Fotos

Astronomical observatory on a top of mountain Pop Iwan (2020m.) in Chornohora was built between 1936 and 1938. Because of a size, costs and difficulty of its construction (All materials used during building was bring on a horses or backs of peoples) was called White Elephant. The sample for this object with a shape of letter L, 5 floors, 43 rooms and 57 windows was castle in polish city Przemysl. Observatory was a branch of Warsaw University used also as meteorological station and a post of Border Guard. For 14 months was the highest peopled place in Poland. Biggest problem of White Elephant was always the water - nearest source is situated over 6 kilometers from Pop Iwan. After Soviet invasion in 17 September 1939, personnel of the observatory demounted most valuable equipments and escaped to Romania. During war object was used as a meteorological station by Russians and from 1941 by Germans and they allies Hungarians. After the war no one cares about observatory, equipment was stolen and object fell into ruin. For last 10 years there were a few projects of rebuilt observatory jointly by Poland and Ukraine partly for scientists and partly for a tourists but still there`s no any decision in this case. Of course moneys are biggest obstacle.