the Trypillia culture, who, in addition to hoe agriculture, engaged in cattle breeding, hunting, and fishing. The Trypillians also knew pottery and weaving. The processing of stone in the Trypillia culture reached its highest level. The Trypillians, as is known, were close to literacy. Remains of Trypillia settlements on the western border have been found in Bovshy, Viktoriv, Komariv, Krylos, Korostovychy, as well as in the town of Bilshivtsi in the Halych district. The museum presents fragments of pottery found by archaeologists in the town of Bilshivtsi. Among them are cups, bowls, spherical vessels, lids, and a jug.

The third hall is rich in exhibits. The finds contained here tell that, starting from the first centuries of the new era, the territory of Prykarpattia was inhabited by East Slavic tribes. Between the Southern Bug and Dniester lived the Ulichi, and between the Dniester and Prut – the Tiverci.

The exhibition of the museum widely presents the remains of bronze-casting production from the time of Kievan Rus, found by archaeologists. Among the exhibits from the princely era, ancient Rus weapons occupy a central place. Visitors are particularly attracted by the ancient Rus sword of an unknown prince from the 12th century, arrowheads, battle axes, a dagger, stirrups of various types, arrows, crosses-encolpions of various types, etc.

In the center of the fifth hall of the museum is the Krylos treasure: a copper church plate-diskos and silver bracelets, as well as a large diorama of Krylos (a model of ancient Halych and its surroundings), made by the employees of the Lviv Institute "Ukrzakhidproektrestavraciya" in 1988.

The Museum of the History of the Church is located on the second floor of the Metropolitan Chambers. It is small in size but rich in valuable exhibits that tell about the history of the Halych Metropolitanate and its leaders. Here you can get acquainted with samples of sacred art, see cult items used by the metropolitans during services.

The shrine of Krylos Mountain was the Uspensky Cathedral. Its architectural details with frescoes, capitals with decoration, carved stone, anthropomorphic masks, which are now exhibited in the museum, testify to the high development of the Halych architectural school during the time of Yaroslav Osmomysl. Tiles depicting griffins, dragons, peacock birds adorned the walls of the temple. A scriptorium (a workshop for copying books) was opened at the Uspensky Cathedral, where the Halych Gospel was written in 1144. A copy of this Gospel is now in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. Styluses, hanging seals, engravings indicate a high level of literacy development in princely Halych.

Heraldic signs on the bottoms of vessels, triangular and rectangular tiles from many temples of Halych enrich the exhibition of another hall of the museum.

In the former Metropolitan Chambers, on the second floor, there is an exhibition of the future and the only museum of the history of the church in Halychyna. Here are rare exhibits of church cult, which were donated to the museum by private individuals, as well as the parish priest of the village of Krylos, Father Yaroslav Zholob. The exhibition begins with a gallery of portraits of metropolitans and cardinals of the Halych Metropolitanate, which was created in 1807 in Lviv. It was then that the construction of the Metropolitan Chambers began. During excavations near the summer residence of the Halych metropolitans, Lviv archaeologists discovered a fragment of a cross with an interesting ornament, and on the inside – the initials of the first bishop Kosmas (Kuzma), who ruled in Halych during the reign of Yaroslav Osmomysl.

Very interesting exhibits and icons were donated to the museum by a collector from Snyatyn, Bohdan Chovhan. Among them are a medallion-pendant "The Virgin Mary with Jesus" from the 19th century, fragments of the iconostasis, a wooden paten from the 18th century, as well as three icons of Jesus Christ and an icon of the Mother of God Odihria.

Bishop of Kolomyia-Chernivtsi Mykola Simkailo donated to the future museum of the history of the church icons of Saints Volodymyr the Great, Barbara, and Paraskeva, painted on a board, as well as an icon of St. Nicholas depicted on glass. Among the gifts of the bishop are a wooden casket and a cross with a crucifixion, dated to the 18th century, as well as personal belongings of the late bishop Pavlo Vasylyk – a felon, mitre, cap, staff, wooden cross, photographs.

Among the exhibits of the museum is the Lviv Gospel, printed by the stavropegic brotherhood in 1670. This printed rarity is in good condition. All pages are preserved, as well as the embossing on the cover. Many exhibits were donated to the museum by Father Sviatoslav Kiyak. These are things of the late father Roman Kiyak, and they represent the period when the UGCC was underground. Among them are a hand-washing basin, two diskoses, and a spoon for Holy Communion, a tabernacle, a medallion of the Blessed Virgin Mary, etc.

Many items were donated by Father Oleg Kaskiv. These include books from the library of Andrey Sheptytsky, two icons "The Almighty", dated 1882. In addition, icons "The Nativity of Christ", "The Assumption of the Mother of God", "Odihria", as well as fragments of icons of six Apostles from the iconostasis of the church of the village of Mezhyhirtsi (18th century). But perhaps the greatest rarity of the future museum of the history of the church is the staff of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky, which was once used by bishops Pavlo Vasylyk and Sofron Mudry and the vestments of the Supreme Archbishop of the UGCC Lubomyr Husar.

Visiting the Museum of the History of Halych is appropriately combined with a tour of Halych's grave, the foundations of the Uspensky Cathedral, the Prince's well, the Church of the Assumption of the Mother of God, and the Golden Tock. All these objects are located at a close distance.

You can reach the Museum of the History of Halych, located on the territory of the National Reserve "Ancient Halych" in Krylos, by car, traveling along the N09 highway from Halych or Ivano-Frankivsk. You can also use public transport. From Ivano-Frankivsk (the distance is 22 kilometers): by buses "Ivano-Frankivsk – Halych", which stop near the Theological Seminary in the regional center, on Harbarska Street. From bus station No. 2 on Pasichna Street (not far from the barrier), you can take a minibus "Ivano-Frankivsk – Burshtyn" or buses heading towards Lviv or Rohatyn. From the railway station of Ivano-Frankivsk (buses stand between the railway and bus stations), you can take a minibus heading to Rohatyn.

From Halych to Krylos (the distance between them is 7 kilometers), you can take one of the buses that stop near the People's House in the city center. Note that the bus stop in Krylos is located near the main road (this is Lower Krylos). To reach Krylos Mountain, where all the monuments are concentrated, you will have to walk about 1.5 kilometers. There is no railway connection in Krylos.

Working hours: from 9:00 to 18:00 daily.