Kalush ( uk, Ка́луш, ) is a
city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be de ...
set in the foothills of the
Carpathian Mountains, in
Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast
Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast ( uk, Іва́но-Франкі́вська о́бласть, translit=Ivano-Frankivska oblast), also referred to as Ivano-Frankivshchyna ( uk, Іва́но-Франкі́вщина), is an oblast (region) in western Ukrai ...
(
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...
) of western
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian invas ...
. It is the
administrative centre
An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located.
In countries with French as administrative language (such as Belgium, L ...
of
Kalush Raion
Kalush Raion ( uk, Ка́луський райо́н, translit=Kalushsky raion) is a raion (district) of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast ( province). The city of Kalush is the administrative center of the raion. Population: .
On 18 July 2020, as part of ...
(
district
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...
) and hosts the administration of
Kalush urban hromada
Kalush urban territorial hromada ( uk, Калуська міська територіальна громада, translit=Kaluska miska terytorialna hromada) is a hromada located in Kalush Raion, in the western Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast
Ivano-Fr ...
, one of the
hromadas of Ukraine.
Its estimated population was
Important local industries include chemicals and concrete.
Geography
Kalush is in the western portion of
Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast
Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast ( uk, Іва́но-Франкі́вська о́бласть, translit=Ivano-Frankivska oblast), also referred to as Ivano-Frankivshchyna ( uk, Іва́но-Франкі́вщина), is an oblast (region) in western Ukrai ...
, in the region of
Western Ukraine
Western Ukraine or West Ukraine ( uk, Західна Україна, Zakhidna Ukraina or , ) is the territory of Ukraine linked to the former Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia, which was part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Austri ...
at the foothills of the
Carpathian Mountains. It stands on the Dniester tributary, the
Limnytsia River that begins from the slopes of the
Carpathians
The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians () are a range of mountains forming an arc across Central Europe. Roughly long, it is the third-longest European mountain range after the Ural Mountains, Urals at and the Scandinavian Mountains at . The ...
. The city is at the eastern borders of the ethnographical region of
Boyko Land.
History

The earliest known mention of Kalush is the accounting of a village of that name in a chronicle dated May 27, 1437. At that time, together with all
Red Ruthenia
Red Ruthenia or Red Rus' ( la, Ruthenia Rubra; '; uk, Червона Русь, Chervona Rus'; pl, Ruś Czerwona, Ruś Halicka; russian: Червонная Русь, Chervonnaya Rus'; ro, Rutenia Roșie), is a term used since the Middle Ages fo ...
, the village belonged to the
Kingdom of Poland
The Kingdom of Poland ( pl, Królestwo Polskie; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a state in Central Europe. It may refer to:
Historical political entities
* Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom existing from 1025 to 1031
* Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom exi ...
, and was known under its Polish name, Kałusz. Until the mid-16th century, Kałusz was part of
Halicz Land,
Ruthenian Voivodeship
The Ruthenian Voivodeship (Latin: ''Palatinatus russiae'', Polish: ''Województwo ruskie'', Ukrainian: ''Руське воєводство'', romanized: ''Ruske voievodstvo''), also called Rus’ voivodeship, was a voivodeship of the Crown ...
. It was known for producing malt, its brewery and salt mining. In 1469, King
Kazimierz Jagiellonczyk
Casimir IV (in full Casimir IV Andrew Jagiellon; pl, Kazimierz IV Andrzej Jagiellończyk ; Lithuanian: ; 30 November 1427 – 7 June 1492) was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1440 and King of Poland from 1447, until his death. He was one of the m ...
founded a Roman Catholic parish church there.
In 1549 Kalush was incorporated as a city by Crown
Hetman
( uk, гетьман, translit=het'man) is a political title from Central and Eastern Europe, historically assigned to military commanders.
Used by the Czechs in Bohemia since the 15th century. It was the title of the second-highest military ...
Mikołaj Sieniawski
Mikołaj Sieniawski (c. 1489 – 1569) was a notable Polish magnate, military commander and a prominent politician of his times. He built stone Brzeżany Castle round which the modern town of Berezhany has developed.
