Ivano-Frankivsk (before 1962 - Stanislav) used to be a small village Zabolottya (swampy area) founded in 1437 according to the first references in chronicles. The city appeared in 1662 between the two Bystrytsya Rivers due to the order by a Polish magnate Andrij Pototsky, who had been the owner of these lands since 1660. He named the city Stanislav (in honour of his son), or rather Stanislaviv, which corresponded more to the norms of the Ukrainian language. On March 7, 1662 Stanislav received the status of a city. On August 14, 1663 the Polish king, Jan Kazimir, confirmed that status. Only after Halychyna was conquered by the Austro-Hungarian monarchy in 1772 the city’s name sounded in the German manner - Stanislau; hence its name became Stanislav. Some historians, such as T. Zelensky and P. Siredzuk claimed that Stanislav was founded much earlier, as early as 1644. However 1662 has been accepted as the founding year.

The Armenian scholar, Sadok Baronch (1814-1892), who was born in this city, once wrote in his work “Monuments of Stanislav”, that the initial intention was to set up a military fortress or a road block against Turkish and Tatar invaders. In 1672 the Stanislav fortress was so strong and well-fortified, that it held back several attacks of the large Turkish forces.

The following year Armenian refugees came to Stanislav. Pototsky granted the Armenians the right of self-government. They contributed greatly to the economy of the city by manufacturing leatherware. An Armenian Cathedral was erected by them which at present is a Ukrainian Autocaphalus Orthodox Cathedral.

There is also is a Greek Catholic Cathedral, dating back to the 17^th century, next to Sheptytsky Maydan (Square). Semi-detached to the Cathedral are housed the premises of the Ivano-Frankivsk Medical Academy, former school of Polish Jesuits. Across the square is a large building. Today it is the Art Gallery which served as a Roman Catholic Church. There is an old and abandoned belfry nearby. Approximately at the same time the Townhall appeared right in the centre of the oldest district of the city (the Market place). The stately Townhall served as the Polish Royal Treasury, prison and nowadays it is the Museum of Regional Studies.

The 17^th century saw the initiation of “opryshky” (partisan) movement against the Polish nobility which was brutally suppressed by the Polish gentry. Many rebels hid high up in the steep cliffs of the Carpathians with impenetrable forests. The “opryshky” leader, Oleksa Dovbush, was captured by the Poles, taken to jail and later quartered publicly on a scaffold in front of the Townhall. Parts of Oleksa’s body were hung in parts of the region to scare local peasants and quash the Ukrainian national uprising.

In the 2nd half of the 17^th century residents of Stanislav suffered terribly because of Tatar and Turkish raids. In the beginning of the 18^th century they were involved in fighting for control between two Polish warring factions - the adherents of the Polish king August the 2nd (backed up by the Russian Tsar, Peter the Great), and supporters of another Polish king Stanislav Leshchinsky (backed up by Swedish king Karl the 12th). The ruler of Stanislav - Yuzef Pototsky - decided to side with the Swedish king. That resulted in the invasion of the city by the army under the leadership of hetman Senyavsky, who together with Russian military units occupied the fortress twice - in 1709 and in 1712. The city was looted and burned. In 1713 Yuzef Pototsky reconciled with king August and started to rebuild Stanislav.

In 1802 the Austrian government bought Stanislav and ordered the destruction of military ramparts. Today some remnants can still be seen on Novhorodska Street. In the 1870-s Stanislav was proclaimed a “free city” and both gates to the city (where Halytska and Nezalezhnosti streets originate) even as late as 1939 had large signs testifying to this fact.

Stanislav kept developing despite many fires (1826, 1827 and 1835) and cholera of 1831. At that time Austrian supervisors, Frantsisk Kratter and Kazimir Milbakher, contributed much by rebuilding houses and organizing medical aid for sick people. Kratter is remembered for building the road through the mountains to the Transcarpathian Region.

