Attractions of Krylos

The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Krylos was built in 1586 from the materials of the destroyed Assumption Cathedral - the main shrine of Ancient Halych (the foundation of the cathedral was discovered next to the church, restoration is planned).

Ancient Rus reliefs and graffiti were found on some of the stone blocks that make up the church. In the 17th century, the temple complex was surrounded by defensive stone walls with four corner towers (fragments have been restored).

The church, badly damaged during the Turkish invasion, was restored at the beginning of the 18th century by Bishop Yosyp Shumlyanskyi. Great artistic value is represented by the western portal with a pediment, decorated with a stone-carved composition "The Assumption of the Virgin".

The Basilian monastery, which was abolished in 1783, operated near the cathedral.

Today, the Church of the Assumption in Krylos belongs to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. It is part of the National Reserve "Ancient Halych".

The Museum of the History of Ancient Halych is located in Krylos in the former Metropolitan Chambers - an architectural monument of the 18th century.

After the destruction of ancient Halych by the Tatars in the 13th century and the transfer of the capital of Halych to Kholm, then to Lviv, the former princely child remained the residence of the Galician metropolitans. In particular, it was the summer residence of Metropolitan Andriy Sheptytskyi, with whose assistance in 1937 archaeologist Yaroslav Pasternak founded the first museum of ancient Halych.

Initially, the exhibition of finds from the excavations in the village of Krylos was housed in the chapel of Saint Basil. In the 1990s, the exposition was moved to the renovated premises of the Metropolitan Chambers. Tools of the copper, bronze and iron ages, ancient weapons, in particular the ancient Rus princely sword of the 12th century, are presented here.

"Halychyna Grave" has long been called a lonely mound on the southwestern edge of the Krylos hillfort, at its highest point, between the outer and inner defensive ramparts.

According to legend, the legendary founder of Halych, Prince Hal (Halytsya), is buried here. The Halychyna Grave is mentioned in the Galician-Volyn Chronicle of the 13th century as a sacred place for the acquisition of princely power.

During excavations in 1991-1993, an ancient Slavic symbolic burial (cenotaph) of a noble warrior was found in the mound. A dagger, arrowheads, three axes, gilding from a shield and other items dating back to the 10th century were discovered in the remains of the burnt boat. There were no remains of the soldier himself in the burial.

The healing spring on the slope of Krylos Hill near the Assumption Cathedral is called the Princely Well in Krylos.

Since ancient times, it served as a source of drinking water for the inhabitants of ancient Halych. According to legend, the spring arose from the blow of the prince's sword during a long siege, providing drink to the desperate defenders of the city.

For the 1100th anniversary of ancient Halych, a four-meter rotunda with a copper dome and a gilded cross was installed above the spring. There is also an observation deck.

The Halych National Nature Park occupies an area of almost 15,000 hectares along the Dniester River and below its tributaries: Limnytsya, Lukvya, Hnyla Lypa.

It includes forest massifs, swamps, forest-steppe areas and various geological formations at the junction of Opillya, Halych basin and Prykarpattya. Among the individual monuments of nature are three oaks aged from 200 to 500 years.

The "Nature of the Galician Land" museum has been opened in the premises of the Halych National Park administration. Collections of stuffed animals of typical and rare representatives of vertebrates, entomological collections, herbarium specimens are presented.

The Open Air Museum of Ethnography is located in Krylos on the territory of the ancient settlement, on the first line of defensive ramparts.

The island of folk architecture introduces visitors to the daily life of the inhabitants of Prykarpattya in the 17th and 20th centuries.

On the territory of 4.5 hectares, traditional dwellings of four ethnographic regions are presented: Pokuttya, Hutsul region, Boyky region and Opillya. Currently, 11 original monuments of folk architecture are collected here, in the interiors of which ancient household items are exhibited.