He is not to be confused ...
on the authority of the Polish Crown (
Magdeburg rights
Magdeburg rights (german: Magdeburger Recht; also called Magdeburg Law) were a set of town privileges first developed by Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor (936–973) and based on the Flemish Law, which regulated the degree of internal autonomy within ...
). Already then Kalush became also known as a city of chemical industry specializing in producing
nitrate
Nitrate is a polyatomic ion with the chemical formula . Salts containing this ion are called nitrates. Nitrates are common components of fertilizers and explosives. Almost all inorganic nitrates are soluble in water. An example of an insoluble ...
. The contemporary city coat of arms derived from the
Leliwa coat of arms
Leliwa is a Polish coat of arms. It was used by several hundred szlachta families during the existence of the Kingdom of Poland and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, and remains in use today by many of the descendants of these families. The ...
of the Sieniawski family and is dedicated to the victory in the
Battle of Vienna
The Battle of Vienna; pl, odsiecz wiedeńska, lit=Relief of Vienna or ''bitwa pod Wiedniem''; ota, Beç Ḳalʿası Muḥāṣarası, lit=siege of Beç; tr, İkinci Viyana Kuşatması, lit=second siege of Vienna took place at Kahlenberg Mo ...
, while the upper portion of the shield contains three white salt furnaces. In 1595 Kalush, which had 55 houses, was ransacked by
Crimean Tatars
, flag = Flag of the Crimean Tatar people.svg
, flag_caption = Flag of Crimean Tatars
, image = Love, Peace, Traditions.jpg
, caption = Crimean Tatars in traditional clothing in front of the Khan's Palace ...
. Here, two important battles took place. In 1672, forces of Hetman
Jan Sobieski
John III Sobieski ( pl, Jan III Sobieski; lt, Jonas III Sobieskis; la, Ioannes III Sobiscius; 17 August 1629 – 17 June 1696) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1674 until his death in 1696.
Born into Polish nobility, Sobie ...
clashed with Tatars of
Selim I Giray, and three years later,
Andrzej Potocki
Andrzej Potocki (; 1630 – 30 August 1691) was a Polish nobleman, magnate, politician, general and military commander. He held a number of political and military positions and was a skilled commander and successfully protected the Eastern Bord ...
fought here with Turks. In 1772, following the
Partitions of Poland, the town was seized by the
Habsburg Empire
The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...
, where it remained until 1918.

In 1912–13 prior to
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
near the city of Kalush an
oil rig
{{about, , the mnemonic OIL RIG, Redox
An oil rig is any kind of apparatus constructed for oil drilling.
Kinds of oil rig include:
* Drilling rig, an apparatus for on-land oil drilling
* Drillship, a floating apparatus for offshore oil drilling
* ...
was built. However instead of oil, the rig ended up extracting a
natural gas
Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbon ...
. For long time the gas was not utilized, but later was used for heating a potassium quarry and boilers in
Boryslav
Boryslav ( uk, Борислав; pl, Borysław) is a city located on the Tysmenytsia (a tributary of the Dniester), in Drohobych Raion, Lviv Oblast (region) of western Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Boryslav urban hromada, one of the ...
and
Drohobych
Drohobych ( uk, Дрого́бич, ; pl, Drohobycz; yi, דראָהאָביטש;) is a city of regional significance in Lviv Oblast, Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Drohobych Raion and hosts the administration of Drohobych urban h ...
.
In the
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, at the time officially known as the Republic of Poland, was a country in Central and Eastern Europe that existed between 1918 and 1939. The state was established on 6 November 1918, before the end of the First World ...
, Kalush/Kalusz was the seat of a county in
Stanislawow Voivodeship. Its population was 15,000, almost equal proportions of
Poles,
Ukrainians
Ukrainians ( uk, Українці, Ukraintsi, ) are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. They are the seventh-largest nation in Europe. The native language of the Ukrainians is Ukrainian. The majority of Ukrainians are Eastern Or ...
and
Jews
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""T ...
. Following the 1939
Invasion of Poland
The invasion of Poland (1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union which marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week af ...
