Truskawiec was a highly regarded spa located in the then eastern lands of the Republic of Poland during the interwar period. The famous local thermal baths were highly valued by visitors.

The book is the result of several years' work by Ukrainian researcher Chrystyna Charczuk, who researched and compiled numerous archives and collected extensive iconography on the history of not only the spa itself, but also its architecture, much of which no longer exists.

The author takes a closer look at the history of Truskavets and enriches its history with the results of her research. Above all, however, she has collected rich iconographic material in the form of archival photographs, old postcards and architectural plans. The researcher leads us through the streets of the city, presents the guesthouses and hotels she passes, their history and architecture. Unfortunately, to a large extent these buildings no longer exist.

There were more than 250 villas, hotels and guesthouses in Truskavets. The buildings consisted of fashionable wooden guesthouses, health houses or a long covered pedestrian promenade, typical of spas. They were built in the Alpine-Swiss style as well as in the Zakopane style, surrounded by rich, varied greenery.

In the 1930s, a decidedly different brick modernist architecture with light-coloured walls, large windows and flat roofs began to infiltrate it. This dissonance was only apparent, as the scale of this new form blended harmoniously with the earlier tradition.

After the advent of Soviet rule in 1944, the situation changed completely. Visitors and customs changed, large-scale concrete hotels and apartment blocks were built. A significant part of the historic buildings disappeared or was transformed.

Author: Chrystyna Charczuk

Language editing: Krzysztof Zięba, Iurii Tkachuk

Translation: Chrystyna Kharchuk

Year of publication: 2022

Number of pages: 292

Binding: soft

Format: 200 x 250 mm

ISBN: 978-83-66172-43-2