Halych, princely

Halych, princely (Княжий Галич). City located at the site of present-day Krylos, dating back to the turn of the 9th century. An important trade and cultural center of medieval Rus’, it reached the height of its power in the second half of the 12th century. The suburbs or lower town, the location of the city's river port, is now the site of modern Halych; monasteries, churches, and small fortified settlements were also located on the city's outskirts. From 1144 it was the capital of Yaroslav Osmomysl's Halych principality, and from 1199 the capital of Roman Mstyslavych's Principality of Galicia-Volhynia. In 1238 Danylo Romanovych established his residence at Halych. Three years later the city was razed by the Mongols. In the late 16th century a new Dormition Church was built on this location by a local nobleman Marko Shumliansky.

Archeological excavations of the city began in the early 20th century and continued into the 1950s. The remains of the Dormition Cathedral (built in 1157), the city walls, castle moats, and many stone buildings of the lower town have been uncovered, as have Yaroslav Osmomysl's sarcophagus and skeleton and an abundance of metal, ceramic, and glass products. In the Old Halych National Preserve nearby the Saint Panteleimon's Church (built before 1200) have been preserved.

[This article originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 2 (1989).]