Ivano-Frankivsk is a very small and compact city, which seems very tiny from a bird’s eye view. But this does not mean that it has nothing to surprise guests and travelers with. In fact, a one day holiday is not enough to travel around all the interesting neighborhoods and learn all the secrets of the city. We will tell you 10 interesting facts about it!

  1. While walking around Ivano-Frankivsk, you will often come across the names “Stanislav” or “Stanislaviv”. The fact is that this is the old name of the city, which it had from 1662 to 1962. The city got a new name in honor of Ivan Franko on November 9, 1962 (in honor of its 300th anniversary).
  2. It is only partially true that the city was founded in 1662. Settlements called Knyahunya and Zabolottya were in this area much earlier.
  3.  Initially, Ivano-Frankivsk was built as a mighty fortress. The town was surrounded by wooden walls and then by stone fortifications with an earthen rampart and a moat.
  4.  Ivano-Frankivsk City Hall might only at first glance seem typical of Western Ukraine. In fact, it is built in the style of functionalism, and there are very few such houses in the country. And its appearance has changed four times throughout history. In addition, it is the only town hall in Europe with a helmet-shaped gilded dome.
  5. The oldest part of Ivano-Frankivsk is Rynok Square, which has survived since the city was founded. It was once the center of a hexagonal fortress, in the form of which the city was built. By the way, it was once called the Death Square, because it was here that executions took place. There are still legends about the ghosts of opryshky that roam around the central buildings.
  6. In 1919, Ivano-Frankivsk temporarily became the capital of the Western Ukraine. The process was quite complicated because the capital was mainly Lviv, a couple of months in 1918 it was Ternopil, and in 1919  Stanislaviv. Although it held the honorary title only from January to May, it was here that the most important decisions were made, but soon the troops of the Western Ukrainian People’s Republic were to retreat behind Zbruch.
  7. Ivano-Frankivsk has a unique monument that has no analogs in Europe. This is a monument to an egg.
  8. There are rumors that a mysterious underground labyrinth is hidden under the city center. The builders have already found once a part of the catacombs. But the legend has not yet been fully confirmed.
  9.  The smallest square in the city is the area of ​​Ivan Trush Street, which is only 360 square meters. The length of the street itself is a little bit more than 60 meters, and the width of it is less than 6. As we said, Ivano-Frankivsk is very compact! By the way, that is why there are some problems with public transport. For you to cover exactly everything you want, we suggest you choose a suitable car in the fleet “Ukr-Prokat” in Ivano-Frankivsk and not focus on city infrastructure.
  10.  Among the small towns of Western Ukraine, Stanislaviv was one of the first to receive a full-fledged electricity supply. The first light bulbs at the train station were lit in the 19th century. By the way, the station itself was then called “Dvirets” (“the Palace”).





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looking at this car