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Since 2018 every year in October Ivano-Frankivsk region invites guests to one of the most delicious festivals in Ukraine – ‘Boyko Potato Pyrohy’, which was initiated by Ms Oksana Kleban. Last year the number of visitors of this newly created festival exceeded three thousand, which was a surprise for everyone and even for its organisers, who did not expect such excitement. Vyhoda is more and more often appearing on the national television channels, promoted by the well-known journalists and presenters such as Michael Shchur and Lesia Nikitiuk.

Highlights of the tour:
A great atmosphere for relaxation at the Darvaiiv Kut guesthouse;
Breakfast on the eco-farm: discovering new tastes;
Meeting tame animals and contacts with them. Horseback riding;
New fantastic acquaintances: blacksmiths, beekeepers, farmers. Workshops on old work cultures and degustation of unique tastes of drinks and snacks, which you will want to feel more than once;
Participation in cooking of Boyko dishes. Delicious meals and hearty conversations are all you need for happiness;
Creating dolls from grass, serving organic jam, tea and honey;
A wide offer of craft products for care and tea parties;
An explosion of emotions at the Vyhoda Narrow Gauge Railway Heritage Centre.

DAY 1. The First Acquaintance with Boyko Cuisine

Arrival at the village of Staryi Mizun. Checking-in in a cosy cottage. Relieve the week’s fatigue in the sauna by taking a steam bath and diving in spring water. Have delicious homemade food and drinks for dinner.

DAY 2. The Day of Gastronomic Impressions and New Acquaintances

For breakfast go to the ‘Vikinhy Karpat (Carpathian Vikings) Eco-farm (driving to the neighbouring village of Shevchenkove) to the families of Yakovenko-Hansen brothers. They moved to Shevchenkove from Volnovakha, Donetsk region, in 2014. A clean, well-maintained farm with rare breeds of domestic animals, including Alpine, Anglo-Nubian, African Boer and Spanish Murciano-Granadina goats, African meat breed Dorper sheep and German sport horses. Animals are attracted to people, so the farm is an ideal place to visit with children. Healthy farm food for breakfast with degustation of sophisticated types of cheese and desserts from goats’ milk. After breakfast, enjoy communicating with the animals. Ride horses, feed goats with hay or fresh grass. Learn how to breed and domesticate animals. Visit Mr Volodymyr’s forge. The story of his blacksmithing began with forging his own gate in the early two-thousands. And the story of commerce began with... the sale of this gate. Make a bonfire with the real blacksmith’s bellows, forge coins, get acquainted with the purpose of ancient household items on the walls. After the practical part, homemade Carpathian tea and wine will be served. A walk to the manor house of Mr Mykola Hoshovskyi. Mykola became interested in gathering honey and interpreting beekeeping after his retirement. He offers his guests a new experience of a close acquaintance with bee families in special safety nets and sleeping sessions on cosy sunbeds with hives. Taste organic drinking honey and enjoy stories from life in the cosy garden. Sleep on the hives. Degustation of drinking honey and home baked products. Returning to the ‘Darvaiiv Kut’ guesthouse. A story about Boykos and their lifestyle from the hostess. Find out why rye and barley predominated in Boyko dishes: various pies, flatbread, dumplings, flour soups. Why did potatoes later dominate a Boyko table? Why is delicious milk soup called ‘iron borscht’ (beetroot soup)? Take a master class on making Boyko potato pyrohy (dumplings). Treat yourself to a new culinary achievement for lunch. Sharing impressions and staying overnight at the manor house.

DAY 3. Boyko Life in the Modern Interpretation

Get enough sleep. Breakfast. Head to Boyko ‘Manufactura’ in the town of Vyhoda with a good selection of craft tea, organic semi-finished products and even cosmetics. If you wish, your children and you will enjoy creating toys from dry grass (1 hour). After degustation of Carpathian tea with different varieties of jam and honey, go to the Vyhoda Narrow Gauge Railway Heritage Centre. The Vyhoda Narrow Gauge Railway Heritage Centre is the most elegant building in the area, it offers 22 interactive stands with modern video and audio effects. For a better acquaintance with the area, watch an informative film about the history of this land from its origin to the present days, five interpretive videos about local work cultures (shown exclusively in the Centre, are not available on the Internet), pay attention to the diorama of Boykos’ settlements, the exhibition of Boykos’ work tools and enjoy the games that interpret the nature of Vyhoda, Staryi Mizun and other places of the tour. Buy souvenirs in the shop of the Centre. Returning to the guesthouse. Lunch and rest in the gazebos. Give children the opportunity to play in the playground. Checking-out and departure.

Exploring Boykos’ Culinary Heritage