Yablunytsia. The Souvenir Market. A Fair of Folk Craftsmen and an Ethnographic Display

Souvenir markets in Western Ukraine resemble ethnographic displays with a rich collection of works by local craftsmen. The spectacular selling-exhibitions of folk-art objects can be considered a national brand. Tourists include visits to colourful fairs in their routes and are sure to buy goods useful in daily life or simply curious little things that can be seen only in the Carpathian land. 

Yablunytsia, Ivano-Frankivsk region. The market on the pass

In Yablunytsia in the Ivano-Frankivsk region the tourist flows are smaller than in Yaremche or Vorokhta, but the souvenir market is also a local landmark, an acquaintance with which can be compared to an excursion to an ethnographic museum. The market is located on the Yablunytsia Pass on the boundary of the Ivano-Frankivsk and Zakarpattia regions. Here the inter-regional buses stop: Ivano-Frankivsk-Rakhiv, Kolomyia-Mukachevo, Tiachiv-Ivano-Frankivsk.

 

Travellers from all over Ukraine come to Yablunytsia and make a cultural expedition along the souvenir stalls, examining with delight the stands with original samples of folk crafts, asking the traders about the goods and their makers, and admiring the ability of the local people to preserve the traditions and customs of their ancestors.

Yablunytsia. The souvenir market

The market cannot be called a large marketplace, yet the range of products astonishes with the uniqueness, diversity and refined picturesqueness of the objects of Hutsul decorative and applied art. It is quite obvious that in the western regions of Ukraine the craftsmen have innate talents, pass the craft on as an inheritance, perfecting their skills and expanding the range. Wooden pictures, tapestries and plates are decorated with images of memorable places, mountain views and scenes from the life of the highlanders.

 

Various wooden items, ceramic tableware, musical instruments, caskets, toys, religious attributes and jewellery amaze with their aesthetics and their multitude of shades and variations. Bags, wreaths, tablecloths and a mass of other handmade odds and ends are executed in a highly artistic manner in the Hutsul style.

 

The motley rugs, warm blankets, embroidered clothing and rushnyky were worked on by craftswomen-artists of the ethnic mountain districts, putting love and imagination into the creation of each item. For health and beauty there is handmade soap, perfumery from natural components, scrubs, blends of Carpathian herbs, honey and berries. Items of sheepskin, fur and leather stand out for their sturdiness and high quality.

 

Seasonality does not affect the availability of goods: in summer items for winter use are put out, and in winter you can find models for summer use. The sellers attentively greet every buyer and will pick out goods to suit all tastes.

This popular attraction, with its preserved national spirit and friendly atmosphere, operates every day during daylight hours. On major religious holidays not all the little shops are open.