CULTURE EVENTS

Over 150 of rural, city, district, regional, All-Ukrainian, international cultural and art festivals are held annually in Transcarpathia. More »

ARCHITECTURAL TRADITIONALISM AND STYLISH RACINESS OF THE LAND

Olexandr Andyaloshiy, Chief of the Department of Regional Development, Town planning and Architecture of Transcarpathian Regional State Administration

Transcarpathian region is one of the picturesque corners of Ukraine. Dividing the regional territories among the ethnic groups of huzuls, boyky, lemky dwelling in the land one can see at once the influence of original culture of that or other group on folk architecture. It is especially present in sacral architecture. The golden fund of sacral architecture is formed by the gothic churches of Maramoros traditional architecture in Khust district. Castle architecture rose to especially high levels of development in 14-18 centuries. Twelve castles of different periods were built on the territory of the region. Since Transcarpathia was located on salt ways, the first castles were built up as boundary posts of 9-12 centuries period. The designers of fortification buildings were mainly French and Italian engineers.

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ARTISTIC HORIZONS OF TRANSCARPATHIA

Oksana Havrosh, art critic

The most important qualities of the artistic language of Transcarpathian art − high spirituality, poetry, integrity of perception of the world − are those fundamental principles which come from the sources of folk mentality. Nameless Huzul pysanky, carved communion crosses, flasks, mugs and tubes, engraved tins and embroidered towels will save forever hidden in the simplest symbols history of the land, endured and struck with the boundless love to the native land. Wooden folk architecture is the most prominent phenomenon in the history of art and architecture of Transcarpathia. More »

GUZUL ART

The Guzuls are a small ethnic sub-group of Ukrainians who live in the Eastern Carpathians, in the West of the Soviet Union. Their homeland, Guzulshchina, lies within three administrative regions of the Ukrainian SSR (Ivano-Frankovsk, Chernovitsy and Zakarpatye regions). Through the centuries, this group of Ukrainians, living isolated in the mountains, developed quite distinctive crafts and art forms of their own, on which their geography and natural resources have left their stamp. Thus, thick forest gave them logs for building and for wood carvings; the harsh climate of the mountains influenced their clothes and home. The Guzul peasants’ sheep gave them wool for heavy homespun clothes and lighter patterned weaves, sheepskin for their colourful sleeveless jerkins and leather for their boots, bags and belts; and they made colourful hand-painted pottery out of an abundance of local clays.

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