Earthmovers

Dzembronia (until 2009 - Berestechko or Berestetska Dzembronia) is a village of Verkhovyna district, Ivano-Frankivsk region. On April 1, 1928, the villages (hamlets) of Dzembronia, Bystrets, Zelene and Yavirnyk were removed from the Zhabie gmina (community) of the Kosiv Poviat and formed the self-governing administrative gmina Dzembronia of the same poviat. The village of Dzembronia has the status of a mountainous settlement, which is located on the territory of 843 hectares and has a length of 10 km. There are 112 yards in the village with 245 inhabitants. It belongs to the Bystrets village council.

The village owes its name to the bison ("dzembr" in Polish) that once lived in the area. The village is located on the border with Romania, so from one of the peaks you can see where Europe begins with one eye. The village has its own primary school, as well as its own village council and two shops.

Dzembronia is famous not only for being the highest village (about 900 meters above sea level), but also for its incredible views and interesting local flavor. It is quite difficult to get to the village, so it is a great place to retire. The village of Dzembronia will be useful for those who need a powerful energy recharge.

The population of Dzembronia village is about 250 people. Their settlements stretch along the valley and mountain spurs and are located at a decent distance from each other. The main type of activity is cattle breeding, as well as employment in forestry. Green tourism is becoming increasingly popular, bringing additional income to the locals. Summer houses, parking lots and other infrastructure are being built - all of which are rented out to those who want to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy the picturesque mountain scenery and try traditional Hutsul cuisine.

The fascinating nature of Dzembroni attracts tourists from all over the world, and it is here that many hiking routes along the Chornohora ridge begin. It is also home to Mount Pip Ivan Chornohirsky, the third highest mountain in Ukraine. At the top of this mountain are the ruins of a stone astronomical observatory built in 1938 by the Poles. The Hutsuls consider it sacred; in ancient times, there was a pagan temple on the mountain. Perhaps this is why the tradition of climbing to the top during the celebration of Ivan Kupala has survived.

Lesya Ukrainka and Vasyl Stefanyk once visited Dzembrona. It is believed that these places inspired Sergei Parajanov to shoot the movie Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors. Charming nature, the famous Dzembronski waterfalls, colorful locals who have managed to preserve the culture and customs of their ancestors - all this can be found in Dzembron.

The picturesque village of Dzembronia is located in the Verkhovyna district of Ivano-Frankivsk region. This settlement is quite remote and practically untouched by civilization. That is why these places are so attractive to tourists, and it is possible to spend a vacation here all year round. This territory is rich in protected areas and historical monuments, original architecture of Hutsul houses. Traditional holidays and rituals are celebrated throughout the year, and there is an opportunity to participate in them.

• You can visit the Munchil stream, Dzembronsky (Smotrytsky) waterfalls, Kosaryshche and Stepansky meadows, which offer a magical view of the Chornohora range. Last but not least, this village is where the hiking route to the Pip Ivan Chornohirskyi mountain begins. But Pip Ivan is a misnomer for the mountain, it has nothing to do with the priest. Because it comes from the wind that sings there, and the correct way to spell it is Popivan, in one word. The stone open space of the peak, together with strong winds, create the effect of singing. And Ivan is one of the most common names in the Carpathians. That's the whole clue. In ancient times, the mountain served as a place of worship for pagan gods. The tradition of such rituals has survived to this day, though it is quite innocent. Every year, on the night of Ivan Kupala, the mountain becomes a gathering place for people from the surrounding villages.
• The Black Cheremosh River is also one of the main tourist attractions. In the spring, when the Cheremosh is especially full, rafting enthusiasts from all over Europe and Asia come to the village. In addition to Popivan, the Chornohora massif attracts visitors with its highest peaks: Mount Hoverla (2061 m), Mount Brebeneskul (2038 m), Mount Petros (2020 m), Mount Hutyn Tomnatyk (2016 m), and Mount Rebra (2001 m).
• The village of Dzembronia is also surrounded by: Mount Dzembronia (1877 m), Mount Shpytsi (1864 m), Mount Vuhaty Kamen (1864 m), Mount Gadzhyna (1664 m), Mount Marysh (1345 m), Mount Maryshevska (1564 m), Mount Ozirnyi (1362 m), Mount Kostrycha (1586 m), Mount Smotrych (1864 m).

To the southwest of the village, on the Munchel stream (which flows into the Dzembronia river), you can see cascades of waterfalls called Dzembronski (another variant is Smotrytski). The total height of the waterfall is about 100 meters, the height of the highest cascade is 10 meters. The Stepanskyi and Kosaryshche meadows, located to the north above the village, offer a picturesque view of the Chornohora range in good weather. Dzembronia is also the starting point of hiking routes to the Chornohora ridge.

