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Overview of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast
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The Ivano-Frankivsk (earlier known as Stanislaviv) oblast is situated in the southwest of Ukraine at the junction of two large geographical areas – the East European Plain and the Ukrainian Carpathians.
As a result of the location of the region in the center of Europe the local population is oriented toward the values of the Western culture. The people of Prykarpatia show respect to private property, individuality, the family, and enterprise.
Owing to a long period of being under the rule of various European countries Galichina experienced a great influence of potential and legal traditions of the continental Europe.
An enormous potential of the enterprise of the local population is affirmed by the fact that a lot of Galichina people emigrated to Western Europe and North America and managed to apply their business and intellectual capabilities in the field of business, science and administration.
HistoryArcheological evidence indicates that human being inhabited what is now called Prykarpatia for at least 100 thousand years
During the first centuries AD, Prykarpatia was inhabited by Slavic tribes, the most notable of whom are tyvertsi, ulichi, bili horvaty. In 981 Prykarpatia joined Kievan Rus.
As the result of the breakup of Kievan Rus, Galichina with the capital of Galich became independent. Under the reign of Prince Yaroslav Osmomysl (1152-1187) the principality reached the peak of its development. In 1199 Roman Mstyslavovych, the Prince of Volyn, united Galichina and Volyn into Galitsko-Volynsk principality which became quite powerful under King Danyla Galitsky.
Exhausted in struggle with Mongols, the principality gradually declined. In the second half of the XIV century Galichina was seized by Poland. In order to strengthen his rule over the newly obtained territories, a Polish magnate Andri Pototski established a fort, which after 1662 became the town of Stanislaviv.
On September 14, 1663 Jan II Kazimier, the King of Poland, affirmed the right of Stanislaviv for self-government.
In 1772, as the result of the first partition of Poland between Russia, Prussia and Austria, Galichina became the part of the latter.
With the beginning of World War I in Stryi, Lvivchina, the Austrian general staff established a detachment called the Legion of Ukrainian Sich Striltsy (shooters) which included 2500 troops. That regiment was fated to play an important role in the struggle for independence.
On November 1, 1918, as the result of rebellion in Lviv, the Ukrainian National Council captured the rule. It was supported by the detachments, which later formed the Ukrainian Galician Army.
After declaring the West Ukrainian People's Republic (WUPR), at the end of December 1918 the government of WUPR moved to Stanislaviv. On January 3, 1919 the Ukrainian National Council adopted the famous Universal (manifesto) concerning the reunification with the Ukrainian People's Republic.
In spring 1919 the Polish army being supported by the Entente continued in offensive.
Under the circumstances the WUPR suffered a defeat. After a final occupation of Prykarpatia by Polish troops, Stanislaviv became a center of a voevodstvo (Poloish administrative unit).
On September 17, 1939, with the beginning of World War II, Western Ukraine was occupied by the Red Army. On October 3, 1939 it formed a part of the USSR.
Despite the heavy ideological communist pressure and severe repression Ukrainian patriots came out against totalitarian soviet regime and continued their struggle for freedom.
The fondest dream of many generations of Galicians came true on August 24, 1991, when the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) declared the independence of Ukraine. The creation of the Ukrainian State was a result of the long nationalist struggle of Ukrainians, the triumph of historic justice.
CultureRelations with Polish, Austrian, Russian and other cultures considerably affected the culture development of our region.
Some scientists suppose it is possible that the famous saga Slovo o Polku Igorevim (the story about the Igor's army), the masterpiece of the ancient Slavic literature, was written here, at the end of XII century.
In 1599 the third printshop in Ukraine was founded in the village of Stratin, not far from Rogatin, and another was established in the village of Krylos, near Galch.
Numerous theatres of the oblast, such as the Ivan Franko Drama and Music Theatre, the M.P. Podgorianka Puppet Theatre, the Oblast Theatre of Folklore, feasts ands shows, the Gnat Hotkevich Drama Theatre of Kolomyia stage various masterpieces of the world and national art.
