Pokuttya
Encyclopedia
Pokuttya or Pokuttia is a historical area of East-Central Europe
, between upper Prut
and Cheremosh rivers, in modern Ukraine
. Historically it was a culturally distinct area inhabitated by Ukrainians
and Romanians
on the previously unpopulated borderlands between the lands of Lviv
and Halych
. Although the historical centre of the area was Kolomyia
, the name itself is derived from the name of the town of Kuty
and literally means by Kuty ("Kut" by itself means "corner"). Presently, the region is inhabited by Ukrainians
.
and one of its successor states, Halych-Volhynia
, the area was occupied by the Kingdom of Poland in 1325, and annexed in 1349 by Casimir III of Poland
.
Władysław II Jagiełło, needing financial support in his battles against the Teutonic Knights
, used the region as a guarantee in a loan which he obtained from Petru I
of Moldavia
, who thus gained control of the region in 1388. Petru I
was eager at gaining influence in the internal politics of the Kingdom of Poland, supporting the cause of his long-time allies, Jagiellons of Grand Duchy of Lithuania
. Pokuttia, therefore, became the feudal property of the princes of Moldavia
, but remained within the Kingdom of Poland
. As in other famous similar cases in middle age Europe (such as Foix
, or Dauphiné
), the local feodal had to swear oath of allegiance
to the king for the specific territory, even when the former was himself an independent ruler of another state. Depending on the political and military strength of each person, the king could ask for allegiance, omitting the words for Pokuttia, or could refrain from asking an oath altogether. Consequently, the region became a matter for judicial and military dispute between the two countries, because the debt had never been paid in full by Poland, and because Pokuttia was a more valuable asset than the money.
In 1485, Moldavian prince Stephen the Great
, after losing in the previous year his country's exit to the Black Sea to the Ottomans, was in serious need of alliances, and swore allegiance to Casimir IV Jagiellon
, King of Poland for Pokuttia, in what is known as the Colomeea oath. However, Casimir's successor John I Albert of Poland
, used the treaty as a pretext to invade Moldavia
itself in 1497, but after four months of siege, failed to conquer the fortress of Suceava
, Stephen's capital. Moreover, when abandoning the siege, his army ran into a trap, was decimated, and many nobles were killed. See Battle of the Cosmin Forest
.
After that, in 1498, Pokuttia was conquered by Stephen the Great
, annexed and retained by Moldavia
until the Battle of Obertyn
in 1531, when it was recaptured by Poland's hetman
Jan Tarnowski
, who defeated Stephen's son Petru Rareş
. Minor Polish-Moldavian clashes for Pokuttia continued for the next 15 years, until Petru Rareş's death.
Following the Partitions of Poland
of 1772, Pokuttya fell under the Habsburg Monarchy
.
In the wake of the World War I
and the fall of Austria-Hungary
, it became disputed between Poland and a short-lived West Ukrainian People's Republic. However, during the Polish-Ukrainian War
it was seized without fight by the Romania
n army (see: Romanian occupation of Pokuttya
), and handed over to Polish authorities. After the Polish-Soviet War
was concluded, it remained in Poland.
In the effect of the 1939 invasion and partition of Poland between Nazi Germany
and Soviet Union
, the area was attached to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (falling to Nazi control after the start of Operation Barbarossa
and until 1944). It remains a part of modern Ukraine, incorporated into the western Ukrainian oblast of Ivano-Frankivsk
, roughly corresponding to the southern half of the oblast.
Throughout Middle Ages, Obertyn
was Pokuttia's main castle, while Kolomyia
was the region's main town and fair.
Pokuttya's population still contains today some Romanian and Ukrainian Hutsul communities. At 2001 census here were recorded 600 Romanians and Moldovans.
East-Central Europe
East-Central Europe – a term defining the countries located between German-speaking countries and Russia. Those lands are described as situated “between two”: between two worlds, between two stages, between two futures...
