Volodymyr Kobrynsky
A MUSEUM WORKER FROM KOLOMYYA
Kolomyya Folk Art Museum of Hutsulshchyna and Pokuttia regions named after Iosafat Kobrynsky founded in 1926 and located in the former Folk House built at the expense of Ukrainian people. Its collections count about 50 thousand units and present all types of Hutsulshchyna and Pokuttia regions traditional arts since XVII century. Yaroslav Tkachuk, the museum director presents the “Folk Art” magazine readers exciting and tragic narration about one of the founders and many-year director of the museum Volodymyr Kobrynsky. Since June 1926 he had already worked out the project of the future museum and was collecting different valuable exhibits and collections. The author of the narration tells in details about all obstacles in the process of the museum creation. The opening day took place only on 31 December 1934. The existence of the museum irritated authority representatives, in particular Poles, who were trying to close it in any possible way. In a course of time during the Soviet period persecution of the director from the part of the Soviet power strengthened, in particular accusation in “bourgeois, nationalistic and religious views”. After long persecution and inspections he was dismissed from his position. Volodymyr Kobrynsky died 17 October 1958. His grateful countrymen respect the memory of a devoted patriot.