The quiet village Yasinya surrounded by picturesque mountain massifs and dense forests is one of the places where you can truly feel the beauty and majesty of nature. For many years it has been attracting tourists with its unique sights, pleasant climate, healing mineral springs and air fragrant with mountain aromas.
Yasinya is a small village founded by Carpathian mountaineers (Hutsuls) in the early XVI century, the first mention of it dates back to 1555. The origin of the village at the foot of three majestic mountains — Bliznica (1882 m), Petros (2020 m) and the highest point of Ukraine Hoverla (2061 m) — is associated with an interesting legend.
According to the legend, the founder of Yasinya village was a shepherd Ivan Struk. Once in the fall, he led a flock of sheep to the fair on a mountain path from Transnistria to the Tisa valley, passing through the place where the village is located today. On the way, he was caught by severe bad weather. The snow storm persisted for several days, and eventually the shepherd decided to return home, leaving the flock of sheep behind. In spring the shepherd, certain that the flock had perished from hunger or wolves, decided to return to that place to gather at least the sheep’s wool. But a miracle happened: he found the sheep unharmed and with a litter. Then he decided to establish a village and a church at the place where the miracle had happened.
It is not known how much the legend coincides with reality, but the church, founded in the XVI century, according to legend, by the very shepherd, exists to this day. The wooden Strukovskaya (Ascension) church with a bell tower is one of the main attractions of the village, a unique monument of classical Hutsul architecture and wooden architecture.
The wonderful location of the village in a mountain valley at the confluence of the rivers Lazishchina and Chernaya Tisa at an altitude of 650 meters above sea level caused its healing climate. Nature has carefully surrounded this place with high mountains, protecting it from cold winds. In the village of Yasinya Carpathians seem to open in all their beauty, contemplation of high mountain peaks gives unforgettable sensations. Old beech, spruce, pine and, of course, ash forests, in honor of which the settlement was named, enhance the impressions of the local nature.
The ash tree and the sheep are the main symbols of the settlement, adorning its coat of arms. Since its foundation, Yasin residents have been engaged in cattle breeding and farming, and then logging became one of the main activities. However, at all times in Yasin there were people who approached creatively to everything that surrounds them: the village is famous for folk craftsmen of wood carving, here flourishes original Hutsul embroidery and weaving, there are their own artists and composers. The original national cuisine is also to the guests’ taste.
Besides getting acquainted with the local culture and customs, carefully observed by the locals since centuries, tasting amazing dishes and enjoying the beauty of nature, guests of Yasini can find a number of other attractions. Not far from the village is the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve, where you can walk through protected areas, such as forests of 200-300 year old white fir, and see rare plants, such as the many-leaved Andromeda. On one of the slopes of Mount Hoverla there are remnants of fortifications from World War II, and lovers of outdoor activities are happy to visit the Dragobrat ski resort, where you can enjoy skiing and other winter sports from December to the end of May.
Thanks to a variety of recreation opportunities, tourists come here all year round. In the village of Yasinya Carpathians and other masterpieces of nature are not the only thing that attracts tourists. Far beyond its borders are famous and ancient monuments of wooden architecture, in addition to Strukovskaja church is Pletovacka church of the XVIII century and other buildings.
In summer, warm sun and picturesque mountain valleys await guests in the village of Yasinja; in autumn, lovers of «quiet hunting» come here — the local nature is very generous with mushrooms and berries; in winter, you can enjoy recreation on the beautiful ski slopes, and in spring in this attraction of Ukraine you can see the awakening of breathtaking, lively, inspiring nature.