Hiking mountain tourism. Dzembronia is the starting point of many hiking routes:

• 24-kilometer route to Mount Popivan via Vuhatyi Kamen (1864 m): Dzembronia village - Mount Vuhatyi Kamen - Mount Pip Ivan - Mount Smotrych - Smotrych meadow - Dzembronia village. Duration: 8-10 hours. The elevation difference is 1230 m. It is one of the most popular tourist routes. Tourists are attracted by the time it takes to climb - about 10 hours - and the picturesque, fairy-tale-like views. The photos taken on the route are clear and beautiful, and the captured moments and nature look fantastic.
• To the Munchel mountain. The route: Dzembronia village - Chufrova meadow - Mount Munchel - Dovbushevyi Sidets - Bystrets village. The length of the route is 22 km, duration 9-10 hours. The height difference is 1200 m. The starting point is the village of Dzembronia, from which you need to climb from the Chufrova meadow directly to Mount Munchel (1998 meters above sea level). You can descend from the top through Dovbushovyi Sidets directly to the village of Bystrets. The descent to Bystrets will be interesting for you because it runs through a cedar forest, which is very rare in this area.
• To the Krenta mountain. Route: Verkhovyna village - Krenta mountain - Dzembronia village. The route is 19 km long, duration 7-8 hours. The height difference is 780 m. The route starts not from the village of Dzembronia, but from its district center - Verkhovyna. We couldn't help but include this route because of the spectacular views of the Chornohora ridge along the trail. The elevation difference is 740 meters over a length of 18 kilometers, and it will take 7-8 hours to complete the journey. From Verkhovyna, the road leads to the town of Krenta. Krenta, from where you can immediately go down to the village of Dzembronia.

At the top of Popivan is the highest building in Ukraine - the Polish observatory "White Elephant". Polish researchers lived and worked at an altitude of 2028 meters between 1938 and 1941. The observatory was essential for astronomical and meteorological research. The now dilapidated building got its name from the fact that in winter it really looks like a white giant. Another version says that there were skeptics who believed that the observatory was as necessary and expedient as a white elephant. But this is in the past, and now the Ukrainian government, with the support of the Poles, plans to restore the White Elephant for the sake of future generations.

The unusual location of the White Elephant Observatory gives rise to wild fantasies related to mysticism in the writer's mind. This is how Maria Rymar came up with the book "White Elephant", in which mystical events take place on the territory of the former observatory. Under the impression of his stay on the top of Pip Ivan, Yuriy Andrukhovych wrote two works, Carpathologia cosmophilica and 12 Hoops.

The village has preserved its ancient culture, original national traditions, unique customs and rituals, which in their own way contribute to the development of the tourist potential of the region. The village of Dzembronia is the main character in the novel "From the Top Down" by Ukrainian writer Tanya Maliarchuk. Taras Prokhasko also repeatedly refers to the village in his works.

In short, their books are a great opportunity to get to know the village in absentia. During the heyday of twentieth-century Ukrainian literature, Dzembronia inspired the creative achievements of such literary giants as Lesia Ukrainka and Vasyl Stefanyk. It is still rumored that it was Dzembronia who inspired Serhiy Parajanov to create Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, and it does not matter that the film was eventually shot in Kryvorivnia. Parajanov's colleague on the set, graphic artist Yurii Yakutovych, spent almost all his life in Dzembronia in the summer. His joint picture with S. Parajanov is the peak of his work as an artist.

Car owners are lucky - they will have the easiest way to get there. Everyone else has to take a bus from Ivano-Frankivsk through Vorokhta to the village of Iltsi. When you get off the bus in Iltsi, take a good look at the road - this is the last normal road you will see on your way to Dzembrona. From Iltsi, you have to travel another 12 km to your final destination by bus or - we know it sounds disappointing - by hitchhiking. Iltsi can be reached from Kosiv via Verkhovyna. The only direct bus to Dzembrona departs from Verkhovyna: at 12.00, 15.40, and 17.50, with an estimated fare of 20 hryvnias. In principle, you can get on this bus in Iltsi... Or you can not, because there is a high probability that there will be no room in Iltsi, and the passengers will be packed in the cabin like Baltic sprats. By the way, the Dzembronia-Verkhovyna bus also exists - it leaves at 14.00. Is Dzembronia worth the transportation adventure? Of course!