Chorna Halych is a public organization that unites professional and amateur historians, artists, craftspeople and people who are interested in the medieval history and culture of Ukraine, and its role and place in the European area. Therefore, we are engaged in research, recreation and implementation of everyday life, cuisine, art, crafts and military matters of the Galician and Volyn lands of the Kingdom of Rus in the 13th and 14th centuries. The main tasks of the organization are social development and education.
Large part of our activity is interaction with youth, increasing their level of interest in history by involving them in interactive classes and training in medieval swordplay.
We present our activity mainly with lectures, interactive lessons of living history, thematic events that take place in educational institutions or archaeological (open-air) museums.
Crafts and areas in which Chorna Halych members take part at:
- Weaving: dyeing and making fabrics, woven element of the ensemble, tailoring)
- Ceramics: practical search of raw materials processing, production of household items according to historical samples, research in methods of firing pottery in the field.
- Leather goods: production of footwear and accessories according to historical sources.
- Woodworking: research of tools and methods of raw materials processing, production of furniture, utensils, toys according to historical samples and stylized furniture.
- Military affairs: research and manufacture weaponry elements, mastering the profession of infantry, archer, crossbow shooter, warrior-rider.
- Cuisine: a study of food in medieval Ukraine. Methods of processing, storage and export of products. Cooking of dishes mentioned in chronicles, of national minorities cuisine dishes, and experimental cooking of medieval cuisine based on ethnographical cuisine of Ukraine.
- Participation in the project of the Rus ships reproduction, and dugout canoe reconstruction.
Also the purpose of our activity is cooperation and spreading information and ideas of experimental archaeology among reenactors of our region.
Chorna Halych manages the historical part of the oldest and largest festival of medieval culture in Ukraine "TuStan" https://tustan.com.ua, which appeared based on cooperation with TuStan open-air museum. This event is a platform for establishing international relations and over the years we have been visited by guests from Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Slovakia, Israel and Canada. One of our goals is to present the history of our region abroad and exchange skills and experience gained over the years. The members of our organization are active participants in foreign tournaments and festivals every year.
