The museum collection of the Tustan State Historical and Cultural Reserve has been enriched with new exhibits connected with Father Stepan Vasylyk, who was the last parish priest of the village of Urych before the Soviet authorities banned the activities of the local church. The items were donated to the institution by his nephew, the artist Orest Dulyn.
According to the reserve, Orest Dulyn lived for some time together with his uncle in the presbytery, in the house where the Tustan museum is now located. It is from this dwelling that part of the family belongings have been preserved, and they have now become part of the museum collection.
The museum collection has been supplemented with documents, manuscripts, old photographs, a religious image, towels from the Urych Church of St Nicholas, family embroideries, as well as a painting depicting Tustan, created by Orest Dulyn himself. A small chest-of-drawers table that once stood in the presbytery has become a separate exhibit.
“Among the donated items are documents, manuscripts, photographs, a religious image, towels from the Urych Church of St Nicholas, family embroideries, a painting of Tustan created by Mr Orest, as well as a small chest-of-drawers table that once stood in the presbytery. We are grateful to Orest Dulyn for preserving this memory and bringing it back home,” they say at the reserve.
The reserve notes that the new additions will help shed more light on the history of Urych, the life of the priest and his family, and will also allow visitors to learn about the fate of the local church during the period of Soviet prohibitions.