«Sokol’ets», «Sokolytch», «S’okololets»

All three words from the title refer to the same place. According to the old Soviet maps, which we actually rely on during our trips, the place is called Mt. Sokolytch. The locals pronounce it with placing an emphasis on the first vowel "sOkolytch" while the youngsters simply say "Sokolets".

Continue reading   Comments (0)   05.01.2011. 08:59  

The Shandrovo Village. The church and the salt spring well.

The village of Oleksandrivka of the Hust Region is found on the Pomyinica river (260 meters above the sea level). The location is quite unique in that the village is sitting in the small valley between several mountain ridges. To the north of the village there’s Mt. Korunec (493 meters above the sea level), to the south-east Mt. Kicher (464 meters above the sea level) and Paporotishte (454 meters above the sea level), to the north east – Rako Chertersh (497 meters above the sea level). The village is mentioned as early as 1390 and previously held a name of Shandrovo (or Shandrove). Between the 15th and the 19th centuries the village was best known for its salt springs which served as the predominant regional source of table salt. Salt water would be transported to its final destination in the barrels by means of the oxen-powered carriages. Salt was also quite actively mined over the five century period. The branched system of mines with the wooden walls has actually made it to modern days and is generally quite well preserved. Salt spring water wells, on the other hand, used to be numerous but today only one can found in the village. The well is given a pretty self-explanatory name of the "the well of Shandrovo".

Continue reading   Comments (0)   05.01.2011. 08:54  

The water mill of the Velyki Komiaty village

If you’re entering the village of Velyki Komiaty from the side of the town of Irshava, right behind the bridge over the Borzhava river, you’ll see an old mill on the shore. The river is blocked off by a massive dam.

Continue reading   Comments (0)   05.01.2011. 08:50  

The Kamianka-waterfall or how the gutsuls cry

The Kamianka-waterfall is found close by the village of Sinevir'ska Polyana of the Mizhgirya region (also known as Verkhniy Sinevir or under a Hungarian name of Felshosinevir). The waterfall is well known to the tourists making their way to the Sinevir lake or passing by it. The waterfall is located at the base of the Mt.Kamianka (1578 meters above the sea level) and Mt.Menchilik (1382 meters above the sea level), and falls into the Tereblya river. The Kamianka-waterfall is quite tall with the visible part of 10-12 meters. A few smaller cascades are hidden away in the bushes on the outskirts of the nearby forest. Lately, part of the water has been artificially channeled away in the horizontal direction along the rock. Whenever present, a high water-level gives rise to a series of smaller waterfalls, which turn the Kamianka into a smaller version of the Norwegian waterfall known as «the Seven sisters». No wonder the name «Transcarpatian Seven Sisters» is extremely popular among the tourists while the locals prefer to call it «the tears of the gutsul».

Continue reading   Comments (0)   05.01.2011. 08:46  

Village Bilky

Frankly speaking, the village Bilky was written down in our itinerary list in Irshava area as “the only point of interest” – well-known in certain circles of regional and historical studies – the Sobriety monument. Having arrived, we came into a small bar in the village outskirts, to ask where to look for this monument. It also fell out that we came across a daughter of the local teacher, who had worked in the local school for 40 years. So it started.

Continue reading   Comments (0)   18.10.2010. 08:26