Scientific schools

Within the framework of the Ethnohistorical Scientific School of Professor M.V. Kugutyak, the Carpathian Archaeological Expedition is constantly operating, which began its activities in 2006 with the aim of identifying, mapping and examining ancient and medieval cult monuments of the Carpathian region, defense and production complexes of the region, Transcarpathian roads, studying historical toponymy, traditional culture of ethnographic groups, and the history of the national liberation movement. During 2006-2018, it discovered and studied more than 40 rock sanctuaries and ritual stones with petroglyph complexes in the Pokuttya-Bukovyna Carpathians, on Chornogora, and in Gorgany. Representatives of the scientific school are also conducting a comprehensive study of medieval and modern monasteries of the Carpathian region.
A unique inventory of the ethnohistorical and cultural heritage of the Carpathian region made it possible to discover more than 300 previously unknown monuments of various historical periods. Thus, more than 150 unique objects have been localized in the territory of the Galician Hutsul region alone, and more than 80 historical objects have been found in the Boykiv region. Among them are dozens of medieval hillforts, monasteries, castles and defensive yards, salt production complexes concentrated near ancient roads and passes. More than three dozen rock sanctuaries with unique sculptural, relief and graphic images have been returned from oblivion. Along with the famous petroglyphic complexes of the Balkans, the Caucasus, Karelia, the Andes, and Tibet, a large group of “rock temples” of the Ukrainian Carpathians, Kolybach, Bubnyshche, etc., have been discovered.
The discovery of many archaeological, historical, cultural and ethnographic monuments contributed to the development of the region’s tourism sector and increased the investment attractiveness of the Carpathian region. The introduction of these monuments into scientific and tourist circulation allows developing new tourist routes, publishing scientific monographs, booklets and guidebooks, opening new museums and reserves, and contributes to increasing attention to the region and the comprehensive preservation of its natural and historical environment.
Under the leadership of M.V. Kugutyak, scientific and research works are being carried out:
– Historical, cultural and ethnosocial processes in the Carpathian region (state registration number 0109V000838).
– Ethnocultural processes in the Carpathian region (Ivano-Frankivsk region) (state registration number 0109V000839).
A number of monographs have been published on the above-mentioned topics, presenting the results of research on ancient and medieval sacred monuments. Among them, it is worth highlighting “Prykarpattia: Heritage of Ages” (2006), “Ternoshorsk Rock Sanctuary in the Carpathians” (2007), “Stone Antiquities of Kosmach” (2007), “Rock Sanctuaries of Sokil Peaks” (2008), “Antiquities of the Hutsul Region. Sources from the Ethnic History of the Population of the Ukrainian Carpathians. Catalog of Historical and Cultural Monuments in 2 Volumes. T. I. Sacred Heritage of the Hutsul Region” (2011), “Antiquities of the Hutsul Region. Sources from the Ethnic History of the Population of the Ukrainian Carpathians. Catalog of Historical and Cultural Monuments. T. II. Hillforts, castles, salt mining centers, ancient Transcarpathian roads” (2011), “Ancient temples on the sacred peaks of the Kosiv region” (2012), “The Great Skete in the Carpathians: in 3 vols. Vol. 1: Paterik Sketesky. Synodical” (2013).
Professor Kugutyak M.V. He organized a number of international and all-Ukrainian scientific conferences: “The Spiritual Axis of Ukraine: Galicia – Dnieper Region – Donetsk Region” (2004), “Maniavskyi Skete in the Spiritual and Cultural Life of Ukraine and Abroad: To the 400th Anniversary of its Foundation” (2011), “Kosmach in the History of the Hutsul Region and Ukraine: To the 600th Anniversary of the First Written Mention” (2012), “Christianity in the Carpathians: To the 1025th Anniversary of the Baptism of Ukraine-Rus” (2013) and others.
Within the framework of the scientific school under the leadership of M.V. Kugutyak, 23 candidate and two doctoral theses were defended. He is the head of the specialized council for the defense of candidate theses in the specialties “History of Ukraine”, “Ethnology”.
Within the framework of the scientific school, the scientific historical and local history journal “Galicia”, “Bulletin of the Precarpathian National University. Series “History””, the professional scientific journal “Carpathians: Man, Ethnicity, Civilization”, “Student Historical Notebooks”, where M.V. Kugutyak is the founder and editor, operate.
The achievements of the scientific school are of great importance for the scientific and educational and methodological support of the development of historical and tourist education in Ukraine and its integration into international processes.