A team from the “Hutsulandia” channel went on an expedition to the remote Hutsul village of Stovpni in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, which has now become a ghost town. Life once bustled here, but now only a few abandoned houses remain. This was reported by “Glavkom.”
The Historical Heritage of Stovpni
Stovpni was part of the village of Probiynivka, which was formerly known as Shykmany. The first mentions of this area date back to the 17th century, although people lived here much earlier. The village’s name is associated with the border posts that once marked the state border.
Life in the Past
About a hundred years ago, the lives of local residents were inextricably linked to highland farming. There were at least 30 houses in Stovpny where Hutsul families lived.
The village changed its national affiliation several times: until 1918, it was part of Austria-Hungary; during the interwar period, it was under Polish rule; during World War II, it was under Nazi occupation; and later became part of the Soviet Union. However, its greatest decline occurred in the second half of the 20th century, when industrialization forced residents to leave their homes.
A Symbol of the Disappearance of Hutsul Settlements
Today, like the neighboring villages of Burkut and Perkalaba, Stovpni stands as a symbol of the gradual disappearance of Carpathian settlements that, just a century ago, were the centers of Hutsul life.
During their hike, travelers encounter people, but their homes belong to other farmsteads and hamlets, not to the village of Stovpni itself.
