Carpathian hutsuls

WHO ARE THE HUTSULS?

Fotografia: desa.pl

The Hutsul region of Ukraine, or "Hutsulschyna," is located in the southeast Ukrainian Carpathians to the southwest of Ivano-Frankivsk and Kolomyia, the main access points. The largest towns in the region are Dilyatyn, Kosiv, Kuty, Vyzhnytsia, Vorokhta, Yabluniv, Rakhiv, and Yaremcha.

The Hutsuls are an ethno-cultural group which used to have a distinct self-identity for a few hundred years. They moved into the Carpathian highlands between the 14th and 18th century. Because of their isolation in the mountains and resistance to change they were able to preserve their traditional way of life, based on cattle and sheep breeding and craftsmanship, despite falling under the rule of many different governments. Even the Soviets let them continue their traditional lifestyle and crafts. With some degree of autonomy and strong communities, they achieved a noticeably higher standard of living than other people in the region.

HUTSUL CRAFTS AND MUSIC

Today many Hutsul families produce crafts and souvenirs out of workshops in their own homes. There are popular crafts markets in Yaremcha and Kosiv and a few other places. In addition, the Hutsuls have distinct folk music traditions. In 2004 Ukrainian pop singer Ruslana worked Hutsul motifs into her "Wild Dances" song that helped her win the 2004 Eurovision contest.

Every summer little Hutsul village Sheshory 30 km. from Kolomyia, hosts a three-day international festival of ethnic music and art. Literally tens of thousands of participants come from all over Europe to take part in the event and stay at locals' homes and a guarded campground in Sheshory. (Reports say that the festival has been a disappointment in recent years.)

Pysanky museum in Kolomyia

Kolomyia can boastwith two Hutsul-related museums: the Pysanky museum and the Museum of Hutsul and Pokutia Folk Art.

RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES IN HUTSULSCHYNA

Hiking, mountain biking, rafting, fishing, and skiing are the main recreational opportunities in Hutsulschyna, as in the Carpathians at large. Read more on these topics by following the links to other pages on this site. "Green" or "eco-tourism" is beginning to thrive in Hutsulschyna, so expect the diversity of opportunities to grow.

ACCOMMODATION

There are a number of not-too-fancy hotels in Ivano-Frankivsk and Kolomyia and quite a few fancier ones in and around Yaremcha, which is much more of a tourist destination. I assume there are hotels now in Dilyatyn, Kosiv, Kuty, Vyzhnytsia, Vorokhta, Yabluniv, and Rakhiv, and I know there is one being built in Verkhovyna. Some of these places, such as Verkhovyna, also have so-called "tourist bases," which are like rustic hotels or dormitories.

Very popular these days are private bed and breakfast accommodations. The service is great and the prices are more than reasonable. Kolomyia has a conveniently located boarding house called "On the Corner". Its manager knows all about tourism in the region and can arrange accommodations in other towns and organize all sorts of trips and recreation throughout the region.

Source: https://tryukraine.com/carpathians/hutsul.shtml