, between upper Prut
Prut
The Prut is a long river in Eastern Europe. In part of its course it forms the border between Romania and Moldova.-Overview:...
and Cheremosh rivers, in modern Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. Historically it was a culturally distinct area inhabitated by Ukrainians
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
and Romanians
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
on the previously unpopulated borderlands between the lands of Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
and Halych
Halych
Halych is a historic city on the Dniester River in western Ukraine. The town gave its name to the historic province and kingdom of Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia, of which it was the capital until the early 14th century, when the seat of the local princes was moved to Lviv...
. Although the historical centre of the area was Kolomyia
Kolomyia
Kolomyia or Kolomyya, formerly known as Kolomea , is a city located on the Prut River in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast , in western Ukraine. Serving as the administrative centre of the Kolomyia Raion , the city is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast...
, the name itself is derived from the name of the town of Kuty
Kuty
Kuty is a town in Ukraine, on the Cheremosh river, located in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. It is notable as one of the historical centres and the namesake of a historical region of Pokuttya. Population is 4,272 ....
and literally means by Kuty ("Kut" by itself means "corner"). Presently, the region is inhabited by Ukrainians
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
.
History
Initially a part of Kievan Rus'Kievan Rus'
Kievan Rus was a medieval polity in Eastern Europe, from the late 9th to the mid 13th century, when it disintegrated under the pressure of the Mongol invasion of 1237–1240....
and one of its successor states, Halych-Volhynia
Halych-Volhynia
The Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia or Kingdom of Rus or Galicia–Vladimir was a Ruthenian state in the regions of Galicia and Volhynia during 1199–1349. Along with Novgorod and Vladimir-Suzdal, it was one of the three most important powers to emerge from the collapse of Kievan Rus'...
, the area was occupied by the Kingdom of Poland in 1325, and annexed in 1349 by Casimir III of Poland
Casimir III of Poland
Casimir III the Great , last King of Poland from the Piast dynasty , was the son of King Władysław I the Elbow-high and Hedwig of Kalisz.-Biography:...
.
Władysław II Jagiełło, needing financial support in his battles against the Teutonic Knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
, used the region as a guarantee in a loan which he obtained from Petru I
Petru I of Moldavia
Petru I Muşat was Voivode of Moldavia from 1375 to 1391, the son of Costea Muşat, the first ruler from the dynastic House of Bogdan. During his reign, he maintained good relationships with his neighbours, especially Poland....
of Moldavia
Moldavia
Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
, who thus gained control of the region in 1388. Petru I
Petru I of Moldavia
Petru I Muşat was Voivode of Moldavia from 1375 to 1391, the son of Costea Muşat, the first ruler from the dynastic House of Bogdan. During his reign, he maintained good relationships with his neighbours, especially Poland....
was eager at gaining influence in the internal politics of the Kingdom of Poland, supporting the cause of his long-time allies, Jagiellons of Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
. Pokuttia, therefore, became the feudal property of the princes of Moldavia
Moldavia
Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
, but remained within the Kingdom of Poland
Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569)
The Kingdom of Poland of the Jagiellons was the Polish state created by the accession of Jogaila , Grand Duke of Lithuania, to the Polish throne in 1386. The Union of Krewo or Krėva Act, united Poland and Lithuania under the rule of a single monarch...
. As in other famous similar cases in middle age Europe (such as Foix
Foix
Foix is a commune, the capital of the Ariège department in southwestern France. It is the least populous administrative centre of a department in all of France, although it is only very slightly smaller than Privas...
, or Dauphiné
Dauphiné
The Dauphiné or Dauphiné Viennois is a former province in southeastern France, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of :Isère, :Drôme, and :Hautes-Alpes....
), the local feodal had to swear oath of allegiance
Oath of allegiance
An oath of allegiance is an oath whereby a subject or citizen acknowledges a duty of allegiance and swears loyalty to monarch or country. In republics, modern oaths specify allegiance to the country's constitution. For example, officials in the United States, a republic, take an oath of office that...
to the king for the specific territory, even when the former was himself an independent ruler of another state. Depending on the political and military strength of each person, the king could ask for allegiance, omitting the words for Pokuttia, or could refrain from asking an oath altogether. Consequently, the region became a matter for judicial and military dispute between the two countries, because the debt had never been paid in full by Poland, and because Pokuttia was a more valuable asset than the money.
