Tysmenytsia – Inspiration to Many Famous Poets

The town of Tysmenytsia is located on the banks of the Vorona River, in the region of Ukraine known as the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. It has been established through historical documents that the town has been in existence since 1143 and fell under the rule of the Polish in the 14th century. Tysmenytsia received its Magdeburg Rights in the year 1449, but was completely destroyed in the years of 1515 and again in 1676. This was due to attacks by the Turks and then by the Tartars. It only became part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in the year 1939.

Tysmenytsia is best known for its fur industry, as the Tysmenytsia Fur Company was established in the days of fur craftsmen who were first located in the Carpathian Mountains. It is also one of the oldest and most traditional industries in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast and has survived changes in the economy and social changes. It produces coats, hats and many other fur garments that have been seen in Berlin, London, Vienna and many other international destinations. It is a controversial industry, but none-the-less, one of the main industries in Tysmenytsia.

Tysmenytsia is also connected to a few famous people from Ukraine. One of its most recent heroes is Oleh Lysheha. He was born in Tysmenytsia in the year 1949 and is one of the Ukraine’s most celebrated writers. Lysheha has written many poems, essays and creative pieces. One of his first collections of poetry was published in 1977 and is called “Winter in Tysmenytsia”. Other works followed in 1980, 1989 and during the 1990’s. But it was his book “Selected Poems of Oleh Lysheha” that finally caught the attention of international poetry buffs. The book was translated by Dr. Brasfield, and in 2000 they both received the PEN Literary Award for Poetry in Translation. In 2003, one of his poems was transformed into a musical theatre production called “Swan”. Tysmenytsia also has ties to the famous Sigmund Freud. Sigmund Freud’s grandfather, Solomon Freud moved to Tysmenytsia to further his education. He decided to settle here after he met and married a local girl. The newly-weds were soon blessed with a son named Jacob, the father of the world known genius, Sigmund Freud.

Visitors will find Tysmenytsia extremely fascinating and interesting, as it has a rich historical past and many ties to people who would be influential in shaping Ukraine. It is a destination that will greet visitors with its warmth and dazzle them with its unforgettable beauty.

back to Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast