The Story of Velykyi Lyuben: A 1996 Documentary Film

Lviv State Television and Radio Company, 1996. The documentary film “Velykyi Lyubin” tells the story of the past and present of the village of Velykyi Lyubin—from ancient times to the 1990s.

The film covers the Lyubin settlement, known as the Old Castle; the history of the local resort and its healing hydrogen sulfide springs; the activities of the “Prosvita” society; and the construction of the People’s House, the Ukrainian cooperative, and the “Sokil” society. Special attention is given to the stories of local residents, the repression and deportations of Ukrainians by the Soviet authorities, the persecution of Ukrainian activists by the Polish authorities in the 1930s, and the fates of families deported to Siberia. The filmmakers discuss prominent figures in the local community and the preservation of historical memory. Toward the end of the film, issues of culture, education, the development of Velykyi Lyuben, and the future of the Ukrainian state are raised.

In the video: panoramic views of Velykyi Lyuben, the Lyubin settlement and its reconstruction, the Old Castle, historic buildings, the People’s House, the town’s streets, photographs of local residents and Ukrainian public figures from the 1920s–1940s, archival documents, family photographs, and a rehearsal of the music school’s choir.

Commentary: Orest Matsiuk, professor of history and director of the Central State Historical Archive of Ukraine; Volodymyr Lyga, local historian and son of Ivan Lyga; Yaroslava Fedynska, daughter of Father Ivan Fedynskyi; and local residents Olga Baran, Yaroslav Zhyla, Mykhailo Dudok, and Mykola Martyniak. Yaroslav Yurchak, chairman of the Velykyi Lyubin Village Council. Mykhailo Golubets, a native of Velykyi Lyubin, academician, and director of the Institute of Carpathian Ecology at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

The film was produced by: writers Volodymyr Lyga and Daria Tkach; sound engineer Volodymyr Pavensky; cinematographer Ihor Kulynsky; video editors Vitaliy Nefyodov, Oleksiy Vyshnyakov, and Volodymyr Zazulyak; editor Vasyl Hlynchak; and academic consultant, Doctor of Historical Sciences Orest Matsyuk.