Wednesday, 26 July 2023

Truskavets. The M. Bilas Art Museum and Villa Hopliana

Rest and recuperation at the resorts are synchronised with cultural pastimes, and visiting museums and exhibitions is one of the main occupations of the holidaymakers. The Mykhailo Bilas Art Museum stands in the centre of Truskavets, in its busiest spot — Kobzar Square.

Truskavets. The Mykhailo Bilas Art Museum. Interiors

One of the oldest cultural institutions in the town opened its doors in 1992 in the old villa 'Hopliana'.

This masterpiece of interwar wooden architecture holds the status of an architectural monument.

Truskavets. The Mykhailo Bilas Art Museum in the old villa Hopliana

In the 1920s the burgomaster and master of the resort, Raymond Jarosz, set about restoring Truskavets and built a hotel for 50 guests on a lively street where horse-drawn carriages gathered. On the façade of Jarosz's former residence, where ambassadors, presidents and other honoured guests were received, a memorial plaque to its owner has been installed. The two-storey building with an attic and arcade galleries is decorated with carving bearing Hutsul symbols.

Truskavets. The villa Hopliana. The former residence of Raymond Jarosz

This resort landmark is executed in the Art Nouveau tradition with elements of the Zakopane style. That style was used in building villas at the Polish resort of Zakopane. It is the only surviving log structure raised without a single metal nail.

Truskavets. The villa Hopliana. The nail-free log building

Over 100 years of service, the wooden staircase has acquired a grumbling creak.

Truskavets. The villa Hopliana. The wooden staircase

Between the floors, the eye is caressed by a stained-glass window depicting the 'Naftusia' pavilion. This glass composition was created in Kraków in 1925 and restored by Lviv craftsmen.

Truskavets. The villa Hopliana. The 1925 stained-glass window

Truskavets. The Mykhailo Bilas Art Museum. The stained-glass window

In this temple of art, devoted to the many-sided work of Mykhailo Bilas, the works of local painters, sculptors and folk craftsmen are on permanent display.