Ivano-Frankivsk is celebrating its 364th anniversary. I love it so much that I almost got an IF tattoo, — says beauty editor Alyona Ponomarenko. — It would have a double meaning. Everyone around would think that it was “if” translated from English, and only I would know the true meaning of these letters.
We met four years ago, when we happened to be in the city at the beginning of a full-scale invasion. Frankivsk is not one of those secular, cosmopolitan cities that you fall in love with at first sight. There are many clumsy houses here, bordering on old (here they say “ancient”), slightly neglected estates, and this is somehow touching. When I describe it to other people, I say briefly: “Berlin vibe”. It immediately becomes clear that it is about eclecticism, freedom, traditions and courage. The main charm of the city is the people. Warm, polite, wise. They are what make Frankivsk special. However, apart from the people, there is also something to enjoy here. Here are the places that you cannot miss in Stanislaviv – that is what Ivano-Frankivsk was called until the 1960s.
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Ivano-Frankivsk Station
There is a legend that Frankivsk was built in response to high seismic activity, which is why there are no underground passages here — none. This seems to be true and adds to the inclusiveness of the station (which is beautiful in itself).
Urban Space 100
After the morning train, it is worth going here for breakfast. This iconic place is the first example in Ukraine of attracting social investments, when citizens could invest any amount in creating a cafe. Until now, every hryvnia here goes to the development of the city. Lots of delicious, healthy food that will be familiar to the residents of Reitarska.
Panel by Afanas Zalivakha at “Stometrivka”
“Stometrivka” is the local name for the pedestrian part of Nezalezhnosti Street, which starts from Vichevy Maidan. Right at its beginning is a mobile phone shop with large windows. You need to go inside – and there your eyes will be opened to a beauty that takes your breath away. A pearl panel by Afanas Zalivakha, an artist from the sixties, a close friend of Alla Gorska. You can read about Zalivakha here.
Shevchenko Park and the city lake
A fantastically beautiful recreational area right in the middle of the city. There are sun loungers, jogging tracks, a wakeboarding station, and recently opened tennis courts. The lake is home to ducks, but that doesn't stop athletes from swimming – both on paddleboards and kayaks, and “by hand.”
Town Hall
It is believed to be the only Art Deco town hall in Ukraine. Inside is a local history museum with a wonderful collection of traditional Carpathian clothing – embroidered shirts (and arm warmers too!), keptari, chelts, etc., plus a collection of Kosiv ceramics, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
I recommend climbing the stairs to the observation deck – there is a view of the city and the egg monument. Our friend says that it is in honor of the egg that a young student threw at the fugitive president Yanukovych. He is joking, but it is nice to know that this significant event, when a potential dictator fainted from fear of a chicken egg, happened right here.
Bazaar
5 minutes from the Town Hall is the Bazaar. In season, they sell athin (blueberries), gogodzy (lingonberries), rumbambar (rhubarb), and porcini mushrooms. You want to buy up the touching bouquets from local grandmothers by the arm (I always do that, to be honest).
The Bazaar building (officially called the Central Market of Ivano-Frankivsk and located at 5 Dnistrovska Street) is an example of late Soviet modernism. Its construction began in 1972 according to the design of architect Zenoviy Davydiuk. Its main feature was a dome with a diameter of 78 meters without internal supports – an engineering achievement that had no analogues in Ukraine at that time. However, now it is very difficult to appreciate the beauty of the structure due to the chaotic construction around it.
Art Museum
In guidebooks it is called a pearl of Baroque architecture of the 18th century. Perhaps in reality everything is a little more modest, but the location is really beautiful. Nearby is the “cathedral”, and around is peace and quiet. The main collection of the museum is now evacuated, but exhibitions are held. Sometimes they are wonderful.
Vagabundo Gallery
An independent art space in Ivano-Frankivsk located in a basement at 7 Pylypa Orlyka Street. It was opened in 2019 at the initiative of Yuriy Andrukhovych, Rostyslav Shpuk and Oleksandr Kovtun, and has been the pulse of the city's cultural life ever since. During the full-scale war, “Vagabundo” turned into an art bomb shelter, where creative activities continued even during air raids. The space actively hosts exhibitions, concerts, lectures and other cultural events.
