Ukrainian Carpathians: History

Pre-20th-Century History

Formed some 50 million years ago, during the same geological upheavals that produced the Alps, the crescent-shaped Carpathians were the cradle of Hutsul civilisation, and they're still home to this hardy mountain tribe. A natural barrier between Slavic and Romanised Dacian (Romanian) worlds, the Carpathians have always provided a refuge from conquest and authority. When the Mongols sacked Kyiv in 1240, many of the city's citizens fled here, and when Poland and Lithuania invaded in the 14th century it's questionable how much control they exercised in the region's higher altitudes. Signs of 19th-century Austro-Hungarian culture haven't penetrated deeper than Ivano-Frankivsk and Chernivtsi.

Modern History

When the Soviets rolled up after WWII, they were made to feel very unwelcome. The Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) lived as guerrillas in the Carpathians well into the 1950s, using the mountains as stronghold from which to fire on the authorities. (The UPA is a controversial entity because of its probable - but unquantified - role in the extermination of Ukrainian Jews. However, ordinary Carpathian villagers resisted Russian rule, too.)

Recent History

Today the peaks of the Carpathians are one of the country's leading holiday spots. A long-time hit with Ukrainian hikers and skiers, they're now being developed to encourage international tourism. In the winter of 2003-4, the country's first fully planned ski area, Bukovel, was opened and is already scheduled for further development. The government recently released additional land for expansion, with plans to make the resort the largest in Europe. Plans to bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics have already been announced.

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