This article covers the Western part the Ukraine.
Regions
Historically and culturally, Western Ukraine can be divided into the regions of Galicia, Volhynia, Transcarpathia, Bukovina, Polesia and Podolia. It is part of the historical region Red Rus.
Administratively it is divided into the oblasts:
places
- Khmelnytskyi
- Chernivtsi (Chernivtsi) - multicultural and historical capital of the historical region of Bucovina
- Ivano-Frankivsk
- Lutsk
- Lviv (Lviv) - the pearl and secret capital of Galicia and western Ukraine as a whole
- Rivne
- Ternopil (Tarnopol)
- Uzhhorod - close to Slovak border
Other goals
background
Today's western Ukraine belonged to the Kingdom of Poland-Lithuania until 1772. Then it was annexed partly by the Russian Empire (northwest) and partly by the Habsburg Monarchy (southwest) as part of the so-called Polish partitions. The Galicia region in particular was strongly multiethnic and multicultural. "Ruthenians" (ie Ukrainians) lived here alongside Poles and German speakers; Catholics alongside Greek Catholic Uniates (Orthodox who recognize the Pope as head) and Jews. Western Ukraine was predominantly agricultural and structurally weak; Cities like Lemberg (Lwiw) and Chernivtsi were centers of science and high culture. In addition, the largest known oil deposits in Europe were located here until the end of the First World War.
Because of the centuries-long influence of the Central European cultural area, the Standing Committee on Geographical Names does not include Western Ukraine - unlike the rest of the country - in Eastern, but in Central Europe.
During the First World War, western Ukraine was the main combat zone between the Russian Empire and Austria-Hungary. After the collapse of the Habsburg Monarchy, the short-lived West Ukrainian People's Republic emerged in Lviv, which was conquered by the now independent Poland in early 1919.
As a result of the renewed division of Poland agreed in the Hitler-Stalin Pact, the Soviet Union also conquered western Ukraine in 1939. After Germany's attack on the Soviet Union, however, it was conquered by the Wehrmacht. The historian Timothy D. Snyder counts the region as one of the so-called "Bloodlands", in which both Stalin's Soviet Union and Hitler's Germany and their respective allies committed unbelievable mass murders of the civilian population during this period. After the end of the war, western Ukraine was united with the Ukrainian Soviet Republic and gained independence with this in 1991.
Even if economic output has caught up through trade with and investments from Western countries, the average wages in the 2000s were still noticeably lower than in the industrial areas of eastern Ukraine or the greater Kiev area. For historical reasons, the feeling of an independent Ukrainian identity and anti-Russian resentment is particularly strong in western Ukraine. Symbolic remnants of Soviet rule were removed here faster than in other parts of the country. The supporters of the “orange” revolution had the highest approval ratings here. But extreme Ukrainian nationalist parties like “Swoboda” also have their strongholds in western Ukraine.
language
Western Ukraine is predominantly Ukrainian-speaking. Of all parts of Ukraine, Russian is the least widespread here. Although the two languages are closely related and highly understandable, some Western Ukrainians refuse to respond when spoken to in Russian. With English - sometimes even German - you get along better here.
In parts of the Transcarpathian and Chernivtsi oblasts, Hungarian and Romanian are spoken.
getting there
The most important airport in the region is the international one Lviv airport where there are also direct flights from German-speaking countries, followed by the smaller airports Ivano-Frankivsk and Uzhhorod.
The central railway junction is the Lviv station, which can also be reached directly by trains from Central Europe (Warsaw, Krakow, Prague). Other important nodes are Kovel (Connection from Warsaw), Rivne, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, Chop (Transcarpathia; connections from Prague, Košice, Budapest), Ivano-Frankivsk and Chernivtsi.
mobility
Regional rail transport in most parts of western Ukraine is from Lvivska Zaliznytsia (Lviv Railway) operated. Only the Khmelnitsky Oblast belongs to the area of responsibility of Piwdenno-Sachidna Zaliznytsia (Southwest Railway).
Tourist Attractions
The western region is the part of the country with the most world heritage sites in Ukraine:
- Old town of Lviv with buildings of the Renaissance, Baroque, Classicism, Historicism, Art Nouveau and Art Deco
- Old town of Chernivtsi, including the former residence of the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan (today the seat of the Jurij Fedkowytsch University)
- Wooden churches from the 16th to 19th centuries in the Northern Carpathians: Potelytsch, Matkiw, Schowkwa, Drohobytsch, Rohatyn, Nyschnij Werbisch, Jassinja, Uschok
- Primeval beech forests in the Carpathian Mountains: Chornohora, Kusij, Munții Maramureșului, Uholka-Schyrokyj Luh, Swydivets, Stuschyzja-Ushok
More Attractions:
- Canyon and fortress of Kamianets-Podilskyi
- Medieval fortress Chotyn
activities
