National Reserve "Ancient Halych"

TheAncient Halych National Reserve is a unique historical and archaeological monument of national importance. It includes monuments that have been preserved to this day on the territory of the former capital of the Galician and later Galicia-Volyn principality. On the picturesque hills of the Dniester, Limnytsia, Lukva, and Hnyla Lypa, there are ancient churches and defensive ramparts of the chronicled city, and there are more than two hundred archaeological sites alone. The Ancient Halych National Reserve was created to preserve the historical and cultural monuments of Halych in protected areas, covering the territory of Halych and the villages of Krylos, Shevchenkove, Bilshivtsi, and covers an area of 80 square kilometers.

A number of monuments of national and world significance, the foundations of 14 chronicle churches of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, more than 200 archaeological sites, and 18 nature conservation sites organically linked to historical and architectural monuments are under protection. On the territory of the reserve are located: The Museum of the History of Ancient Halych, the Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Prykarpattia, and the Regional Nature and Landscape Park. Ancient Halych, the capital of the Galician and later the Galician-Volyn principality, is a unique historical and archaeological monument of national importance. In 1994, a state historical and cultural reserve was created on the basis of a complex of historical and cultural monuments of the XI-XVII centuries, which, according to the Decree of the President of Ukraine, received national status and an official modern name.

Along with the churches of St. Panteleimon (twelfth century), the Nativity of Christ (fourteenth to sixteenth centuries), the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (sixteenth century), the church and the Carmelite monastery complex (sixteenth century), there is a monastery mentioned in the book of the Holy Bible.), the "Galicia Grave" mentioned in the Galician-Volyn Chronicle, the legendary Princely Well, the foundations of the majestic Cathedral of the Assumption (XI century) with the burial place of Prince Yaroslav Osmomysl and the chapel of St. Basil (XV century). In the village of Krylos, which is located on the territory of the reserve, a system of defensive structures with several rows of powerful ramparts has been preserved.

On a picturesque hill above the Dniester stand the walls of the Galician castle of the IX-XIII-XVII centuries. In addition, the reserve contains more than 200 archaeological sites that document the stages of the historical city's origin and further development. In general, unlike other Ukrainian cities, where the cultural layer of the past centuries is mostly damaged or even completely destroyed by underground communications and modern buildings, princely Halych has preserved the treasures of ancient culture. The monuments of ancient Halych are carefully preserved and restored.

Between 1995 and 2005, the historic center of the ancient city with its monuments, the Church of St. Panteleimon, the Church of the Assumption, the Chapel of St. Basil, and a number of folk architecture monuments were restored.

Let's take a brief look at the most prominent objects.

Church of the Nativity in Halych

Before the foundations of the chronicle's Assumption Cathedral in Krylos were discovered, this church was considered the princely cathedral. The exact time of construction of the Church of the Nativity is unknown. Experts date it to the end of the 13th - beginning of the 14th century. It is assumed that a wooden church of the 12th century used to stand on this site. In 1349, during the conquest of Galicia by the Poles, the latter burned it down. The building was repeatedly destroyed by the Tatars. Next to the Church of the Nativity, the Franciscans built the Monastery of the Holy Cross. Today it is the current cathedral of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

Galician (Starostynskyi) Castle

This is one of the most visited places in Halych. The ruins of the castle dating back to the 14th-17th centuries, which once served as a fortification, have been preserved. One of the towers and part of the wall have been restored. The Starostynskyi Castle is located in a picturesque place on a high hill of Halych-Hora, on the right bank of the Dnister River.

In the village of Krylos, a monument symbolizing the Sword and the Shovel (1985-1987) welcomes tourists.

The monument stands on Krylos Hill on the Ivano-Frankivsk-Halych road opposite the Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Prykarpattia. The monument was erected in the Prokaliyiv Garden tract, a place where the first line of defensive ramparts of the Galicia-Volyn state lay in princely times.

Foundations of the 12th century Assumption Cathedral

The Church of the Holy Virgin was first mentioned in chronicles in connection with the burial of Prince Yaroslav Osmomysl. The cathedral was also a cathedral in the 14th and 16th centuries, but no one knows the exact date of its destruction. Even the location of the Assumption Cathedral was unknown until the thirties of the 20th century. The location of the main shrine of princely Halych was searched for in present-day Halych, on the high bank of the Limnytsia River, and in Krylos, on the site of the Assumption Church. The church was one of the largest in the Christian world at the time.

Next to the foundations of the Church of the Assumption stands the chapel of St. Basil, which was built in the southwestern corner of the cathedral in the 15th century. It has survived to this day in almost its original form.

Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Church of the Assumption was built in the 16th century next to the former Assumption Cathedral, and stones from the previous building were partially used during construction. The white stone blocks used to build the walls of the church have numerous graffiti inscriptions scratched into them. Most of them date back to the 12th and 13th centuries. The church is beautifully restored. The iconostasis was made by Anton Manastyrskyi, a prominent master of Ukrainian painting of the early 20th century. In the Church of the Assumption, a famous shrine, the Kryloska Miraculous Icon of the Mother of God, is open for viewing and worship.

The foundations of St. Elias Church

A little further away from the Krylos settlement, on a hill near the current road from Halych to Ivano-Frankivsk, there is a tract where a monastery with a white-stone church of the Prophet Elijah built in the 12th century operated until the mid-18th century. The architectural details found during excavations at the site of St. Elijah's Church, the decorative elements, and its rotunda shape indicate that the masters of the Galician architectural school of the time and representatives of Western European architecture had close relations. A symbolic memorial cross stands on the site of the former Church of the Prophet Elijah. Its foundations have been museumized.

The prince's well

The princely well is considered to be the oldest spring in Krylos. Back in the days of princely Halych, there was a spring with healing water. The legends about the appearance of the Knyazha Krynytsia are still told by the locals. On the eve of the 1100th anniversary of ancient Halych, a four-meter-high rotunda with a gilded cross was built over the spring. The road to the well is conveniently equipped with an observation deck.

Galicia's grave

This sacred place, which gave its name to an entire region of Ukraine, is shrouded in mystery. The Galychyna Mohyla mound is located on the outskirts of the Krylos settlement, between the inner and outer ramparts of the old Halych. Many researchers believe that the founder of the city could have been buried here in pre-Slavic times. In the nineties of the 20th century, during excavations in the mound, a symbolic burial was discovered with the remains of a burnt longboat and the equipment of a warrior nobleman. Today, the site has been museumized and is another unique object on Kryloska Hill.

A system of defensive structures with several rows of powerful ramparts

The central defensive rampart of princely Halych was built over the Lukva River, its length reaching 624 meters. Scientists have thoroughly investigated how these fortifications were created, how they used wooden structures placed on the ramparts, and what functions they performed besides defense.

The Church of St. Panteleimon in the village of Shevchenkove

The pearl of the 12th-century Galician architectural school, St. Panteleimon's Church is a unique building. This monumental cross-style church with exquisite white stone carvings and numerous drawings and graffiti on the walls has undergone several reconstructions. However, thanks to the fact that the graffiti has been preserved in good condition over the centuries, scientists have accurately determined the time of construction of the church - 1194. It was located in the center of a well-fortified settlement, possibly a monastery. After the capture of Galicia by Poland, the church was rededicated into a cathedral. Later it was transferred to the Franciscan monastery in Halych.

After restoration in 1998, the shrine acquired a modern, close to the original appearance, and has all the elements inherent in the Galician architectural school of the princely era.

Today St. Panteleimon's Church is a functioning Greek Catholic church.

In the village of Bilshivtsi - Carmelite Church and monastery

In the village of Bilshivtsi, which lies a few kilometers north of Halych and Krylos, there is a Carmelite church and monastery complex, a landmark of late Baroque architecture of the 18th century. Already in the next century, the 19th century, the Carmelite monastery in Bilshivtsi was one of the largest in Galicia. The monks published books, painted icons, took care of the sick and the school, and there was a shelter for the poor at the monastery. Thanks to the cooperation of the General Directorate of the Ancient Halych National Reserve, the Ministry of Culture of Poland, and Franciscan monks, the complex has now been restored. The church's interior and partially frescoed paintings were restored, the western cell building was also restored, and the lost buildings and the main staircase with retaining walls and the eastern wall with the entrance arched gate were rebuilt.

The Ancient Halych National Reserve includes three museums:

1. Museum of the History of Ancient Halych (Krylos).
2. Museum of Folk Architecture of Prykarpattia (Krylos).
3. Museum of Karaite History and Culture (Halych).

Halych can be reached by car, bus, or train.

The city lies on the national highway H09, which connects Lviv with Ivano-Frankivsk and Mukachevo. The distance from Lviv is 110 km, from Ivano-Frankivsk - 25 km. The city can be reached by direct bus from Rivne, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Ternopil, Chernivtsi, Khmelnytskyi, as well as from many cities in the Ivano-Frankivsk region. Halych has a railway station where trains from Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Henichesk, Kremenchuk, Vorokhta, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kovel, Chernivtsi, and Rakhiv stop. There are also several suburban electric trains. The office of the National Conservation Area "Ancient Halych" is located in the center of Halych at 1 Franko Street. It is one hundred meters from the H09 highway (landmarks - OKKO gas station, visit center). The objects included in the reserve are located in several locations.

Working days: Monday through Sunday. Opening hours: from 9:00 to 18:00.