Industrial equipment. Renovation
The symbol of the new Frankivsk is an innovation hub in a former factory founded in the 1960s. It produced devices for industry and energy, and now it has become one of the most famous urban projects in Ukraine. There are spaces for learning, research, and technology here, which transforms the old Soviet factory into a modern innovation center for education, business, art, and urbanism. You can invest in “Promprylad” (investments start at 1,000 euros). On the ground floor, a Jean perfume store has opened with an unrealistic selection of brands, and on the top floor there is a beautiful hipster bar with plenty of seating.
Fortification walls of the 17th century.
The remains of the city fortifications that once surrounded Stanislaviv are now surprisingly picturesque. Inside, there is a space where you can buy embroidered Gaptuvalnya shirts, buy a gunya, as well as souvenirs and art objects.
There is a restaurant and a cafe – both are worth visiting.
Frankivsk Drama Theater
The theater boom, which snobs in Ukraine talk about sarcastically, existed in Frankivsk long before it became mainstream. The fire of Frankivsk's love for art was ignited by the general director, artistic director of the theater, and Shevchenko Prize laureate Rostyslav Derzhypilsky. Each of his performances is worth attention, and the cast is a bright constellation: Irma Vitovska, Roman Lutsky, Oleksiy Hnatkovsky, Nadiya Levchenko, Ivan Blindar. The performances are worth specially traveling to the IF. The theater conducts active volunteer work, holds a Shakespeare festival, and also provides a platform for many Ukrainian theaters and hosts cultural events, including, for example, the Docudays festival. Read more about it at the link.
Restaurants
In Frankivsk, it's tasty and cheap. Among the legendary spots on the city map is “Pyrizhkova” (19 Dmytra Vitovskoho St.) – the Carpathian analogue of Kyiv's “Yaroslava” on Yarval. The establishment has been operating since the 1950s, and the menu includes pancakes with rose and orange jam. You can't miss “Desyatka” – dumplings with braised veal and mushroom machanka are worth Michelin stars (the portions are amazing). Just next to the establishment is the house where the legend of Ukrainian cuisine Daria Tsvek lived.
For beautiful breakfasts, head to the terrace of the renovated Nadiya Palace hotel (the menu even includes scones, a rarity for a Ukrainian breakfast menu).
You should try Yavoriv buckwheat pie, the recipe of which is included in the UNESCO gastronomic heritage, at the Mulyarovy House. The local collection of antiquities would be the envy of any local history museum: Hutsul ceramics, clothing, etc.
For dinner, it's worth visiting Ambassada – the interior is in the spirit of Italian palazzos somewhere in Lecce or Brindisi.
For craft beer served in a very intelligent manner, I recommend visiting Copper Head. I fell in love with the place when one fall I saw crates of large, fresh, fragrant raspberries being brought inside — they said they were used in the preparation of one of the beers. I'm not much of a beer fan, but I'm fascinated by the aesthetics of the place (and the breaded cucumbers).
They feed deliciously at Fabrika, Delikacia, and Champaneria. I'll leave links to delicious places shared by insiders here.
Beauty and health
The level of dentistry here is cosmically high. It is customary to explain this by the presence of a dentistry department at the local medical university, but for myself I explain it by the “Stanislav phenomenon”, only in the dental sphere. I travel from Kyiv to my doctors, Volodymyr and Ilona Yatsyshyn at Evo Dent. In short: even banal dental hygiene is done under a microscope for me.
I always try to combine a trip to Frankivsk with beauty-related matters. Manicures, pedicures, eyebrows — everything is done flawlessly and quickly in Stories. You can make an appointment with any master — the level is consistently high in all of them (and they will always find a free window).
I only give the contact details of my colorist Oksana Hutsul to my closest friends, but in honor of the city's birthday, I'm sharing them here: the tiny Your Style salon on Snizhnaya, 52. Oksana doesn't do long head massages, she despises tedious, multi-hour dyeing, she doesn't go through the strands with a pensive look. Everything is very fast, decisive, and flawless — I love it.
And in IF there are perfume Disneylands Aromateque and Jean Niche Concept. You can find them by smell (and I'm only kidding a little), but I'll leave the addresses.