, the town was annexed by the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
. Occupied by the
Third Reich
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
from 2 July 1941 until 30 July 1944, it returned to the Soviet Union in 1944. During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
the residents of the city witnessed many ethnocides. In 1940, the Soviets forced inhabitants of Kalush to leave the town and forcefully moved them to
Siberia
Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part o ...
, many of whom were people of various nationalities: Poles, Ukrainians and others. Then, in late 1941 and 1942, majority of Kalush's Jewish inhabitants were murdered by the Germans. Since the 16th century, a
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
community had flourished in the city and at times constituted a majority of its population; however, in 1941, while under
Nazi
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hit ...
control, that community was virtually eliminated. Polish
Home Army
The Home Army ( pl, Armia Krajowa, abbreviated AK; ) was the dominant Polish resistance movement in World War II, resistance movement in Occupation of Poland (1939–1945), German-occupied Poland during World War II. The Home Army was formed i ...
(AK) was active in the town and its area. The town itself was captured by the AK in mid-July 1944, during the
Operation Tempest
file:Akcja_burza_1944.png, 210px, right
Operation Tempest ( pl, akcja „Burza”, sometimes referred to in English as "Operation Storm") was a series of uprisings conducted during World War II against occupying German forces by the Polish Home ...
. In 1945, Polish residents of Kalush were expelled to the
Recovered Territories
The Recovered Territories or Regained Lands ( pl, Ziemie Odzyskane), also known as Western Borderlands ( pl, Kresy Zachodnie), and previously as Western and Northern Territories ( pl, Ziemie Zachodnie i Północne), Postulated Territories ( pl, Z ...
.
On March 20, 1972, the city of Kalush became a city of regional importance.
Recently several renovations have taken place of several local temples such as the Temple of All Saints of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kyiv Patriarchate), the Catholic Saint Valentine Church, and the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church of Saint Nicholas.
Until 18 July 2020, Kalush was incorporated as a
city of oblast significance and served as the administrative center of Kalush Raion though it did not belong to the raion. In July 2020, as part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, which reduced the number of raions of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast to six, the city of Kalush was merged into Kalush Raion.
Kalush city council in 2010
Note: Percentage indicates correlation to the total number of seats in the city council which is 50. The results of election were taken from kalush.net where they were published on 4 November 2010. Election was half and half, one (25 seats) by the "majority rule", another (25 seats) – by "party-list". There were 15 non-affiliated members, all of which associated themselves with the Ukrainian Party (2006).
Points of interest
The city still contains an old
rathaus
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually house ...
which declared as the National Landmark of Architecture #591. The previous rathaus was destroyed during the
Khmelnytsky Uprising
The Khmelnytsky Uprising,; in Ukraine known as Khmelʹnychchyna or uk, повстання Богдана Хмельницького; lt, Chmelnickio sukilimas; Belarusian: Паўстанне Багдана Хмяльніцкага; russian: в ...
. The new rathaus served as a town hall and a directory of agriculture since the 20th century. The conditions of the landmark in 2010 were terrible and the rathaus required some major renovations. A fire broke out ruins of the rathaus in 2013.
In the city there is a mount Vysochanka named after a colonel of Lysyanka Regiment during the
Cossack Hetmanate
The Cossack Hetmanate ( uk, Гетьманщина, Hetmanshchyna; or ''Cossack state''), officially the Zaporizhian Host or Army of Zaporizhia ( uk, Військо Запорозьке, Viisko Zaporozke, links=no; la, Exercitus Zaporoviensis) ...
and a leader of local uprising in 1648
Semen Vysochan.
