Ivano-Frankivsk

Ivano-Frankivsk ( uk, Іва́но-Франкі́вськ, translit=Iváno-Frankívśk ), formerly Stanyslaviv ( pl, Stanisławów ; german: Stanislau), is a city located in Western Ukraine. It is the administrative centre of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast and Ivano-Frankivsk Raion. Ivano-Frankivsk hosts the administration of Ivano-Frankivsk urban hromada. Its population is

Built in the mid-17th century as a fortress of the Polish Potocki family, Stanisławów was annexed to the Habsburg Empire during the First Partition of Poland in 1772, after which it became the property of the State within the Austrian Empire. The fortress was slowly transformed into one of the most prominent cities at the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains. After World War I, for several months, it served as a temporary capital of the West Ukrainian People's Republic. Following the Peace of Riga in 1921, Stanisławów became part of the Second Polish Republic. After the Soviet invasion of Poland at the onset of World War II, the city was annexed by the Soviet Union, only to be occupied by Nazi Germany two years later. With the liberation of Soviet Ukraine in 1944 and the shifting of borders, the Communist regime ran the city for the next four-and-a-half decades. A few years before the fall of the Soviet Union, the blue-yellow flag was raised in the city as the symbol of an independent Ukraine.

A city visitor may find elements of various cultures intertwined within Ivano-Frankivsk, the Polish city hall, the Austro-Hungarian city's business centre, the Soviet prefabricated apartment blocks at the city's rural–urban fringe, and others. Ivano-Frankivsk is also one of the principal cities of the Carpathian Euroregion.

Name

Stanisławów was founded as a fortress and was named after the Polish hetman Stanisław "Rewera" Potocki. Some sources claim it was named after his grandson Stanisław. Following the First Partition of Poland in 1772, the name was transliterated as Stanislau in German, as the city became part of the Austrian Empire (future Austria-Hungary); however, after the revolution of 1848, the city carried three different linguistic renderings of its name: German, Polish, and Ruthenian (german: Stanislau, ; pl, Stanisławów, ; uk, Станісла́вів ''Stanislaviv'', , or ''Stanyslaviv'', ). Other spellings used in the local press media included russian: Станиславов ''Stanislavov'' and yi, סטאַניסלאוו.

After World War II it was changed by the Soviet authorities into a simplified version Stanislav ( uk, Станісла́в, links=no, ; russian: Станисла́в, links=no, ). In 1962, to honor the Ukrainian writer Ivan Franko on the city's 300th anniversary, it was renamed uk, Івано-Франківськ ''Ivano-Frankivsk'' and russian: Ивано-Франковск ''Ivano-Frankovsk''. Due to the city's wordy name, unofficially it is sometimes called simply Franyk () by its residents. Even though Ivano-Frankivsk is the officially accepted name, the city's original name has never been fully abandoned and/or forgotten and can be found throughout the city in all kinds of variations.

History

The town of Stanisławów was founded as a fortress in order to protect the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from Tatar invasions and to defend the multi-ethnic population of the region in case of armed conflicts such as the Khmelnytsky Uprising of 1648. The fort was originally built next to Zabolotiv village (known since 1435), and Knyahynyn (1449). The village of Zabolotiv and the land around it were purchased by Andrzej Potocki from another Polish nobleman, Rzeczkowski. Stanisławów was issued by Potocki and his declaration establishing the city with Magdeburg rights on May 7, 1662; but the city and its rights, however, were not recognized by the Polish Crown until August 14, 1663, when John Casimir had finally approved it. By 1672, the fortress had been rebuilt from wood to stone, brick, and mortar. Also a new large fortified Potocki palace was erected in the place of an older wood structure. Today this building serves as the military hospital. In the same year Jews were granted the right to become permanent residents, who could work, conduct commerce and travel in and out of the city as they pleased.

