Ivano-Frankivsk. The Town Hall museum with a panoramic view of the city

Ivano-Frankivsk is a regional centre in the west of Ukraine. Its former names – Stanislaviv, Stanislav – are still used by local residents. In 1962, on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of its founding, the city was renamed in honour of an outstanding son of the Ukrainian people, Ivan Franko. The city's main symbol, its calling card, the Ivano-Frankivsk Town Hall, rises in the very heart of the city on the Rynok (Market) Square.

 

Ivano-Frankivsk. The Town Hall

The first town hall was built by the city's founder, Andrzej Potocki, in 1666. The wooden structure was replaced by a stone-and-wood one, and later by one made entirely of stone, but a fire destroyed the building that housed the local self-government body. At the end of the 19th century the city authorities sat in a two-storey building with a tower, but during the First World War the building was damaged, and the townspeople had to wait for a new town hall to be built until 1939 – yet the magistrate was no longer housed in the new structure. The town hall remains the main landmark of Ivano-Frankivsk and, together with the Rynok Square, forms an integral ensemble of the historic site.

 

Ivano-Frankivsk. The Rynok Square and the Town Hall

Spots for getting acquainted with the city have been created on the square. The fountain with a sculptural depiction of an egg is the only one of its kind in Ukraine. The egg and water are symbols of the origin of life.

 

Ivano-Frankivsk. The "Egg" fountain-monument

Ivano-Frankivsk has 27 partner cities. Ten partner cities are in Poland. Sister cities are also located in the USA, Hungary, Belarus, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Moldova, Portugal, Bulgaria and China.

Ivano-Frankivsk. The sister-cities signpost

The modern town hall was built in the Constructivist style; cruciform in plan, with a clock tower rising in the centre of the structure.

 

Ivano-Frankivsk. The clock tower

Since 1959 the town hall has housed a local history museum with a rich collection, diverse holdings and rare exhibits. At the entrance we see an image of the town hall created by weaving camouflage nets. The museum staff have also joined the mass volunteering effort.

 

Ivano-Frankivsk. An image of the town hall made by weaving nets

On three floors there are departments of nature, history, folk art and archaeology.

 

Ivano-Frankivsk. Exhibits of the local history museum

On the third floor we view works of art by contemporary artists and, through a small doorway arch, step out onto the stairs leading to the observation deck.

Ivano-Frankivsk. The art gallery

Ivano-Frankivsk. The entrance to the observation deck

The observation deck was opened as part of the "Preservation of Architectural Monuments" programme. The town hall is considered the tallest structure in the city, standing 49.5 metres high, which equals the height of a 16-storey building. The deck is located at a height of 33.3 metres. Between the tiers of the spiral staircase, wrought-iron works are displayed, along with a money tree made of coins left by tourists from 15 countries of the world during their tour of the tower.

Ivano-Frankivsk. The Town Hall. The spiral staircase

Ivano-Frankivsk. The Town Hall. The money tree

On the next stretch the stairs become quite narrow, and visitors cannot descend and ascend at the same time. You have to wait and look at the photo stand covering the history of Stanislaviv.

 

Ivano-Frankivsk. The spiral staircase to the tower

A little more, we climb the last of the 166 steps, and a panorama of Ivano-Frankivsk opens up before our eyes.

Ivano-Frankivsk. A panorama of the city from the tower

The observation deck is built around the tower, and the perimeter of the walking circle is 25 metres.

Admission to the observation deck of the Ivano-Frankivsk Town Hall – the only public building in our country with a gilded top – is paid: 40 hryvnias for adults and 20 hryvnias for children.

Ivano-Frankivsk. The Town Hall and the observation deck