BEREZHANY, Ternopil Oblast – Berezhany, as the legend goes, was built on gold.
A thousand years ago, residents who lived on the banks of a river in a small settlement dug for gold. It was not a difficult job.
The river was so abundant with the bullion that it was everywhere – on the river’s bottom, in its currents, in deep crevices. To access the gold more easily, however, the villagers dug a canal toward their settlement; in time it became an arm of the river.
Eventually, there was so much gold that the inhabitants covered an entire island with it. That islet became home to Berezhany’s famed castle, which served as the city’s protectorate for over 400 years.
Like many cities in western Ukraine, to be fully appreciated, Berezhany needs to be seen through the prism of legend and its past.
As one of the poorest regions in the former Soviet Union and now independent Ukraine, its beauty and many centuries-old crumbling villages are fading, but still present. Berezhany is no exception.
Situated on the Lypa River in Ternopil Oblast, Berezhany – home to some 19,000 residents – can be experienced in a few hours.
Here, sitting in the central square, dominated by the ratusha, or town hall, with its weekend markets and daily gossip, one can watch the continuation of centuries-old village life. The bells of churches from various dominations occasionally ring, while a look up reveals balconies that have the dates of their making molded into their railings.
Like many cities in western Ukraine, to be fully appreciated, Berezhany needs to be seen through the prism of legend and its past.
The day I visited was warm, with a cool breeze periodically intruding. A young woman played the flute, while pedestrians walked up and tossed a hryvnia or two into her miniscule case.
First mentioned in 1375, Berezhany was granted Magdeburg rights – a set of laws that regulated the degree of internal autonomy – in 1530.
Several years later saw the beginning of the construction of Berezhany Castle, which is without doubt the village’s crowning jewel.
Located a 10-minute walk from the city center, construction of the castle began in 1534 by Mikolaj Sieniawski, a local governor. Situated on the legendary island full of gold, the castle by the 17th century became known as East Wawel, named in honor of the fortress in Krakow, Poland, where the king lived, because of its luxurious interior and architectural style.
Although it is a shell today, visitors can wander through the castle’s flowered courtyard, which boasts a small-scale reproduction. A modest museum reveals fragments of stunning statues carved into black and red marble that once decorated the Sieniawski Chapel, the final resting place for members of that family.
Although the chapel is currently boarded up, a peek high up through a glass cupola reveals its tantalizing beauty. Its interior was designed by some of the finest European sculptors of the time, including Johann Pfister, Henry Gorst and Herman Gutte.
Many of the chapel’s works are today housed in museums in Lviv and Krakow.
While the castle is Berezhany’s jewel, its ratusha is the city’s heart. The second floor houses the village’s museum.
Ironically, the floor housing the museum was once home to the city’s gymnasium, an educational institution. Two of Ukraine’s leading writers attended school there – Markian Shashkevych and Bohdan Lepky. The room where Shashkevych sat is a memorial to this important writer.
Although his life was short – he lived from 1811 to 1843 – he was critical to the development of Ukrainian culture and literature. He organized nationally conscious youth to work for national and cultural revival in western Ukrainian lands.
He and a group of likeminded individuals were responsible for the publication of “The Mermaid of the Dniester,” the first collection of Ukrainian literature to appear in western Ukraine.
Other items in the museum also beckon, including cups used by the German and Turkish armies, which occupied Berezhany in both world wars.
Across the street from the town hall is the church of the Holy Trinity.
The icon of the Holy Lady of Rome is housed here. It was presented by one of the popes to Berezhany at the beginning of the 17th century and is considered miraculous. The church also houses a fragment of relics apparently belonging to John the Baptist, brought in 1673.
Berezhany has other churches remembering the many nationalities that once graced this town, including Polish and Armenian, although the Jewish quarter no longer remains, much of it destroyed during World War II.
The village’s most unique home can be found on 11 Valova St. Called the Chaikovsky Villa it was built by Andriy Chaikovksky, a public activist. In the early 20th century, the villa was the center of cultural and educational life.
For those inclined to get a glimpse of life of the nobility, three kilometers outside of Berezhany is the Potocki palace, located in Rayivsky Park.
Several generations of the Potocki family ruled over the area that today is western Ukraine; the palace was built in 1760 and is an important example of the Classical style.
Staff writer Natalia A. Feduschak can be reached at [email protected].