Originally the city was divided into two districts: Tysmenytsia and Halych. Sometime in 1817–1819 the neighbouring village of Zabolottya, that had a special status, was incorporated into the city as a new district, while Tysmenytsia district was divided into Tysmenytsia and Lysets districts. Each district had its main street corresponded with its name: Halych Street (Halych district), Tysmenytsia Street which today is Independence Street (Tysmenytsia district), Zabolotiv Street – Mykhailo Hrushevsky Street and Street of Vasylyanok (Zabolottya district), and Lysets Street – Hetman Mazepa Street (Lysets district). Later the city was split into six small districts: midtown where the rich Catholic population and patricians lived, pidzamche (subcastle), and four suburbs – Zabolotiv, Tysmenytsia, Halych and Lysets where the plebeians lived.Brief History of Ivano-Frankivsk

In October 1918, the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed and the Western Ukrainian People's Republic (ZUNR) was proclaimed. In the early months of 1919 (from January to May) the city became a temporary capital of the West Ukrainian National Republic, while still recovering from World War I. All state affairs took place in the building of ''Dnister Hotel'' where the Act Zluky (Unification Act) was composed and signed on January 22, 1919 by the Ukrainian People's Republic.Yanukovych condemns attempts to undermine unity
Kyiv Post (21 January 2011) The same year it was subjected to the Polish–Ukrainian and the Romanian-Ukrainian skirmishes eventually being annexed by Poland as part of the Second Polish Republic as the centre of the Stanisławów Voivodeship. It was occupied by the Romanian army for the summer months from May 25 through August 21, 1919. During the Polish–Soviet War in 1920, the Red Army took over the city for a brief period. After the Soviet retreat, Ukrainian troops loyal to Symon Petlura occupied the city for a few days. At this period of history the city was in complete disorder. It then became part of Poland until the start of World War II.

In the 1939 invasion of Poland by German and Soviet forces, the territory was captured by the Soviets in September 1939 and annexed to the Ukrainian SSR. Between September 1939 and June 1941, the Soviet regime ordered thousands of inhabitants of the city to leave their houses and move to Siberia, where most of them perished. Numerous people were taken out of the city prison and simply shot outside of the city when Soviet forces were leaving it in 1941. Ivano-Frankivsk was occupied by German forces from July 2, 1941 to July 27, 1944. There were more than 40,000 Jews in Stanisławów when it was occupied by the Nazi Germany on July 26, 1941. The Stanisławów Ghetto was formed. During the occupation (1941–44), more than 600 educated Poles and most of the city's Jewish population were murdered.yadvashem.org
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In early 1944, the city became part of the Soviet Union and was renamed 'Stanislav'. The Soviets forced most of the Polish population to leave the city, most of them settled in the Recovered Territories. During the post-war period the city was part of the Carpathian Military District housing the 38th Army (70th Motor Rifle Division) that participated in the Operation Dunai.

Until 18 July 2020, Ivano-Frankivsk was incorporated as a city of oblast significance and the center of Ivano-Frankivsk Municipality. The municipality was abolished in July 2020 as part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, which reduced the number of raions of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast to six. The area of Ivano-Frankivsk Municipality was merged into the newly established Ivano-Frankivsk Raion.

On 24 February and 11 March 2022, Ivano-Frankivsk was struck by Russian missiles during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. See 2022 bombing of Ivano-Frankivsk.

Timeline

* 1650–1662: establishing a private fortress of Potocki
* 1662–1772: Stanisławów, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (within the Kingdom of Poland),
* 1772–1815: Stanisławów (Stanislau), Austrian Monarchy (within the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria),
* 1815–1918: Stanisławów (Stanislau), Austrian Empire, then Austria-Hungary,
* November 1918 – May 1919: Stanyslaviv, West Ukrainian People's Republic,
* May 1919 – September 1939: Stanisławów, Poland, seat of the Stanisławów Voivodeship,
* October 1939 – June 1941: Stanyslaviv, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic,
* July 1941 – August 1944: Stanisławów (Stanislau), seat of the ''Stanislau Kreis'', District of Galicia, General Government,
* August 1944 – November 9, 1962: Stanislav,
* November 9, 1962: renamed as Ivano-Frankivsk, oblast seat, Ukrainian SSR,
* Post–1991: Ivano-Frankivsk, independent Ukraine,
* March 11, 2022: Russian attack on Ivano-Frankivsk oblast began

Climate and geography

As is the case with most of Ukraine, the climate is moderate continental with warm summers, and fairly cold winters. The following climate data provided is for the past 62 years. The average number of days with precipitation is 170 spread almost equally throughout a year. Most precipitation takes place during the winter months and least – early fall. Thunderstorms occur mostly in summer months averaging around 25 annually. Ivano-Frankivsk averages about 296 days of fog or misty days with about 24 per month.

