« 2026. # 2 (188)

The Ethnology Notebooks. 2026. № 2 (188), 405—412

UDK 94:[355.01:623.4](=512.1-057.66:37-44)”05/06″

DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/

  • Received: 19.02.2026
  • Accepted: 17.03.2026
  • Published: ??.??.2026

BETWEEN PRAGUE AND GALICIA: UKRAINIAN TRADITIONAL CULTURE IN RESEARCH OF FRANTIŠEK ŘEHOŘ

MOTYL Romana

  • ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6936-0328
  • Candidate of Arts (Ph. D), Associate Professor,
  • Department of Visual Design and Art,
  • Lviv Polytechnic National University,
  • 12, Bandery Str., 79000, Lviv, Ukraine;
  • Senior Researcher Folk Art Department,
  • Ethnology Institute of NAS of Ukraine,
  • 15, Svobody ave., 79000, Lviv, Ukraine,
  • Contacts: e-mail: romana_motyl@ukr.net

MOTYL Andrii-Oleksandr

  • ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-1190-5558
  • Ph. D Student in the Department of Historical Ethnology,
  • Ethnology Institute of NAS of Ukraine,
  • 15, Svobody ave., 79000, Lviv, Ukraine,
  • Contacts: e-mail: andriy.motyl@gmail.com

Abstract. Introduction. František Řehoř was a Czech ethnographer, collector, and documenter of Ukrainian traditional culture in the late 19th century. This article examines his field research in Galicia, his documentation methods, and the significance of František Řehoř’s ethnographic collections, which are stored at the National Museum in Prague. Contemporary research on Řehoř’s collections is analyzed, as well as their contribution to the reconstruction of the material culture of Ukrainians at the end of the 19th century.

The purpose of this article is to examine in detail the life and scientific work of Czech ethnographer František Řehoř, in particular to analyze his field research in Galicia, his methods of documenting Ukrainian culture, and to assess the significance of his collections for contemporary science.

The object of the study consists of the most important milestones in the scientific activity of František Řehoř, which characterize his contribution to the study of Ukrainian traditional culture. The subject of the study covers the scientific heritage of the Czech ethnographer from the late 19th century.

The methodological basis of the paper consists in the comprehensive use of a number of general scientific methods, the principal ones being the historical-biographical method, source study method, the method of scientific search, and the method of historical reconstruction of the phenomena under study. Conclusion. František Řehoř is a renowned foreign researcher of 19th-century Ukrainian traditional culture. He combined amateur dedication with scientific attention to detail. František Řehoř’s collections should be viewed not as random «antique» items, but as systematically collected sources for ethnographic and art studies. The presence of documentary photographs and notes makes his materials valuable for restoration research, costume reconstruction, and the study of regional variations in ornamentation. František Řehoř’s works contributed to the recognition of Ukrainian folk art as a distinctive phenomenon of European culture and laid the foundation for further scientific research in this field.

Keywords: František Řehoř, ethnography, Ukrainian culture, folk art, research, museum collections, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, late 19th century.

