Kalush. It both surprised and charmed me

Kalush is an industrial and cultural centre of Prykarpattia, set 30 kilometres from Ivano-Frankivsk. The town is associated with a zone of ecological disaster and the harmful influence of chemical production on the surrounding environment. Despite the intensive industrialisation and the dangerous ecological situation, the atmosphere of this old town of the Boiko region and its national colour can still be felt on its streets.

Kalush. Ivano-Frankivsk region. Heroes' Square

The Krovetska Ravine. A Hike to a Geological Monument

Purpose of the hike: to visit the geological nature monument of state significance, the Krovetska ravine, with a look at the surface outcrop of rock. Route: the Ivanopillia stop (6th kilometre), a worked-out quarry, the village of Ivanopillia, the Krovetska ravine, the Pleshchiivka stop. Distance: 14.2 km over hilly terrain. Time: 5 hours 45 minutes.

Ruda. The Vyhovsky Estate and the Ivan Vyhovsky Museum

The Lviv region has a rich cultural heritage — architectural monuments alone number about 8,500. The centuries-old history of Halychyna is not forgotten; it is preserved, and its glorious past is a source of pride both in the cities and in the small towns. In the village of Ruda, in the Zhydachiv district, in 2004 the first museum in Ukraine dedicated to Ivan Vyhovsky was opened, devoted to the hetman of the Zaporozhian Host and to the history of the Cossacks.

Ruda. The museum of Ivan Vyhovsky

Mykolaivka. Who needs a zemstvo school?

We all come from childhood, and we are inevitably bound to it through school. In 2018 the building of the former zemstvo school of the village of Mykolaivka, in the Pokrovsk district of Donetsk region, was granted the status of cultural and historical heritage of Ukraine.

The zemstvo school. Mykolaivka, Pokrovsk district, Donetsk region.

Stradch. The cave monastery of the 11th-13th centuries

The Stradch cave church is a unique historical monument that has survived unchanged since the 11th century.

Stradch. Lviv region. The cave monastery. The church of the Mother of God the Indestructible Wall

Zhovkva. A town in the palm of your hand

Zhovkva is a special town, almost tiny, with an area of 7.6 km and a population of about 13 thousand, but with a rich architectural heritage. One of the smallest towns in Ukraine, it has 55 monuments of history and architecture.

Zhovkva. Lviv region. The Town Hall. 1932.

Kleban-Byk. Just a day off

Purpose of the hike: to visit the Kleban-Byk regional landscape park with a look at the outcrops of bedrock. Route: the Kleban-Byk stop, the settlement of Kleban-Byk, the Kleban-Byk RLP, the reservoir, the quarry, the village of Pleshchiivka, the Pleshchiivka stop. Distance: 13.5 km. Time: 3 hours 40 minutes. Weather: sunny, +18° .. +27°.

Kleban-Byk, Kostiantynivka district, Donetsk region.

Kokhavyne. The Monastery of Saint Gerard

Cases of neglect and destruction of monuments of sacred architecture are, sadly, encountered quite often. Sometimes the buildings are restored by parishioners of a different religious denomination, while preserving the original appearance of the church. That is what happened in the historic locality of Kokhavyne, in the settlement of Hnizdychiv in the Lviv region.

Hnizdychiv. Kokhavyne. Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Mother of God. The former Ascension kostel. 1894.

Perechyn. A Half-Marathon in Zakarpattia

As they get to know the generous natural riches of Zakarpattia, tourists increasingly include in their routes the town of Perechyn, set among mountain peaks near the confluence of the Turia and Uzh rivers.

The town of Perechyn. Zakarpattia region

Zolotyi Kolodiaz. A Life-Giving Spring of Healing Water

In the Donetsk region, sources of mineral water are not encountered all that often, so deposits of this most valuable natural resource in the ground, in an industrial region, are worth their weight in gold. A village in the Dobropillia district earned its well-deserved name, for its life-giving spring has been famous throughout the whole district for a fourth century now.

The village of Zolotyi Kolodiaz, Dobropillia district, Donetsk region