The first decade of December brought not only the first snow, frost, and winter holidays combined with a festive mood, but also the consecration of the Faryk Well which has been restored by the team of the National Nature Park Dniester Canyon, headed by Director Mykhailo Shkilniuk. The Well is situated in the territory of the Kolodribka Village Council in Zalishchyky District.
The cold, frosty and snowy day was warmed by the hearts of people who care about history, the ancient Ukrainian customs and ceremonies, the people who decided to come to the consecration of the spring water and the chapel with the statue of Virgin Mary. The ceremony was held by rev. Vasyl Shchur from Kolodribka, rev. Petro from Synkiv, rev. Oleh Vynnytskyi from Zalishchyky, rev. Andrii Senyshyn from Pylypche, rev. Mykhailo Batii from Shuparka, rev. Mykola Babyk from Dnistrove, and rev. Vasyl Yuzvak from Babyntsi.
The event was attended not only by the Christians from Kolodribka, along with head of the village council Ivan Matiichyk, but also by the residents of the nearby villages from Zalishchyky and Borshchiv Districts of Ternopil Region and from Zastavna District of Chernivtsi Region. The people prayed, thanking the Lord for His gifts and asking for protection from evil.
Members of the Christian community waited patiently for their turn to approach the Holy Spring and get some wholesome holy water, which they would later bring home and sprinkle their houses and animal sheds, their old or sick relatives who could not come in person to the festive ceremony.
Two volumes of the history of Kolodribka contain a story explaining the name of the well. In 1672, according to the Buchach Peace Treaty, the area was occupied by Turkey, and the Turks had their corps de garde placed near the well. The Turkish word "faryk" meant "chief of the frontier post", that is why the well became known as the Faryk Well, although the name "Farynnyk Well" has also been used. One of the legends explains that the wholesome properties of the water from the well are due to the old gold and silver coins dating back to the Persian King Darius I, which are believed to have been buried in the vicinity of the well.
Arkadii Sidorov, head of the Environmental Education Department, NNP Dniester Canyon
M. Shkilniuk, Director of NNP Dniester Canyon, has initiated work aimed at clearing and beautifying the so-called Farynnyk Well from the Hlody Ravine between the villages of Kolodribka and Ustia in Zalishchyky and Borshchiv Districts, respectfully. The well will be an important element of the tourist trail to be marked in the area.
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Natural entrance to the cave
NNP is home to Dzhurynska (Nagirianska, Porosiachka) Cave, which is among the most gorgeous and richest in crystal ornaments gypsum caves in Podillia. Due to its inaccessibility, it used to be the best preserved until recently. However, mass tourists have reached the cave of late. The fragments of wrecked crystals scattered around the entrance prove that not all visitors know and obey the simplest rules of cave tourism. The crystals closest to the entrance have been fully destroyed since the cave was discovered. The entry to the cave's most remote part used to be closed with rocks and clay; thus, it is better preserved. However, the information about the hidden entrance has been spreading as of late.{jcomments on}
NNP Dniester Canyon held a meeting "Cooperation of the National Nature Park with public speleological organizations on cave study and protection in the Dniester territory", which was attended by representatives of caving clubs, speleological organizations and the State Administration of Environment in Ternopil Region. The main issues on the agenda were the legal status of Optymistychna Cave, installation of a door in Dzhurynska Cave, and the contents of the agreement between the NNP and speleological clubs and their organizations, as well as the possible ways of cooperation. The attendees agreed upon the draft agreement on cooperation between the NNP Dniester Canyon and the public speleological organizations, although they disagreed on several controversial issues.{jcomments on}
On October 1, researcher P. M. Ploshchanskyi investigated the entrance to Dzhurynska Cave (Nagirianska, Porosiachka). He collected information to design a project for guarding the cave entrance in order to preserve the integrity of the unique secondary crystalline formations in the cave
Dzhurynska Cave{jcomments on}