Ivano-Frankivsk region has preserved a lot of interesting folk customs, traditions, legends, and crafts, which have disappeared from the urban society. Galichina is very rich in talents; different folk craftsmen, weavers, potters, carvers, and painters always take part in various town and village festivals.
The oblast has 10 government-supported museums and 60 community ones, National Park "Ancient Galich". Their collections contain more than 162000 exhibits.
Culture and education institutions are working to restore the morality, ethnic and culrural traditions of the region, and to more careful study the history of Prykarpatia and Ukraine.
Three higher education institutions (with the 3rd and 4th level of accreditation) offer more than 51 specialties and train 15 thousand students.
About 8000 students study at 15 departments of Vasyl Stefanyc Prykarpatia University. Every eight teacher of the Prykarpatia University is the Doctor of Science, and 75% of the teaching staff have the science degree, which is one of the highest rates in Ukraine. The university professors and students can use a science library with the biggest collection of books of the Ukrainian Diaspora.
Ivano-Frankivsk State Technical University of Oil and Gas is the only institution of higher education of the 4th (the highest) level of accreditation, which train specialists for oil and gas industry, transport, electronic and energetic industry. Developments of university researchers are widely used by domestic and international companies.
Ivano-Frankivsk State Medical Academy has the highest share of Candidates and Doctors of Science per one employee among the medical universities of Ukraine. The Academy has a license for teaching foreign students. The activity of the professors of the Academy makes it possible to tell about existence of Prykarpatia School in the Ukrainian medicine. It is characterized by constant search for new technologies of treatment, active research, and maximum approach to practice.
23 higher education institutions with the 1st and 2nd levels of accreditation (including 3 private ones) have 86 specialties and about 17000 students.
19 vocational schools have more than 100 specialties and 13300 students.
218000 kids study in 744 schools. 8000 talented children study in 6 gymnasium and 4 lyceums. There are 13 special boarding schools and 320 kindergartens in the oblast. 50000 children develop their skills in 74 clubs.
45 cultural and educational organizations for students and children operate in the oblast. The are the regional organization of student youth "The Students Brotherhood", an association of creative youth "Western Gate", the League of Youth, a scout organization "Plast". The international organization "AIESEC", which have the office in Ivano-Frankivsk, coordinates international student exchange programs and establishes links between students and local and regional enterprises. In total, the membership of youth organizations amounts to 10000 persons.
IndustryIn the territorial division of labor the oblast specializes in the extraction of oil and natural gas, producing of electric power, fertilizes, petrochemicals, chemicals, dyes, agriculture machines, control devices, chemical equipment, pipeline armature, local materials for building (asbestos-cement pipes and unions, reinforced concrete products, asbestos sheeting and bricks), fiberboard and chipboard, furniture, light industry goods (fur and garments, chrome leather) and so on.
During recent years there has been rapid growth in the chemical, petrochemical, forest, lumber, food, metalworking, energy, and machine-building industries. Now the oblast accounts for 14% of the total oil extraction in Ukraine. Forest complex contains 16 forestries, 12 lumber combine works, and 5 specialized furniture factories.
Forest is not only the source of raw materials for the wood industry, also it supplies the food industry. Every year the oblast stores about 400 tons of wild berries (raspberries, blackberries, huckleberries, berries of a wild ash) 100 tons of various mushrooms, about 100 tons of medical plants, 60 tons of birch juice and 10 tons of honey.
The reforms in the field of land and property relations are coming to the end. There is a reorganization of collective farms on the base of private ownership for land and equipment of the oblast.
Small business is rather developed in Prykarpatia. Gradually market transformations are under way in the oblast's economy. Now the region has 3328 small businesses.
Natural resourcesIvano-Frankivsk oblast is a specific region, which is very rich in mineral and recreational resources. Mineral resources are represented by the following groups:
- fuel and power resources (oil, gas, coal, and peat);
- chemical (halite, potassium salt, sulfur, phosphorites);
- construction materials (gypsum, marls, marbles, glass and mortar sand, clay)
- balneological (ozocerite, mineral water).
There are small deposits of iron, manganese, cooper, zinc, silver and gold in the Ukrainian Carpathians.
This region is the richest in Ukraine in mineral water, having more than 800 springs of mineral water of all types.