The city is situated in the Carpathian region northeast of the mountain range, sitting approximately above mean sea level. One of the several main geographical features is the Vovchynets Hill also known as the Vovchynets Mountains. The hill reaches 300- above the sea level and is part of the Pokuttya Highland ( Upland). Around the hill Bystrytsia River branches into Bystrytsia of Nadvirna, Bystrytsia of Solotvyn, and Vorona. The last two rivers serve as a natural border between the ''Pokuttya Highland'' and ''Stanislav Basin''. The Vovchynets Hill is located just outside and northeast of Ivano-Frankivsk. Located southeast from the Stanislav Basin in the direction of the Prut Valley is the Khorosnen (Prut-Bystrytsia) Highland. The highest point of that highland is Mount Hostra, .

The closest neighboring city is Tysmenytsia, less than to the east. Other cities that lie in the radius of are Tlumach (east), Nadvirna (south), Kalush (west), and Halych (north). The city also administers five adjacent villages that surround it: Mykytyntsi, Krykhivtsi, Vovchynets, Uhornyky, and Khryplyn.

Population and demographics

Note: Historical population record is taken out of Ivano-Frankivsk portal, more recent – the Regional Directorate of Statistics. There is also other information on a population growth such as the JewishGen. With asterisk there are identified years of approximate data. In the 18th century, differentiation among Poles and Ukrainians was by religious background rather than ethnic (Catholics vs. Orthodox).

Administration

Both city and oblast administrations as well as the regional council are all located in a massive white building on Hrushevsky Street locally known as Bily Dim or Bily Budynok. In front of the building, there is a big open space bordered by Shpytalna Street on the north-east, Hrushevsky Street on the south-east, and Melnychuk Street on the south-west. Next to the building, there is a memorial to the Unification of the Western Ukraine with the rest of Ukraine. The main feature of the memorial is a tall marble stele, both sides of which are adorned with statues: '' kamenyar'' (west) and '' kobzar'' (east).

City Council

The city council currently consists of 42 deputies. The political representation after the 2020 Ukrainian local elections by political blocs was elected as such: 28 seats for Svoboda, 10 seats for European Solidarity and 4 seats for Batkivschyna.How the composition of the Ivano-Frankivsk council has changed
Civil movement "Chesno" (6 November 2020)

Recent city mayors

* Bohdan Borovych ( OUN) July 1994 – June 1998
* Zinoviy Shkutiak ( Our Ukraine) March 1998 – 26 March 2006
* Viktor Anushkevychus ( UPP) 26 March 2006 – 2015
* ( All-Ukrainian Union «Svoboda») 2015–present

In the (first round of the) 2020 Ukrainian local elections Martsinkiv was reelected with about 85% of the vote.Mayor of Ivano-Frankivsk Martsinkiv on the success of the OPZZ in the east: this was expected and this is a problem of pro-Ukrainian forces
Hromadske.TV (26 October 2020) Mayors of Mykolayiv, Ivano-Frankivsk become known after elections
Ukrinform (16 November 2015)

Streets

All street names reflecting the city's Soviet or Russian past have been returned to their former names, or given new names of national historic importance, or other non-controversial names. For example, Gagarin Street (connecting the city with its suburbs) became Vovchynets Street, Suvorov Street is now Harbar Street, and Soviet Street is Independence Street.

Around 100 other streets were renamed.
; Important transportation ''arteries''
* Independence Street (vulytsya Nezalezhnosti) / Tysmenytsya Road (doroha Tysmenetska)
* Halych Road (vulytsya Halytska)
* Hetman Mazepa Street (vulytsya Hetmana Mazepy) / Krykhivtsi Road (doroha Krykhivetska)
* Yevhen Konovalets Road (vulytsya Yevhena Konovaltsya)
* Vovchynets Street (vulytsya Vovchynetska)
* Vasyl Stefanyk Shore Drive (naberezhna Vasylya Stefanyka)

City squares

The city has seven main city squares, four of them located in the "old town" part of the city.
* Viche Maidan
* Market Square

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