Bortyatyn and the Antonych Family Museum

A specific cultural point of interest in Bortyatyn is the Antonych family museum and estate. It is housed in a former Greek Catholic rectory. Family history, Ukrainian literature, regional culture and religious themes come together here. This gives the place a distinct profile for travellers who want to explore cultural history through a particular house and its residents.

A House with Several Layers of History

From 1928 to 1947, Father Vasyl Antonych, his wife Olha and the Ukrainian poet Bohdan Ihor Antonych lived in the former rectory in Bortyatin. Since 2009, the house has been the Antonych Family Museum and Estate, as well as a branch of the Lviv Museum of the History of Religion. This makes it possible to distinguish its former role as a residence from its later use as a museum: the family history is connected to the house, while its role as a museum marks a distinct chapter in its history.

The exhibition also looks beyond the poet. It covers the public and pastoral work of Vasyl Antonych and the history of the Diocese of Przemyśl in Galicia during the 1920s and 1930s. These themes lead from individual family members to religious life and history in the region. Visitors interested in literature will also encounter a broader historical context.

Regional Culture and Family History

The exhibition includes elements of Lemkivshchyna and Yavorivshchyna, as well as the history of the family and the creative legacy of Bohdan Ihor Antonych. Regional culture offers a different way in than personal biography: it broadens the view from a single house to cultural connections, while the family history focuses on specific people. Together, these themes offer several starting points for a culturally focused visit, rather than defining the place solely through one well-known figure.

Everyday Objects and Works of Art

Family albums, the cross with which Father Vasyl blessed his parishioners, and original household items belonging to the family are among the objects on display. The albums point to the family, the cross to Vasyl’s pastoral work, and the household items to life in the house. These different groups of objects make the exhibition’s personal, religious and everyday aspects distinct from one another.

Art is also represented: at the centre of an exhibition room is Roman Kykta’s futuristic sculptural composition “Bohdan Ihor Antonych”. The permanent exhibition also includes Orest Skop’s triptych “Syny Ukrainy”, depicting Taras Shevchenko and Bohdan Ihor Antonych. The sculpture and the triptych each bring their own artistic emphasis; at the same time, both works are connected by their reference to Bohdan Ihor Antonych.

Choose Bortyatyn as Your Destination

If you would like to include literature, regional culture and religious history in your trip, the museum offers a specific thematic point of interest in Bortyatyn. The history of the house, the exhibits and the art offer different perspectives on the same place. When choosing where to stay, you can consider whether this cultural focus fits your travel plans and whether you would like to focus your search for holiday accommodation on Bortyatyn.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Pidhaitsi, Plav'ya, Pustomyty, Chervonohrad, Rozhirche, Derezhychi, Zhovkva, Brody

Back to the regional travel overview: Lviv Oblast.