Attractions of Chortkiv district

Near Podillya Tovtry, on the outskirts of the village of Vikno, there are karst lakes on a wide meadow, which are called "vikno" (windows) in these parts.

20 million years ago, waves of the warm Sarmatian Sea splashed here. From its underwater reef, giant side formations (tovtry) formed, and when the sea receded, hills several hundred meters high were formed. Now in the lowlands is a field where karst lakes were formed.

There used to be several dozen of them, then there were five, but after land reclamation in the 1980s, only two lakes remained: Sinye and Bezodnya. The lakes were formed in limestone cavities, the depth of which cannot be determined. Although the bottom of the lakes reaches four meters, the underground passages from where the powerful springs come are much deeper.

The water temperature in the lakes always remains at +12 degrees. The surface of the water in them is covered with algae, so during the day, depending on the lighting, the lakes change their color - from dark blue to blue and purple.

Karst lakes do not freeze in the strongest frosts and glow at night.

Khorostkiv Museum of Local Lore was founded in 2022 as a structural unit of the Cultural and Tourist Information Center of Khorostkiv.

The museum is located in the historic building of the New Palace of Counts Semensky-Levytsky. The two-storey neo-baroque residential building in the complex with the horse arena was built in 1837 by the Italian architect Botochchyni next to the Old Palace of the XVIII century in the style of classicism. Until recently, the New Palace housed the Khorostkiv Music School and the City Library for Adults.

Now the museum of local lore is in the process of forming a collection. The exhibition will feature ancient embroidery, icons, household items, historical photographs, old prints and more.

Two towers and a fragment of the defensive wall remained from the Kryvche Castle, built in 1639-1650 by the Kontsky Polish nobles in the village of Kryvche.

The castle had an almost regular rectangular shape with four corner towers and one entrance tower. During the first century of its existence, it was constantly at the epicenter of the Polish-Turkish wars, passing from hand to hand. During the Liberation War, he was captured by the Cossacks. In 1672, the Turkish Sultan Mahomet IV stopped here when he was returning from Buchach after signing the Peace of Buchach.

Only in the 18th century, the Kryvche Castle lost its strategic importance and was transformed into the residence of the Polish magnates of the Holiyovsky. In the 19th century, the entrepreneur Lazar Zeydman bought the ruins, ordering most of them to be dismantled for building materials for a distillery.

An attempt at restoration was made in 1920 by the Podillya Tourism and Local History Society.

Currently, the Kontsky Castle is part of the "Castles of Ternopil region" reserve. Two towers are preserved, access is free.

Koropets People's Museum of History and Local Lore is located in the center of the village of Koropets in the premises of the House of Culture. The museum was founded in 1972 on the initiative of Stepan Kudrynsky. In 1975 it received the status of "People's Museum".

The museum's exposition contains information about the historical, ethnographic, and natural features of the development of the village from ancient times to the present day.

The well-preserved ruins of a defensive castle rise on Mount Strelka above Zbruch.

The Kudryntsi castle was built by the Polish noblemen Herburts to protect against frequent Tatar and Wallachian raids at the time (the Moldavian border was nearby and the Wallachian road passed).

A quadrangular fortress with three corner towers on three sides was protected by the steep slopes of the mountain. The weakly defended northern side was separated from the plateau by a moat and rampart, as well as a powerful fortification complex with two towers, one of which was the entrance. In 1648, the Cossack troops of Maksym Kryvonos expelled the Polish garrison from the castle, and it was also captured twice by the Turks.

In the 18th century, the Polish magnates Humenetsky reconstructed the Kudryntsi Castle, turning it into a palace-residence, and the next owners, the Kozebrodsky, gathered a collection of works of art here (individual copies of ancient canvases and furniture can now be seen in the Ternopil Museum of Local Lore).

There is a legend about a ghost - supposedly, sometimes in the castle you can see the spirit of a young girl who was walled up by the Turks. Another legend tells about treasures buried by the owners of the castle, over which the earth hums.

The Leopold Levytskyi Art Memorial Museum was founded in his native village of Burdyakivtsi in 1996 on the initiative of Borshchiv artist Stepan Makovskyi.

The exhibition is located in six halls, three of which are dedicated to the life and work of Leopold Levytskyi. The museum collection includes over 1,000 exhibits, including etchings by Levytskyi from the 1930s, linocuts and lithographs from the post-war period, his illustrations for the book "Mykola Shuhay, the Robber" by Ivan Olbrakht and the fairy tale "Abu Kasym's Slippers" by Ivan Franko. In addition, family photographs, documents, and a series of portraits of Leopold Levytskyi created by Lviv photographer Oleh Vvedensky are presented.

A separate hall presents the works of Stepan Makovskyi - portraits, landscapes, still lifes, sculptural wooden portraits, root plastic, and monotypes.

The museum also exhibits the works of local artists and hosts solo exhibitions.

The main synagogue in Chortkiv is an ancient building, built in the 17th century, during the reign of King Yan III Sobieski.

The opening of the synagogue was connected with the fact that several rich Jewish families appeared in Chortkiv.

Inside the temple was richly painted, the altar was decorated with gold.

Before the construction of the new synagogue, the old one served as the residence of Chief Rabbi Chortkiv.

