History of the city
In the middle of the 17th century on the territory of two ancient villages Zabolottia and Kniahynyn between the rivers Bystrytsia Solotvynska and Bystrytsia Nadvirnianska, a fortification construction was built.
In 1662, on this territory, magnate Andrzej (Andriy) Potocki founded the town of Stanislaviv and named it in honour of his eldest son Stanislav. Some researchers believe it is too much honour for the young man.
There is another, opposite version of the city's origin - with a hint of fantasy. It tells about St. Stanislav Kostka, a very pious boy who died of a disease at the age of seventeen. The cult of the saint spread in Poland in the seventeenth century. In that period, almost every new church was named after him. In the same year, the city was granted the Magdeburg right and the population was allowed to create their own self-governing bodies, workshops and craft unions, and to profess their religion.
In August 1663, Polish King John II Casimir legally confirmed the granting of the Magdeburg Law to the city of Stanislaviv and approved the city’s coat of arms in the form of an open gate with three towers and a cross in the gate.
In 1665, a wooden premise of the Armenian Church was built. A year later the first wooden city hall was built. The population of the city increased rapidly after the arrival of the Armenians, who accepted the Greek Catholic rite. Settlement of different communities in the city was finally formed: Ukrainians and Poles lived in the north-eastern part of the city, Armenians in the south, Jews in the western.
In 1672, the Potocki Palace was built and a parochial church was founded, after some time it was rebuilt by F. Korassini and the French architect Karl Benua in the Ukrainian style, both monuments are preserved to our days.
The eighteenth century was marked by difficult challenges for the city. The city passed from hand to hand to the Polish, Russian and Austrian troops. In 1772 the city was finally conquered by the Austrian troops until 1918 the city was under their rule. In the mid-eighteenth century, the anti-feudal liberation movement of opryshky began. In 1740, in the city hall was held the trial over opryshok Fyodor Paleychuk and other fellows of Oleksa Dovbush - famous leader of opryshky.
In 1802, the Austrian government redeemed Stanislaviv and decided to destroy the fortifications walls and shafts; gave the town hall at the disposal of the army that turned it into a warehouse and city prison. There were held intensive works on the demolition of the Stanislavsky fortress: fortifications were destroyed, ditches were filled, shafts were levelled. Fortress materials were used to pave the old and new streets.
In September 1883, Ivan Franko came to the city once again at the invitation of Vladyslav Dzvonkovskyi. He intended to buy a piece of land and settle here with Mykhailo Pavlyk and his sister Anna (but it never happened). The poet met Vladyslav's sister Yuzefa Dzvonkovska and felt in love with her.
In 1870 was laid the foundation of the new Ratusha, a year later a new town hall was constructed instead of a burnt wooden building.
On January 1, 1919, Stanislaviv became the capital of the Western Ukrainian People's Republic (ZUNR) in connection with the move of its government, first from Lviv to Ternopil, then to Stanislaviv. On the second day, Yevhen Petrushevych, the president of ZUNR, held the first meeting of the Ukrainian National Council.
In early April 1919, the first UNR President, prominent Ukrainian historian Mykhailo Hrushevskyi, visited the city. In mid-May, under the pressure of the Polish Army, led by General Haller, the Ukrainian Galician Army retreated to Zbruch and the ZUNR government left Stanislaviv.
At the end of May 1919, Stanislaviv was occupied by Polish troops. On June 11, 1920, a representative delegation of the Entente countries arrived in the city to sign a memorandum on the accession of East Galicia to Poland. The region officially began to be called Malopolska.
In 1962 the city of Stanislaviv received a new name Ivano-Frankivsk in honour of the brilliant Ivan Franko, whose life and work are inextricably linked to the city.