Stephen III of Moldavia
Stephen III of Moldavia was Prince of Moldavia between 1457 and 1504 and the most prominent representative of the House of Mușat.During his reign, he strengthened Moldavia and maintained its independence against the ambitions of Hungary, Poland, and the...
, after losing in the previous year his country's exit to the Black Sea to the Ottomans, was in serious need of alliances, and swore allegiance to Casimir IV Jagiellon
Casimir IV Jagiellon
Casimir IV KG of the House of Jagiellon was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1440, and King of Poland from 1447, until his death.Casimir was the second son of King Władysław II Jagiełło , and the younger brother of Władysław III of Varna....
, King of Poland for Pokuttia, in what is known as the Colomeea oath. However, Casimir's successor John I Albert of Poland
John I Albert of Poland
John I Albert was King of Poland and Duke of Głogów .-Life:John was the third son of Casimir IV Jagiellon, King of Poland, and Elisabeth of Austria, daughter of Albert II of Germany. As crown prince, he distinguished himself by his brilliant victory over the Tatars at Kopersztyn...
, used the treaty as a pretext to invade Moldavia
Moldavia
Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
itself in 1497, but after four months of siege, failed to conquer the fortress of Suceava
Suceava
Suceava is the Suceava County seat in Bukovina, Moldavia region, in north-eastern Romania. The city was the capital of the Principality of Moldavia from 1388 to 1565.-History:...
, Stephen's capital. Moreover, when abandoning the siege, his army ran into a trap, was decimated, and many nobles were killed. See Battle of the Cosmin Forest
Battle of the Cosmin Forest
The Battle of the Cosmin Forest was fought between the Moldavian Prince, Ştefan cel Mare , and King John I of Poland of the Kingdom of Poland...
.
After that, in 1498, Pokuttia was conquered by Stephen the Great
Stephen III of Moldavia
Stephen III of Moldavia was Prince of Moldavia between 1457 and 1504 and the most prominent representative of the House of Mușat.During his reign, he strengthened Moldavia and maintained its independence against the ambitions of Hungary, Poland, and the...
, annexed and retained by Moldavia
Moldavia
Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
until the Battle of Obertyn
Battle of Obertyn
The Battle of Obertyn was fought between Moldavian Prince Petru Rareş and Polish King Zygmunt Stary, in the town of Obertyn, north of the Dniester River, now in Ukraine. The battle ended with a Polish victory and the reconquest of Pokutia....
in 1531, when it was recaptured by Poland's hetman
Hetman
Hetman was the title of the second-highest military commander in 15th- to 18th-century Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which together, from 1569 to 1795, comprised the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, or Rzeczpospolita....
Jan Tarnowski
Jan Tarnowski
Jan Amor Tarnowski was a Polish szlachcic . He was Grand Crown Hetman from 1527 and was the founder of the city of Tarnopol, where he built the Ternopil Castle and the Ternopil Lake....
, who defeated Stephen's son Petru Rareş
Petru Rares
Peter IV Rareș was twice voievod of Moldavia: 20 January 1527 to 18 September 1538 and 19 February 1541 to 3 September 1546. He was an illegitimate child born to Ștefan cel Mare...
. Minor Polish-Moldavian clashes for Pokuttia continued for the next 15 years, until Petru Rareş's death.
Following the Partitions of Poland
Partitions of Poland
The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, resulting in the elimination of sovereign Poland for 123 years...
of 1772, Pokuttya fell under the Habsburg Monarchy
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
.
