Olesko. Not Only the Castle
…but many other interestingness of a tiny village
It is another famous village in the Lviv region, Ukraine. I visited it the day after Pidhirtsi, and the main reason was similar — I wanted to see its castle. And, as well as the day before, I wasn’t disappointed.
But as usual, first, I searched for secondary curiosities unknown to package tourists. They are mainly located south of the main road—for example, a synagogue. Typically, it is abandoned in Ukraine because believers are absent, so there is no money to save it.
A people’s house of undefined age, but obviously older than 100 years:
Two cemeteries (old and new) are located nearby, divided by a street. I didn’t plan to visit the new one, but did this because of a toilet near its entrance, he-he. So I found myself on a cemetery hill where I saw great panorama views of the castle.
Two more dominants of Olesko were visible from there: a Capuchin’s monastery (red roof left from the castle) and a Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity (left edge of the frame):
The same Catholic Church:
I wanted to see the old cemetery purposefully. I expected to see an open-air museum of valuable ancient sculptures in such a village.
It is mainly marked on maps as a “Polski Cmentarz,” but there were also many “cossack” crosses and Cyrillic inscriptions.
Unlike the crosses, the sculptures were installed mainly by Catholics.
A chapel (or tomb?) was recently recovered. The cemetery is generally well-groomed, although the relatives of those people aren’t alive either.
It’s worth mentioning separately an ascetic military memorial (of the Ukrainian Galician Army, I suppose). I noticed that people buried there lived a little (because they lived in shitty times, what can I say?). But these troops lay down very young. More than a century has passed since then, but nothing changed.
The former Catholic church of the Holy Trinity is in the very center of the village (it was visible well from the hill). It has a respectable age: it was built in 1431–81. After being used as a warehouse during the Soviet occupation, it is now an Orthodox temple.
It took 8–10 minutes to walk from the center to the castle. The road passed by the former Capuchin monastery of 1737–39.
It is used as the Lviv National Art Gallery’s fund storage. As I understood, tourists are not allowed to get inside.
One sculpture met us near the monastery, and another waited near the castle’s cash register.
I left the castle “for dessert,” and it was worth it. It’s an ancient stronghold first mentioned in 1327. Of course, it has been rebuilt many times since then. In the 16th century, magnates turned it into a magnificent palace residence.
The building appeared to be enduring: it survived the Tatar attacks and earthquake in 1838.
I’ve shown the general view above, and now it’s time to walk into the palace rooms and corridors.
It is in good condition from the outside and greatly preserved inside. Unfortunately, it’s still rare for such a building not to be abandoned or closed in Ukraine, but it’s a fascinating acting museum.
Another thing is that I lost interest in museums long ago, so I can provide only photos without deep descriptions. There were pictures, molding, furniture, and mirrors.
Ancient icons…
Ovens survived, also. In similar abandoned places, they were destroyed by marauders searching for treasures. Or just because they could destroy anything.
This one is absolutely gorgeous:
What would a castle be like without a dungeon? There, we saw a headstone of a noblewoman, Anna Sieniawski (1588–1633).
And a well that now is full of small money.
It was possible to get up to a gallery on the southwestern castle side. There were good views of the yard and surroundings.
One more view of the Catholic church and a modern temple:
A neighboring Yosypivka village on the horizon:
But it was time to go further. I also took a photo of a molding above the gate.
A big park surrounds the castle hill. It is in good condition, but there’s nothing to compare with the past greatness.
I can’t say about a couple in love below, but most sculptures in the park are modern.
This one evoked only indecent associations in my sick imagination.
Walking around the hill allowed me to take many photos of the castle from different points.
And it was time to hurry to the bus stop. It was the penultimate day and the last trip of that vacation. I expected much from Olesko and its castle and set them for the end. And I didn’t regret about it. It’s nice to know about gems hidden in the hinterland and available to visit even during difficult times.
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