Transcarpathian Guidebook. Dovbush Rocks - What Stone Giants Are Silent About

in Pinmapple2 years ago

If you like travelling in the Carpathians, you should definitely visit Dovbush Rocks. This mysterious, legendary corner will definitely leave a mark in the heart of every tourist. Many centuries of historical events lie on the shoulders of these stone giants.

IMG_1639907949329-01.jpeg

These mighty giants were a refuge for the ancient tribes that inhabited the Carpathians, they withstood the Mongol-Tatar invasion and for centuries served as a fortress for the local population. It doesn't matter if you are a peasant fleeing from the lord's oppression or a warrior defending your native land, Dovbush Rocks have become a fortress for you.

IMG_1639907960550-01.jpeg

The monument of nature and history is located in the tract Bubnyshche, near the village. Drums of Ivano-Frankivsk region. The distance from the village to the rocks themselves is about 2.5 kilometres of dirt road. The rock-cave complex rises to a height of 668 meters above sea level and is a massive rocky outcrop of sandstones formed at the bottom of the Paleogene sea more than 70 million years ago.

IMG_1639907952100-01.jpeg

Dovbush Rocks are often called "Bubnysky". This is the name of the nearby village. Among the locals, there is a legend about the attack of the Mongol-Tatar horde. Prykarpattya fought desperately against the enemy, but he was more numerous. When there was almost no hope, a young Boyko girl asked for shelter in a rock. At the moment when she was almost captured by enemy forces, the rock parted and hid the girl.

IMG_1639907968125-01.jpeg

The Mongol-Tatars were pelted with stones and the army retreated. When the battle was over, the girl climbed the mountain to see if the enemy was approaching again. When she saw the threat, she loudly beat the tambourine and warned of the danger. According to legend, the name of the village - Bubnyshche.

IMG_1639907970726-01.jpeg

This beautiful legend is just the "tip of the iceberg" of stories and legends that you risk plunging into by unwinding this tangle. Dovbush rocks are actually rich in historical events. Here in different periods, there was an ancient sanctuary, and a semi-folklore fortress of the princely era, as well as a stronghold of the Opryshkiv movement. The latter is associated with the better-known name of this natural monument - Dovbush Rocks.

IMG_1639907973925-01.jpeg

There are probably fewer historical facts around the figure of Dovbush than legends and mentions in folklore. Historian Mykhailo Hrushevsky wrote about both the rocks and Oleks himself, and Ivan Franko dedicated a number of works to the rocks. Songs about this place and about Oleksa Dovbush are mentioned in the literary almanack "Mermaid of the Dniester" (1837), which was published by the "Russian Trinity". Who was actually sung in Oleksa Dovbush's songs? A simple robber who plundered for profit, or a national hero and avenger? He lost his thirst for wealth and recognition, can the old world like "Cherchez la femme" ("Look for a woman") fit here?

IMG_1639907976305-01.jpeg

According to legend, O. Dovbush was endowed with sorcery, which was restored among these rocks. An interesting story of his love is told to us by the Polish poet František Karpinski. He is convinced that Oleksa was killed by a wealthy peasant, Stefan Dzvinchuk, whose wife Dovbush loved. Stefan and his wife agreed to kill the rebel and give his body to the Polish nobility for a reward. He was shot with a silver bullet over which "seven priests read prayers for seven days and seven nights to break a powerful spell." It was believed that this was the only way to kill Dovbush.

IMG_1639907978522-01.jpeg

His brothers took him to the rocks, where he died of blood loss. Other legends say that in these rocks you should look for hidden treasure. The entrance to the hiding place is covered with a stone and can be opened with a special spell. But whether the famous man really visited these rocks, and even more so stopped here - is not known for sure.

IMG_1639907981680-01.jpeg

Very famous among tourists "Devil's Gorge" 20 centimetres wide. According to legend, all who pass through it will get rid of sins. It is a good place for climbing, and you can often see climbers here. In the stone rock, there is an ancient well 5-6 meters deep, which can be reached by stairs. If you want to relax and catch your breath, there is a hut nearby, where you will be treated to traditional Hutsul dishes, without which it is difficult to imagine a holiday in the Carpathians.

Location - Ukraine; Ivano-Frankivsk region, Bolekhiv City Council, southwest of the village of Bubnyshche

Coordinates of the rock - 49.043495, 23.680006

My Pinmapple map.

IMG_1639907996687-01.jpeg

IMG_1639907999490-01.jpeg

IMG_1639908011395-01.jpeg

IMG_1639907984786-01.jpeg

IMG_1639907987759-01.jpeg

IMG_1639907991284-01.jpeg

IMG_1639907994417-01.jpeg

Sort:  

Amazing pictures of very imposing rock formations. Thanks for the story element. It`s always interesting to read about the local folklore. 👍

THANKS! I tried to write as interesting as possible about this place. As for local folklore, we have two or three legends at almost every step. I will more often include such stories in my posts)


The rewards earned on this comment will go directly to the person sharing the post on Twitter as long as they are registered with @poshtoken. Sign up at https://hiveposh.com.

Congratulations, your post has been added to Pinmapple! 🎉🥳🍍

Did you know you have your own profile map?
And every post has their own map too!

Want to have your post on the map too?

  • Go to Pinmapple
  • Click the get code button
  • Click on the map where your post should be (zoom in if needed)
  • Copy and paste the generated code in your post (Hive only)
  • Congrats, your post is now on the map!

Congratulations @scrodinger! You have completed the following achievement on the Hive blockchain and have been rewarded with new badge(s):

You made more than 400 comments.
Your next target is to reach 500 comments.

You can view your badges on your board and compare yourself to others in the Ranking
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word STOP

To support your work, I also upvoted your post!

Check out the last post from @hivebuzz:

Christmas Challenge - Offer a gift to to your friends
Support the HiveBuzz project. Vote for our proposal!

Hiya, @choogirl here, just swinging by to let you know that this post made it into our Honorable Mentions in Daily Travel Digest #1418.

Your post has been manually curated by the @pinmapple team. If you like what we're doing, please drop by to check out all the rest of today's great posts and consider supporting other authors like yourself and us so we can keep the project going!

Become part of our travel community:

interesting place

Both interesting and very soothing)