Kolomyia

Kolomyia is a city (61 thousand people) located on the left bank of the river of Prut in the Ivano-Frankovsk Oblast in Western Ukraine. The settlement of Kolomyia was first mentioned in 1241. In the middle of the XVI century Kolomyia was seized by Poland, which possessed it till 1772. During this period, twice, in 1367-1390 and in 1502-1505, it was a part of the Moldavian Princedom. Since 1424, due to the Magdeburg Law, Kolomyia was involved into regional trade of the merchants from Moldavia and Poland. It turned the city into an important trade center, stimulating its fast growth. In XVI-XVII centuries, Kolomyia was often attacked by Turks and Tatars. That undermined its economy and prosperity.

The new impulse for development Kolomyia got in 1866 after completion of the construction of the railroad Lviv-Chernovtsy. It favored Kolomyia to become a new cultural and economic center of Hutsuls.

Nowadays, Kolomyia is a beautiful city with numerous buildings of the XIX-XX centuries. They were built in the time when the city was a part of Austria-Hungary, that made Kolomyia look much different from many other cities of Ukraine. Of particular interest for visitors is also a wooden Blagovishenska Church in Kolomyia. It was built in 1587 in a unique Hutsul style. The biggest in Ukraine Museum of Pysanka (painted Easter eggs), counting about 12 thousand of displays, is also situated in Kolomyia.

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