Also, the Carpathians are well known for their recreational resources, such as mud, ozocerite, pure air, and beautiful landscapes, which make this region sanatorium-resort and recreational area of world significance.
Transport and communicationsThe distance from Ivano-Frankivsk to the western crossing point of Ukraine ranges from 140 km to 180 km.
There are 15 transport companies with different forms of ownership in the oblast. There are 442 routes, including 54 internal town, 253 suburban, interurban and 19 international. According to the project of the Western Europe – Far East highway it will run not far from Ivano-Frankivsk.
Ivano-Frankivsk has an international airport, which links Central and Southwestern Europe with Ukraine, Russia and countries of the CIS. Charters to any country of the world are available.
Six railroad branches meet in Ivano-Frankivsk. International passenger routes run through stations Ivano-Frankivsk and Kolomyia, namely Chernivtsi-Peremyshl, Saint Petersburg-Sophia, Moscow-Kyiv-Sophia. The density of railroads in Ivano-Frankivsk region is 34.5 km per 1000 square km.
There are 68 automatic telephone exchanges in towns of the oblast, and 324 – in the country. In total they service 174800 users, 124300 and 50500 respectively. E-mail, cellular communications, and paging are also available. The number of Internet users is increasing gradually.
Modern systems of fiberoptic lines and digital systems of data transfer are under constructions; that will considerably improve the quality of communications services.
AgricultureThere are considerable areas of fertile soils in the south of the oblast. Both plains and mountain slopes have large areas of pastures (more than 1270 square km) and hays (more than 810 square km) for the cattle breeding.
Prykarpatia has 2 sugar refineries, 14 dairy plants, 3 meat processing works, 4 fruit and vegetable processing facilities, 3 spirit distilleries, and 3 breweries; the majority of them are private.
Some enterprises were founded as far back as the XVII century, which allows combining age-old experience with new technologies. Owing the wide range of products and their reasonable price, have been satisfying the clients of DVKK "Ivano-Frankivskspirt" for many years.
Ancient culinary recipes, local raw materials, skills and professionalism of the staff of VAT "Lasoshi" make products of the company uniquely delicious.
Since 1992 the number of farms has increased from 159 to 654. There are small enterprises engaged in processing of agriculture products developing. If in 1990 there were only 120 of such enterprises in the oblast, now there are more than 300 of them.
The most promising directions in the development of oblast's agriculture today are considered to be cattle-breeding, growing and processing of turnip, and processing of fruit and vegetables.
Foreign economic activityEach year the geography of foreign trade of the oblast enterprises is extending. The most important foreign trade partners are Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Germany, the Russian Federation, the Czech Republic, and the Republic of Moldova.
The main exports include mineral oil industry equipment and instruments, measuring devices, loading equipment, petroleum residue, ethylene, chlorvivyl, dyes, cement, fur products, furniture, lumber, splint slabs and fiberboard, sugar, frozen meat, and technical casein.
The products imported to the region include mineral fuel (such as raw oil and oil products), organic chemical compounds, paper, natural rubber, natural and synthetic furs, machines, equipment, and mechanical devices, land transport etc.
As of January 1, 2000, the total amount of investments received by the oblast amounted to $36.8 million (comparing to 1998-1999 it has increased by $12 million). More than 81.3% of them were invested into industrial enterprises, about 15% into internal trade, and the rest into the other industries.
The structure of foreign investments is shown on the following diagram
The main investors are Canada, which invested more than $10.9 million, and USA - $2.4 million.
More than 88% of 137 enterprises, which received foreign investment, are joint ventures. The experience of western partners and introduction of the principles of contemporary management made successful such join ventures as Ukrainian-Canadian JV "Delta" Kolomiya Oil and Gas Company (oil and gas mining), Ukrainian-British JV "Interplit" (production of laminated splint pressed slabs), Ukrainian-German JV "Vinisin" (tuft-cover production), Ukrainian-Dutch JV "Tikaferlucks" (fur products), Ukrainian-Czech JV "Euro-milk" (milk products), "Franko-Krok" Company, and many others.
