HISTORY
Before
1772 the East Carpathia was a part of Poland. In opinion of Stanislav Vincenz, Polish
writers (author Huculs epopee: “On the high Polonina”) who was born and
lived in Huculschina, it was the best period for Huculs. They lived far from external
world, people and government bureaucracy. After 1772 Huculstschina became a part of the
Austro-Hungarian monarchy. Austrians did not think to leave Huculs alone. Army
service and taxes were imposed on people, being difficult duty for them. Many of highlanders
run away to mountains and arranged robber troops. The well-known robber leader was Dobos
– Hucul’s Robin Hood.
At
the end of XIX century Hucul’s folklore served
as an inspiration for many Ukrainian writers, such as Ivan Franko, Lesya Ukrainka, Mykhailo
Kotsiubyns'kyi and others. Hucul’s village Kryvorivnia was described as a Ukrainian
Athens. Huculshina was very well-deserved for Ukrainian national movement. In the same
time Huculschina was the inspiration for many Polish writers and artists, first of all
from Lvov and Stanislavov (today Ivano-Frankivsk). In the second half of XIX century
tourist infrastructure was developed. Pensions,
mountain hostels and ski resorts were built there. At the end of the century Austrian
government built railway lines across mountains.
Both
Ukrainian and Poles who lived in Galicia (a part of Austo-Hungary) dreamed about
independent countries. Each nation saw Huculschina as a part of their country. During the
World War I Ukrainians and Poles arranged military troops which fought against Russia also
in Huculschina. After the war, the Polish and Ukrainian conflict exploded about Lvov,
Stanislavov and the other towns in Galicia. Subsequently, Poles and Ukrainians made
alliance and fought against the Soviet Russia. Finally, the East Galicia including
Huculshina was connected to Poland. Ukraine was not succeed to create independent country.
The twenties and thirties of twenty century were good period to develop tourism. They made
new railways and buses connections, hotels, pensions and health resorts. In 1938 in
Huculshina were about 50 mountains hostels and 2 000 km mountain routs. In this year
Polish government built monumental astronomical observatory on the Pop Ivan mountain peak.
In Ilcy village was built great (4 floors) Hucul’s museum.
The World War II completely changed the picture of Huculshina. After Poland collapsed, this area was occupied by the Soviet army. In 1941 Soviets was replaced by Germans. At that time almost all Jews, who lived in Huculshina were killed. Soviets came back in 1944. The West Ukraina was incorporated into the Soviet Union for many years. During the first years of the Soviet occupation, a lot of Hucul’s families were deported to the East part of Russia. Soviets destroyed a lot of churches, museums and almost whole tourist infrastructure - the mountain hostels, routes. Poles from the East Galicia had to leave their homes and went to Poland. A lot of Ukrainians did not
accepted the Soviet occupation, most of them formed the forest troops and fought against Soviets to the end of fifties of twenty century. During the Soviet period the foreign tourists were not allowed to visit the East Carpathia. When Ukraine gained independency in 1991, tourism has started developing again. Huculs came back to the tradition of hosting people in their homes. In the last few years, hotels, pensions, tourist apartments were built at Huculshina, first of all in Yaremche and Polanica.