In the wake of the World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and the fall of Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
, it became disputed between Poland and a short-lived West Ukrainian People's Republic. However, during the Polish-Ukrainian War
Polish-Ukrainian War
The Polish–Ukrainian War of 1918 and 1919 was a conflict between the forces of the Second Polish Republic and West Ukrainian People's Republic for the control over Eastern Galicia after the dissolution of Austria-Hungary.-Background:...
it was seized without fight by the Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n army (see: Romanian occupation of Pokuttya
Romanian occupation of Pokuttya
The Romanian occupation of Pokuttya took place in early 1919, when, as a result of alliances concluded between Romania and Poland, the former entered the southeastern corner of the former Austro-Hungarian ruled province of Galicia. During the interwar period, Romania was Poland's main ally in...
), and handed over to Polish authorities. After the Polish-Soviet War
Polish-Soviet War
The Polish–Soviet War was an armed conflict between Soviet Russia and Soviet Ukraine and the Second Polish Republic and the Ukrainian People's Republic—four states in post–World War I Europe...
was concluded, it remained in Poland.
In the effect of the 1939 invasion and partition of Poland between Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
and Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, the area was attached to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (falling to Nazi control after the start of Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
and until 1944). It remains a part of modern Ukraine, incorporated into the western Ukrainian oblast of Ivano-Frankivsk
Ivano-Frankivsk
Ivano-Frankivsk is a historic city located in the western Ukraine. It is the administrative centre of the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast , and is designated as its own separate raion within the oblast, municipality....
, roughly corresponding to the southern half of the oblast.
Throughout Middle Ages, Obertyn
Obertyn
Obertyn is a town in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast of western Ukraine....
was Pokuttia's main castle, while Kolomyia
Kolomyia
Kolomyia or Kolomyya, formerly known as Kolomea , is a city located on the Prut River in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast , in western Ukraine. Serving as the administrative centre of the Kolomyia Raion , the city is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast...
was the region's main town and fair.
Pokuttya's population still contains today some Romanian and Ukrainian Hutsul communities. At 2001 census here were recorded 600 Romanians and Moldovans.
Places of interest
- Deliatyn (Deltyatyn)
- Hody-Dobrovidka
- Kobaky
- KolomyiaKolomyiaKolomyia or Kolomyya, formerly known as Kolomea , is a city located on the Prut River in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast , in western Ukraine. Serving as the administrative centre of the Kolomyia Raion , the city is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast...
(Romanian: Colomeea) - KosivKosivKosiv is a city located in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, in western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Kosivsky Raion ....
- KosmachKosmachKosmach is a Ukrainian village located in Kosivskyi Raion, of the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. It was established in 1427. The village has 6054 inhabitants.- External links :*...
- KutyKutyKuty is a town in Ukraine, on the Cheremosh river, located in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. It is notable as one of the historical centres and the namesake of a historical region of Pokuttya. Population is 4,272 ....
, Stari Kuty (Romanian: Cuturi) - Lanchyn
- PechenizhynPechenizhynPechenizhyn — is a town in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast of Ukraine, seven miles west of Kolomyya.Until World War I Pechenizhyn was in Kolomyja Powiat, Galicia . Between the two World Wars it was in Stanislawow Province, Poland...
- ObertynObertynObertyn is a town in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast of western Ukraine....
(Romanian: Obertin) - VerkhovynaVerkhovynaVerkhovyna is a town located in the western Ukrainian oblast of Ivano-Frankivsk. Originally established as Żabie in 1424. The city is located in the Hutsul region of Carpathian Mountains called Pokuttya, upon the Cheremosh River, a tributary of the Prut. Verkhovyna is currently an important...
- VorokhtaVorokhtaVorokhta is located in the Carpathian Mountains and is part of the bigger Yaremche. Historically it is a tourist spa town and later was also turned into a great ski resort with several ski-jumping ramps....
- Yabluniv
- Yaremche
- ZabolotivZabolotivZabolotiv is a town in the Sniatynskyi Raion of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast in Western Ukraine. The population is 4,129 .- History :Starting from 1790, there was growing Jewish community which had managed to become important part of local life. Later on, there was anti-Semitic unrest in the beginning...
- Carpathian National Park