Pantyr (1225 m) is a peak located in the Gorgany Mountains. It lies in the main ridge of the Eastern Carpathians, about 4 km south of the Rogodze Wielkie Pass, on which the famous Cross of the Legions (formerly of the Nadwórnia district of the Stanislav Voivodeship) still stands. This was Poland's age-old historical border with its southern neighbours: from the second half of the 14th century with Hungary, in the years of partition between Galicia and Hungary within the Habsburg monarchy, and in the interwar period with Czechoslovakia (with a short episode from March 1939, when this section of the Carpathian Mountains became the Polish-Hungarian border again). Following the change of borders after the Second World War, after the incorporation of Podkarpathian Ruthenia into Soviet Ukraine, the said line ceased to function as a state border.

Stone posts on the southern Polish border
After the First World War, in August 1920, delimitation work began on the new Polish-Czechoslovak border, formally concluded by a protocol of 12.10.1927. It was conducted by an international commission chaired by Colonel Uffner (a French representative), with Prof. Walery Goetel (1889-1972) acting as commissioner on the Polish side and Ing. Roubik on the Czechoslovak side. As a result of their work, the border line was marked out by new border signs in the form of stone posts. Some of them, some of which have survived to the present day, can be regarded as monuments of the stonemasonry of the time and, due to their special function, as unique field works of art.

The entire Polish-Czechoslovak border at the time was 983 km long: from the Odra River in the west to the Stoh peak in the east, at the point where the Polish, Czechoslovak and Romanian borders meet. It was divided into sections. A total of 33 initial signs were erected to mark the successive sections of the border, as well as 1,305 main signs - placed at distinctive points in the terrain - and 11,235 intermediate signs according to the principle that from the location of each post, the two adjacent ones are visible. It was decided that they would all be made of an accessible and durable material, so the choice was made for stone of volcanic origin: andesite and granite, and in some cases stoneware.

Boundary post signs
The most important were the initial signs, marking the successive sections of the border. They were marked with a Roman numeral indicating the section, the date and the letter 'P'. On the opposite side they had the characteristically braided initial "CS" and a marking at the top of the direction of the boundary line. Most interestingly, they were marked with the emblems of the neighbouring states carved probably on all such posts. The other posts only had carved consecutive numbers, ascending towards the west, dates and the letters 'P' and 'CS' respectively). Each post rested on a horizontal foot with a marked intersection of axes through which the axis of the post passed. In addition, the initial and main signs had a metal pin placed in the ground below this footing at the axis of the post. The starting and intermediate posts were larger in size than the others, so that their transport to the site and their erection often required the use of simple lifting devices in addition to horse-drawn carts.

Border line in the Eastern Carpathians
The various sections of the border line in the Eastern Carpathians mentioned above were marked out in turn by points: Stoh, Howerla, Tatar (Jablonicka) Pass, Pantyr, Popadia, etc. Going westwards, there were these starting posts, the most interesting and valuable because of the state emblems forged on them. Only two posts on the peaks of Pantyr and Popadia, located in the rarely visited Gorgan backwoods, have survived to this day.

Their history hides many unexplained questions and question marks. It is not known whether they were erected by the Polish or Czechoslovak side. We can only assume the latter, as they were most likely made of andesite. This type of stone was readily available just south of the Carpathian arc, in the former eastern Czechoslovakia. This suggests that they may have been made there. This may also be supported by photographs documenting the transport of the posts towards the border and bearing information suggesting that they were delivered precisely from the south. But by which foremen were they made? Were they made there?

It is also interesting to note in which year the posts were placed in the field. From the Czechoslovak side, they usually bear the date 1920, so one can only assume that this may have been in the very year the work began (1920) or shortly afterwards, when the Czechoslovak border was not in doubt. On the Polish side, the dates are different, as we find the year 1923, but also 1924. It is possible that both they and the Polish emblem were carved a few years later, already on the posts set up after the final recognition on 15 March 1923 by the Council of Ambassadors of the Entente of the course of the then eastern and southern border of the Republic of Poland.

Border sign on Pantyra
A sign of those crucial times is the stone border post at Pantyre, preserved to this day in almost perfect condition. It can be regarded as a witness to the demarcation of the borderlands of the Republic. It is still standing in its original location, although there have been attempts to remove it.

It has the form of a slender prism with a square base, having been pre-shattered into smaller blocks of stone. The pillar above the ground is about 115 cm high, its side is 30 cm wide. The horizontal upper surface has a chamfer of 1.5 cm. The part placed in the ground is more massive and worked less precisely. Its side measures approximately 34-37 cm when widened with a 3-5 cm chamfer. This part of the post is sunk into the ground for probably several tens of centimetres, which can be inferred from old photographs showing the stored boundary posts before they were placed in the field.

On the northern wall of the post, on the Polish side, 7 cm from the top edge, is a shield with the emblem of the Republic of Poland carved according to the pattern from 1919-1927. The shield (height 29.5 cm and width 24.5 cm) has a 1.8 cm wide perimeter band. Its field bears a crowned eagle with a height of 23.3 cm and a wingspan of 19.8 cm. Both the perimeter band and the eagle have a smooth surface. The background of the eagle is concave and swept, as are the side walls of the post. The exceptions are the narrow vertical stripes near the edges. Under the shield of the emblem (7.5 cm) the letter 'P' is carved 13 cm high and 8.8 cm wide, with a forging width of 0.8 cm and a depth of 0.4 cm.

On the east face of the post, 18 cm below the top edge, the date '1924' was carved. Its numerals are 8 cm high and the total length of the inscription is 18 cm. Below the date, the Roman numeral 'IV' is carved 12 cm high and 8 cm wide.

On the other hand, on the south wall, on the then Czechoslovak side, there is a shield 7 cm from the upper edge, 28.5 cm high and 14 cm wide, with a 1.9 cm wide perimeter band. It bears the state emblem - a crowned lion - and 12 cm below it the braided initial 'CS', 15 cm high and 10.5 cm wide. The upper surface of the post is engraved with criss-crossing grooves indicating the course of the boundary line.

The greatest value of the border post at Pantyra is the eagle depicted on it. Both because the emblem of the Polish state is still preserved in the area, and because of the artistic value of the stone-wrought image of the emblem. Despite its general conformity with the existing pattern, it presents an individual interpretation of the stonemason, who was undoubtedly not only a craftsman, but also an artist. This approach of the craftsman can be easily ascertained by comparing the image of the eagle on the described post with the depiction of the emblem on the other surviving similar border sign in Popadia.

The boundary post on Pantyra has survived in virtually intact condition, with only a few minor edge chipping or losses noticeable. It also shows a slight tilt to the vertical, perhaps caused by an attempt to overturn it. However, it has withstood the storms of history, including the deliberate destruction and removal of traces of 'inconvenient' history and human thoughtlessness. Many a modern traveller in the Ukrainian Carpathians is surprised to see a petrified Polish eagle perched on a stone pillar, contemplating the course of world affairs.