On April 18, the village of Ripne (Kalush district, Ivano-Frankivsk region) hosted the grand opening of the Museum of Lemko-Boyko Heritage — a unique cultural space dedicated to preserving, interpreting, and promoting the legacy of two distinctive ethnographic regions of Ukraine.
The museum is located in the home of Hanna Haradym, established as a tribute to her memory and her contribution to the preservation of cultural heritage. The initiative to create the museum was led by her family.
The event brought together representatives of the diplomatic corps, government authorities, local self-government, human rights institutions, civil society, business, and international delegations.
The official ceremony began with the National Anthem of Ukraine and a moment of silence honoring fallen defenders.
Welcoming remarks were delivered by Borjanka Simičević, Ambassador of Montenegro to Ukraine; Oksana Bilozir, People’s Artist of Ukraine; Vitalii Verbovyi, Representative of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights in Ivano-Frankivsk region; Oleksandr Tokarchuk, Vice President of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences; Oleksandr Mukhar, Head of the Dubivska Territorial Community; and other distinguished guests.
Following this, co-founder of the museum and Head of the NGO “World Ukrainians,” Hanna Krysiuk, expressed sincere gratitude to the families who supported the initiative throughout the year and contributed to the creation of the museum.
A particularly symbolic moment of the event was the planting of the “Apple Orchard of Memory and Dreams” as part of the global environmental initiative Greening of the Planet. The orchard was dedicated to the memory of Hanna Haradym, fallen Ukrainian defenders, those missing in action, prisoners of war, as well as prominent figures, including singer Ihor Bilozir.
Among those honored:
Fallen defenders:
● Serhii Kobylkin (“Shaolin”)
● Nazar Ivantsiv (“Boroda”)
● Vasyl Ketsyk (“Kaban”)
● Volodymyr Holubets (“Holub”)
Missing in action:
● Roman Preys
● Vasyl Shmihelskyi (“Haitaver”)
Prisoner of war:
● Renat Khairullin
As part of the opening, a large-scale cultural initiative was implemented — setting a Ukrainian record for the largest number of Lemko dumplings distributed at a single event. In total, 10,000 dumplings were served to guests during the IV gastronomic festival “Paliushky Festivities for the Ukrainian Family”.
Special thanks were expressed for the organization and support to Olga Bodnar, brand ambassador of the World Record Book.
The record holders included: the Museum of Lemko-Boyko Heritage, Olga Bodnar (Head of the Cultural Heritage Sector of the Stryi District State Administration, Lviv Regional Military Administration), Yuliia Dvornikova (NGO “Art Space KREDENS”), Zoriana Rydosh (platform “PLYATS 5G”), Liudmyla Chykovska (NGO “Center for the Heritage of Hetman Ivan Vyhovskyi”), NGO “Tourist Information Center of Stryi District,” “Patriot” Museum (Tysiv village), coordinators of the Youth Council of Stryi region, and the Higher Vocational School No. 8 of Stryi.
Throughout the event, guests shared their impressions, discussed the особеності of Boyko and Lemko culture, traditions, and the importance of cultural heritage in shaping national identity. The atmosphere was enriched by authentic music, creating a deep sense of connection between generations.
The event concluded with a musical performance by Oksana Bilozir, adding a special sense of emotion, unity, and inspiration.
The museum was founded by Hanna Krysiuk and Vira Chervak. The NGO “World Ukrainians” serves as its managing organization. The project was implemented with the support of the international community Business Woman Club.
Photo: Museum of Lemko-Boyk Culture