The Father Markiyan Shashkevych Literary and Local Lore Museum has been operating since 1993 in the premises of the Chortkiv Gymnasium, which also bears the name of this outstanding Ukrainian writer and public figure. The initiators of its creation were teachers Stefaniya Hrynda and Anna Savka.

The main exposition of the room-museum is dedicated to the life, creativity and public activities of Markiyan Shashkevych. The central exhibit is a portrait of Shashkevych, painted by a local artist Stepan Shevchuk.

The basis of the museum's literary collections are documents, copies, newspapers and magazines, fiction, scientific and journalistic literature from the library of the gymnasium graduate Dmytro Shtogrin. There are rare, rare publications. Separate expositions contain materials about the graduates of the gymnasium: priests, OUN-UPA figures, fighters of the "Galicia" division.

Another interesting exposition of the museum is ethnographic materials: furniture, household items, clothing, shoes.

The Greek Catholic Church of the Miracle of Saint Archangel Michael is located near the road in the very center of the village of Nivra in the premises of the former Roman Catholic church, an architectural monument of local importance.

A small Roman Catholic church in Nivre was built in 1937. In Soviet times, it was closed and gradually fell into disrepair. In 2011, the Greek-Catholic community began the restoration of the church, and already in 2013, the consecration of the restored church took place.

Gypsum Mlynky Cave is one of the largest karst caves of Ukraine.

It was discovered at the beginning of the 20th century by local residents who mined gypsum on the outskirts of the Zalissia village. It is named after its location - in the Mlynky farm, where a water mill once worked. The first report in the press appeared in 1960.

Mlynky Cave has a total length of about 40 kilometers. The temperature remains at the level of +11 degrees all year round. Inside the cave there is a small lake with fresh water, where a large colony of bats lives.

The cave is not illuminated and not equipped for visiting, but excursions are conducted accompanied by professional speleologists. To visit, you must have overalls and equipment. Excursions lasting about 3 hours are organized by the Ternopil Tour Club and must be arranged in advance.

The hard-to-reach Monastyrok tract is located in the valley of the Strypa River south of Buchach.

The ruins of an ancient monastery built in 1600-1606 at the expense of Stefan Potoski's wife, Mariya Mohylyanka (daughter of the Moldavian landlord Yeremiy Mohyla, cousin of Kyiv Metropolitan Petro Mohyla) have been preserved in the forest on Mount Fedir.

The tributary flowing into Strypa forms a picturesque waterfall cascade in this place.

The Roman Catholic Church of the Mother of God of the Holy Scapular in Borshchiv was built in 1763 instead of the wooden church destroyed by the Tatars.

The three-tier bell tower was rebuilt from the defense tower of the 17th century castle. Faceted upper tiers have a baroque finish.

Restoration was carried out in 1928-1930. Today the Mother of God of Holy Scapular Church is active.

The roadside figure of the Mother of God was installed in Buchach in 1751 by order of the owner of the town, Mykola Potoski. It was one of the early works of the outstanding sculptor Ivan Heorhiy Pinzel and the architect Bernard Meretyn. The coat of arms of the Potocki family "Pilyava" is depicted on the pedestal.

During Soviet times, the figure of the Virgin Mary was destroyed, but part of the pedestal was preserved. It was restored in 2006 in its former place, the author of the copy is Roman Vilhushynskyi.

The museum complex "Lemko Village" (Lemkivske selo) is located in the tract "Bychova" near Monastyryska. It consists of several wooden buildings that reflect the life and culture of the Lemko people.

The first exposition house "Lemko living room" (Lemkivska svitlytsia) presents ancient icons of the XIX-XX centuries, embroidered towels, shirts, tablecloths, sacred vestments from the churches of Monastyryska region, old prints, etc.

In the second house "Lemko carpentry" there are machines and tools, as well as living conditions: bed, table, spinning wheel, bambetli.

In the "Potter's House" you can see a pottery kiln, a potter's wheel, potter's tools, as well as an exhibition of pottery.

The "House of Tailors" presents furniture, a sewing machine, as well as an exhibition of dolls in Lemko costumes by master Irena Krynytska.

Nearby is the "Estate of the Lemko Gazda", a chapel, a bell tower, a well.

The museum complex includes the Fire Field, which annually hosts the festival "Bells of Lemko".

The Museum of Magdeburia and Self-Government in the Tower of the New Town Hall of Chortkiv was created on the initiative of the mayor of Chortkiv, Volodymyr Shmatko, on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of Chortkiv and the 100th anniversary of the construction of the town hall. For this purpose, the second floor of the administrative building was restored to its historical appearance.

The museum's exposition is dedicated to the era of Magdeburg Law, when Chortkiv had broad autonomous powers, and its development was determined by local officials. The museum pays special attention to Ludwik Noss, the burgomaster, who made a significant contribution to the development of the city, strengthening its economy and preserving its cultural heritage.

The history of Chortkiv's development between 1883 and 1913 is told, in particular, by art objects created by the talented Bilenko couple from the Kyiv region. The walls of the museum are decorated with antique clocks, symbolizing the relentless movement of time and the sustainable development of Chortkiv. Among the exhibits is a three-volume book on the history of Chortkiv by Petro Fedoryshyn, which describes in detail the city's past, its significant events and figures.

The tower of the New Town Hall also houses the visit-center of the Chortkiv tourist information center. There is a souvenir shop. It is planned to open an observation deck on the tower.