Gallery
File:Kalush-2.jpg, Kalush Cultural House
File:Kalush-4.jpg, Downtown Kalush
File:Церква 3.jpg, A church in Kalush
File:Залізнична станція Калуш 3338738.jpeg, Kalush Railway Station
File:Костел 5.jpg, St. Valentine's Catholic Church in Kalush
File:Цех калійного комбінату.jpg, Old chemical plant in Kalush
File:Thermal power plant in Kalush, Ukraine.jpg, Thermal power plant in Kalush
File:Kalush-ratusha.JPG, Kalush city rathaus (abandoned)
File:Kalush's city city center III.JPG, Near the Kalush City Center
File:Колаж Калуш.jpg, Kalush
File:Kalush Jewish cemetery 07.jpg, Kalush Jewish cemetery
File:Kalush prom ratusha.jpg, Kalush prom ratusha
File:Kalush kostiol.jpg, Kalush kostiol
File:Kalush Jewish cemetery 04.jpg, Kalush Jewish cemetery
Notable residents
*
Stepan Bandera
Stepan Andriyovych Bandera ( uk, Степа́н Андрі́йович Банде́ра, Stepán Andríyovych Bandéra, ; pl, Stepan Andrijowycz Bandera; 1 January 1909 – 15 October 1959) was a Ukrainian far-right leader of the radical, ter ...
*
August Aleksander Czartoryski
*
Jakub Sobieski
Jakub Sobieski (5 May 1590 – 23 June 1646) was a Polish noble, parliamentarian, diarist, political activist, military leader and father of King John III Sobieski. He was the son of castellan and voivode Marek Sobieski and Jadwiga Snopkows ...
*
Jan "Sobiepan" Zamoyski
*
Tomasz Zamoyski
Tomasz Zamoyski (1594 – 7 January 1638) was a Polish-Lithuanian nobleman (szlachcic) and magnate.
He travelled to London in July 1615 and was invited to hunt with King James at Theobalds. The master of ceremonies at the English court Lewis ...
*
Fedir Danylak
Fedir Ivanovych Danylak ( uk, Федір Іванович Даниляк) (born 1955) is a dancer, balletmaster, choreography, choreographer and artistic director of the Barvinok Ukrainian School of Dance in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
Early d ...
*
Vlad DeBriansky
*
Natalie Papazoglu
Natalie Papazoglu ( uk, Наталія Папазоглу, ''Natalija Papazohlu''; born 1983) is a Gagauz-Ukrainian singer-songwriter. She participated in season 6 of the Ukrainian ''X-Factor'', and won the Turkvision Song Contest 2020 with the s ...
*
Oleh Psiuk
*
Aryeh Leib HaCohen Heller, Prominent Rabbi and author of the "Ketzos Hachoshen"
*
Yehuda Heller Kahana
Yehuda Heller-Kahane (2 December 1743 – 22 April 1819) ( he, יהודה בן יוסף הכהן ) was a Rabbi, Talmudist, and Halachist in Galicia. He was known as "the ''Kuntras HaSfeikos''" based on his work, ''Kuntras HaSfeikos'' ().
Life a ...
, Prominent Rabbi and author of the "Kuntras HaSfeikos"
*
Kalush, rap group, winners of the
Eurovision Song Contest 2022
The Eurovision Song Contest 2022 was the 66th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Turin, Italy, following the country's victory at the with the song "" by Måneskin. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and ...
Twin towns – sister cities
Kalush is
twinned
Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to:
* In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so;
* Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning
* Twinning inst ...
with:
*
Bačka Palanka
Bačka Palanka ( sr-cyrl, Бачка Паланка, ; hu, Palánka) is a town and municipality located in the South Bačka District of the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. It is situated on the left bank of the Danube. In 2011 the t ...
, Serbia
*
Český Krumlov
Český Krumlov (; german: Krumau, , or ''Böhmisch Krumau'') is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. The historic centre with the Český Krumlov Castle complex is protected by law as an urban monument reservation, and s ...
, Czech Republic
*
Grand Prairie
Grand Prairie is a city in Dallas, Tarrant, and Ellis counties of Texas, in the United States. It is part of the Mid-Cities region in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It had a population of 175,396 according to the 2010 census, making it th ...
, United States
Location
;Local orientation
;Regional orientation
References
External links
СТАРИЙ КАЛУШPre-WWII Jewish History in KalushHelpful Kalush websitePhotographs of Jewish sites in Kalushi
Jewish History in Galicia and Bukovina
{{Authority control
Cities in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast
Stanisławów Voivodeship
Shtetls
Cities of regional significance in Ukraine
Holocaust locations in Ukraine