The so-called “Spring of Peoples”, revolutionary events in France and Austro-Hungarian Empire stirred the city of Stanislav also. The Ukrainian population of the city created the County Council as a branch-office of Lviv “Chief Ruska Rada”, at the meetings of which members of this organization were explaining the notion of “constitution”, taught principles of national liberation, etc. In 1877 due to fruitful activities of a gymnazium professor E. Zhelekhivsky a branch-office of “Prosvita” (Enlightenment) was opened. In 1910-1912 its head was Dr. Volodymyr Yanovych, physician by profession and outstanding public figure. In December 1884 the Fraternity of Ukrainian Women was founded. Ukrainian organizations began to bloom - in 1904 a choir society “Boyan”, in 1902 - “Sokil”, in 1911 - “Plast”, members of which reinforced the ranks of Ukrainian Sichovi Striltsi (Rebellion Army) some time later.

During World War I residents of Stanislav experienced hard times, since Austrians arrested them for collaboration with Russians, and Russians did the same for collaboration with Austrians. Many Stanislav residents were sent to the concentration camp in Talerhof (Austria), while others were exiled to Siberia. The Russian military administration shut down all the Ukrainian organizations and the time of forced Russification at every Stanislav school and gymnazium began. Few people returned safely home from the Russian and Austrian camps.

Meanwhile the Austro-Hungarian monarchy fell in 1918. The West Ukrainian People’s Republic (ZUNR) was proclaimed with the capital Stanislav from December 1918 till May 1919. Ukrainian troops retreated from invading. Polish armed forces who occupied the region started persecuting conscientious Ukrainians. West Ukraine was under Polish domination again for a term of 25 years.

In 1939 World War II broke out. In accordance with the secret treaty signed by Stalin and Hitler, Poland was divided between the USSR and Nazi Germany. On September 17th 1939, the Red Army entered Stanislav. On December 4th the city became the centre of the Stanislav Oblast (Region). Soviets started to introduce all kinds of reforms. For instance, gymnaziums were changed into secondary schools and local people were oppressed by the Communist authorities. Olga Terletska, former resident of Stanislav and now an Australian citizen, wrote in her book “To dear Ukraine from abroad”, that people of Stanislav as elsewhere in Ukraine had to stand all night long in a line to buy a loaf of bread, and not always succeeded and were starving.

In 1941 the new masters - fascists - changed nothing in the life of the city. They established their “Neue Ordnung” (new order). Yet living conditions for people remained the same, if not worse. The only bright page in the life of Stanislav was the rather rich repertoire of the Stanislav Theatre named after Ivan Franko. It ended in 1943 when Gestapo agents during Y. Barnych’s musical comedy “Sharika” burst into the theatre and arrested every tenth spectator, many of whom they shot later on.

Stanislav residents did not sit in idleness. At first they created the Ukrainian National Self Defence, which turned into the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). Many Stanislav gymnazium students became volunteers of the division “Halychyna”. On July 27th 1944 the Soviet Army liberated Stanislav. Again Stalin’s repressions came back and many people were exiled to Siberia. In 1966 Valentyn Moroz, a progressive professor of Teachers’ Training College was arrested for anti-Soviet propaganda. He was then released and in 1970 arrested for the second time. Finally in 1979 the United States exchanged Moroz for a number of Soviet spies.

In 1962, to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the city, Stanislav was renamed Ivano-Frankivsk in honour of one of the greatest Ukrainian writers, poets, journalists and philosophers - Ivan Franko. Now this Precarpathian region is connected with the name of the great man. More than once he came here to rest in the mountains and even recited his well-known poem “Moses”.

1988 opened the era of Gorbachov’s political “thaw”. It was an impact for the Ukrainian national and cultural renaissance. In Ivano-Frankivsk the Society of Ukrainian Language was set up. Its head was poet Stepan Pushyk. In 1991 after Ukraine finally gained its long-awaited independence, blue and yellow flags were hoisted above the Townhall, Oblast Administration and City Council.

Last updates were made 19-08-99

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© SBEDIF Business Centre, 1997