REFERENCES

  • Valashkova, N. (2007). Frantisek Rehor and his collection of photographs from Galicia. Ukrainian Journal, 4, 28—29 [in Ukrainian].
  • Shcherbaniuk, L. Czech friend of Ukraine. Retrieved from: https://zbruc.eu/node/74398 (Last accessed: 14.02.2026) [in Ukrainian].
  • Molnar, M. (1959). Frantisek Rehor and Ukraine. Folk Art and Ethnography, 1, 79—89 [in Ukrainian].
  • Drbal, О., Kril, M., & Motornyi, A. (Ed.). (1998). Czechs in Galicia: Biographical Guide Lviv: Center of Europe [in Ukrainian].
  • Pidkova, I., & Shust, R. (Ed.). (2002). Handbook of the History of Ukraine. Kyiv: Geneza [in Ukrainian].
  • Onatsky E. (Ed.). (1963). Frantisek Rehor. Ukrainian Small Encyclopedia: 16 books, 8 vol. Published by the Administration of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Argentina. Buenos Aires, book XII: Letters of Poe — Edition (P. 1585) [in Ukrainian].
  • Fedorchuk, O., Pohunek, J., & Tauberova, M. (2022). Ukrainian Beaded Artwork in the Collection: TheFrantisek Rehor Scientific and Artistic Value Scientific and Artistic Value. Český lid, 3 (Vol. 109, pp. 351—371) [in English].
  • Klyashtorna, N. (2012). Boykivske suzirya. Dictionary of Boykivshchyna personalities: born Boykivs; lived in Boykivshchyna; served Boykivs. Ivano-Frankivsk: Liliya-NV [in Ukrainian].
  • Boljuk, O., Fedorchuk, O., Pohunek, J., & Valaskova, N. (2020). Traditional Folk Culture of Ukrainians in Austria-Hungary as Represented in Ethnographic Collection of Frantisek Rehor.  Cesky lid, 1 (Vol. 107, pp. 71—92) [in Czech].
  • Varvartsev, M. (Ed.). (2016). Frantisek Rehor. Ukraine in International Relations. Encyclopedic Dictionary-Reference. Issue 6. Biographical Part: N—Ya Kyiv: Institute of History of Ukraine, NAS of Ukraine [in Ukrainian].
  • Valashkova, N. (2012) «Remembrance of the specified collection of photographs — a unique testimony of the Eastern Galician realities of that time»: Frantisek Rehor and his collection of photographs from Galicia. Retrieved from: https://bojky.wordpress.com/2012/04/23/згадка-провказану-колекцію-світлин/ (Last accessed: 14.02.2026) [in Czech].
  • Kutsyr, T., & Shvets, A. (Ed.). (2017). Ethnographic Heritage by F. Rehor. Frantisek Rehor as Opillia and Pidhiria Folk Source. In: A. Shvets. (Ed.), The Czech Republic gave us a man with a heart of gold: Frantisek Rehor in the paradigm of Ukrainian-Czech cultural relations: collection of scientific works (Pp. 119). Lviv: HALYCH-PRESS [in Ukrainian].
  • Valashkova, N. (1999). Frantisek Rehor (1857—1899) and his ethnographic activities. (With examples of the article by F. Rehor from Galicia). Prague: Institute of Ethnology, Czech Academy of Sciences [in Czech].
  • Shvets, A. (Ed.). (2017). The Czech Republic gave us a man with a heart of gold: Frantisek Rehor in the paradigm of Ukrainian-Czech cultural relations: collection of scientific works. Lviv: HALYCH-PRESS [in Ukrainian].
  • Kubiyovych, V. (Ed.). (1955—1995). Encyclopedia of Ukrainian Studies: Dictionary Part: in 11 vol. Shevchenko Scientific Society; Paris; New York: Young Life [in Ukrainian].
  • Bolyuk, O., & Shvets, A. (Ed.). (2017). Relevance of the Ukrainian-Czech research project «Collection of Ukrainian folk art works in the storage facilities of the National Museum in Prague: classification and attribution». In: A. Shvets. The Czech Republic gave us a man with a heart of gold: Frantisek Rehor in the paradigm of Ukrainian-Czech cultural relations: collection of scientific works (Pp. 105—111). Lviv: HALYCH-PRESS [in Ukrainian].
  • Fedorchuk, O. (2019). The exhibition «Old Ukraine of Frantisek Rehor» has opened. The Ethnology notebooks, 6 (150), 1738—1740 [in Ukrainian].
  • Medricka, H., Zaveska, D., Blechova, K., Boljuk, O., & Fedorchuk, O. (2019). Old Ukraine of Frantisek Rehor. National Museum [in Czech, English, Ukraine].
Our authors
Maternity ritualism by volhynians in publications of the second half XIX to the early XXI cc.
In the article have been considered some basic landmarks for fixing and publication of ethnographic materials on the maternity rites of Volhynia with analytical study in ritual elements, their kinds and territories of origin. The article has also raised a problem of gaps in studies of maternity rites of Ukrainian historio-ethnographic Volhynia.
Read »

On bessarabian and moldavian ukrainians in the studies of historical ethnography
The article has thrown some light upon a sum of scientific findings got during XIX to XXI cc. in historio-ethnographic studies of Bessarabia and Moldavian Ukrainians. In the pre­sent paper has been given author’s answer to the problem of lacking progress as for the numerous themes concerning Ukrainians. State and achievements of the research-works in Ukrainians’ material and spiritual culture by the scientists of Moldavia and Ukraine through the years of independence has been exposed.
Read »

Traditional folk clothes of velikobychkovsky hutsuly of XIX — the first half of XX century
In the study based upon numerous field materials, literature sources as well as ethnographic, historio-cultural and regional museum collections has been performed complex analysis in traditional folk clothes by Hutzul population of Velyky Bychkiv village in Transcarpathian region. Detailed descriptions of femi­nine and masculine clothing complexes of the mentioned area have been presented. In characterizing of those main attention has been paid to the detail of cut in separate components of dress; cut of feminine shirt has been added as an illustration.
Read »

Daily bread baking of ukrainians in the south-western ethnographical region at the late XIX to early XXI cc.
The paper has dealt with analytic study in prescriptions, signs, customs, methods, ways of selection, procurement and some peculiarities in usage of subsidiary means — water, firewood and leaves in bread baking. The final aim of the mentioned actions had been (and still is) selection of the means and ingredients fit, by their characteristics, for the backing of bread. The paper has demonstrated dependence of bread backing subsi­diary means criteria from the folk nutritional standards and world outlook stereotypes as well as from regional social and economic, natural and geographical factors and peculiarities of material culture.
Read »