Among them is a tactile mini-sculpture of a medieval fortress, created primarily for tourists with visual impairments.
Sculptor Vasyl Odrekhivskyi made every effort to ensure that this tourist object corresponds to the atmosphere and spirit of Tustan. A balanced fragment of the territory was created so that the blind could imagine the landscape, the rocks, and the fortress, as well as independently read the information in Braille and listen to the audio guide.
The project was implemented thanks to the joint initiative of the LOVA tourism and resort management with the administration of the historical and cultural reserve.
“Tustan has become more accessible. I am convinced that the project initiated comprehensive changes in adapting the territory of the reserve to the needs of people with disabilities. Arrangements are planned to be carried out with the funds of international technical assistance,” said Taras Lozynskyi, head of LOVA’s tourism and resorts department.
Andrii Kotlyarchuk, director of the administration of the historical and cultural reserve “Tustan” during his speech, emphasized the importance of inclusive transformations, because their location has great potential for rehabilitation and recreation of people with disabilities, whose number is increasing due to the war.
“We chose the place for the layout very carefully and in fact it is coordinated with the new axis of the central movement of tourists. This is the key entrance zone of the reserve, one can say the “entrance portal” to Tustani. This year, there was also a large information stand about the Tustan ecosystem, which was implemented, as well as the Tustan guide mobile application, within the framework of the UKF grant,” said Andriy Kotlyarchuk.
On the subject: A new exhibit has appeared in Tustan – a unique Boykiv hut of the beginning of the 20th century
In general, the activity of Tustani is divided into two large blocks, very different in nature: it is the medieval heritage and the heritage of local history, XIX-XX centuries. This year, for the first time, the tourist destination managed to save an ancient Boyki house from the village of Plavya and transport it to Urych, using grant and patronage funds. They plan to develop a business model for the building, thanks to which it will be able to earn on its own.
“Old houses are capital for heritage tourism. This project is not about saving any specific monument, but about creating an example. The Western world has long understood what an authentic substance is, and there are already many initiatives to buy old houses and adapt them. This realization is coming to us only now,” Andriy Kotlyarchuk shared.