In 1999 sales of enterprises with foreign investments were: in the domestic market – UAH 162.3 million, for export - $65.3 million. These enterprises have positive external trade balance in the amount of $15 million.
Tourism and recreationThe territory of the oblast is relatively small, however, the landscape is one of the most colorful in Ukraine. One third is taken up by the Carpathians, and two thirds by foothill and plain territories. The highest Ukrainian mountain Hoverla (2061 m) is situated on the border with Transcarpathia.
Climate – mild winter with the average temperature of -5° C (23° F) and warm summer (+18° C (64.4° F)) – favor all-the-year-round recreation and medical treatment. On the slopes of the Carpathians snow stays for several months, which contributes the development of the downhill skiing sport. Rivers, which are mostly rapid, create cascades and waterfalls, attracting fans of water tourism. The biggest rivers praised in folk songs are the hoary Dneaster and the rapid Prut starting from under Hoverla in the territory of the oblast.
About 10% of all the Ukrainian forests growth in the oblast. Foothills are covered by deciduous woods, the mountains - by coniferous.
500 square km of the mountain part of the oblast is assigned as the Carpathian National Park. It encompasses course of the Prut and Chorhy Cheremosh and Hoverla. By the time of creation it is the first national park in Ukraine.
There are nine resort spots areas in the oblast. 12 sanatoriums and 15 health improvement centers are operational. Climatic, medical, treatment and mineral bathes are used as resort therapy. The low mountainous resorts are Tatariv, Yaremche and Mikulichy, Myslivska, Novy Mizun, Sheshory; the high mountainous resorts are Vorohta and Yablunitsa; the foothill resort Cherche provides mud-bath treatment.
Moreover, the town of Yaremche, which is situated in an extraordinarily colorful valley on the bank of the Prut, is known as a tourist capital of the Carpathians (it has about 40 tourist recreation establishments). The settlement of Vorochta is known as a center of winter sports. There is a set of four ski-jumps there, which functional all year round due to an artificial covering, and a ski stadium equipped with a 1.5 km funiculor.
The Carpathians region of Ukraine is famous for its abundant mineral waters. Among the spas of Ivano-Frankis region the most well-known is the spa "Goryanka", which is similar by effect to Truskavets’s "Naftusya", in Novy Mizun village of Dolyn area. The spa is being used by the health improvement centers "Dzherelo Prykarpatia". Medicinal properties of the spa "Burkut" for treating internal organs were known back in XIX century. In 1901 Lesya Ukrainka was undergoing treatment there. For treatment of bearing-motor system peat mud and mineral waters of resort Cerche are being used. Waters of resort Sheshory which has a high content of organic matter has opportunities for treatement.
Tourist services are provided by more than 20 tourist enterprises. Service, customary for western tourists (three stars) is provided by hotel "Auskoprut" in Ivano-Frankivsk, holiday center "Karpatski Zory" in the town of Kosiv, the holiday center "Synygora" in the village of Guta, health improvement center "Dzherelo Prykarpatia" in the village of Novy Mizum.
The all Ukrainian climbing Hoverla to celebrate the Independence of Ukraine has become a tradition.
There are not just informational, but dozens of active tourist routs in the Carpathians: mountain, water, and hiking. The most interesting of them are: mountain – Hoverla and Pip-Ivan, along the Chernogirsk ridge; water – along the Dneaster canyon and rivers the Bilyi and the Chorny Cheremosh, the Prut, the Limnizja; hiking – the Carpathians valleys up to Manjavsky waterfall; skiing – on mountain Kukul and others.
Tourists have an opportunity to ski in Yablunitsa, Vorohta, Kosiv. There are suitable places for hang gliding on the Dneaster.
Country Green rural tourism is becoming more and more popular. At the beginning of the century many famous people spent their vocations in the country. A mountain village Kryvorivnya has become some kind of country house for I. Franko, M. Grushevsky, M. Kotsubinkski, G. Hotkevich. Today, more than 100 households are eager to accept willing tourist at the cottages.
We invite you get better acquainted with this unexplored corner – Carpathia – the place of enchanting nature and open friendly people, which will accept everybody with pleasure.