"Sokol" was one of the most important Polish organisations in Galicia during the period of Galician autonomy , and its prototype was the Czech Falcon movement. It was concerned with promoting physical culture and patriotic education. The first Macierz - Lviv nest was established in 1867 , which, it was emphasised, was the cradle of Polish Falconry. Other nests appeared much later, first in Stanisławów (16 VIII 1884) , and later in Tarnów (30 XI 1884) , then in Przemyśl (10 I 1885) and Inowrocław (19 I 1885) . In one of the one-day publications it was reported that in 1892, which fell on the 25th anniversary of the foundation of the Polish Gymnastic Society 'Sokol', there were more than 40 nests, of which about 30 in the Austrian partition. Before the outbreak of the First World War, the total number of outlets in Galicia, according to Jan Snopko, was 261 , and a large number of them were located in its eastern part (now the territory of Ukraine).

In the first years of the nest's activity, the nests struggled with the lack of suitable premises , which were necessary for the performance of exercises and the organisation of verbal and musical performances (amateur plays, soirées, concerts). Rooms, usually located in school buildings, were rented for this purpose . In Stanislawow, the mayor, Dr Ignacy Kaminski, granted permission for "the use of the gymnasium in the real school in agreement with the management of that school and for free gas lighting during exercises". It happened, as in the case of the Rhatyn "Sokol", that "the first gymnastic exercises [due to] the lack of a suitable place were held in the garden".

It is not difficult to guess that the first Sokol house was established in Lviv . It took several years of effort for the society to make its presence felt in a permanent way. In 1884 , at the intersection of Zimorovicha (now Dudayeva) and Sokol (now Kovzhun) Streets, a one-storey building was erected according to the design of Vladislav Halitsky (1850-post-1939) , with a gymnasium of more than 370 m2 , which accounted for about half of its construction. Although the building has survived to this day, few people know of its existence. A faint reminder of the building's former significance is the faintly visible Latin motto " Mens sana in corpore sano", or "In a healthy body a healthy spirit", which became the recognisable motto of the Polish Gymnastics Association.

The example of the Lviv "Sokol" was followed by younger nests. The buildings erected were, as in Lviv, often the work of esteemed architects. For example, the Falconry in Stryj was designed by Wacław Krzyżanowski (1881-1954) , and in Stanisławów by Karol Zaremba (1846-1897), and in Kołomyja by Dionizy Krzyczkowski (1861-1943). Buildings were erected in representative locations, close to main streets and squares, often in the midst of urban greenery. Monuments were sometimes erected in close proximity to them, such as the Tadeusz Kościuszko monument in Sambor or the Adam Mickiewicz monument in Borszczów.

The most difficult thing in the whole undertaking was to raise funds. As a result, the implementation of the architect's project could be prolonged. Plots of land for construction were usually obtained from the local authorities. The money for the project came from a variety of sources, including contributions from Galician landowners and local entrepreneurs, income from concerts, subsidies from the city council and the Savings Bank, and loans taken out. "Various events were held on the occasion of the edifices under construction: such as the consecration of the foundation stone of the Falconry, the banner, combined with rallies and numerous assemblies in various localities," - wrote Adam Domaradzki, head of the 6th District of the "Sokol" in Ternopil.

Depending on the period and the vision of the creator, the houses of the Polish Gymnastic Society were built in different architectural styles. An example of the Art Nouveau style in Eastern Galicia is the building in Stryj with its rich ornamentation and characteristic arched windows. In Stanislawow, a historicist building with a large neo-Gothic tower was constructed. In Trembowla - one of the oldest towns in Podolia - a falconry was built in neo-classical style.

A characteristic element of the resulting architecture was the stone figure of a falcon, placed on top of the edifice. On the top was an inscription indicating the society's headquarters. Some of the falconry erected had a tower visible from a distance.

An example of a building plan in Ternopil was as follows: "a gymnasium 22 m long, 12 wide, 7.5 high with 7 windows on the east side and 4 entrances. Next to the hall stood a stage, 10 m long and 5 m deep", together with a loggia. In addition, there were other rooms within the edifice, such as a cloakroom and an office. In the courtyard there was a pitch for practice.

The years 1914-1919, i.e. the First World War and the Polish-Ukrainian War, brought great material losses. In memoirs and studies prepared for the anniversaries of individual nests, it was written about the looting of livestock and the destruction of exercise equipment. "In addition - as was the case in Kolomyia - on the orders of Colonel Sechin, under the threat of demolishing the falconry, our precious banner was taken away and triumphantly transported to Kyiv as a war trophy." In some cities, the occupying Russian authorities adapted the falconry into an Orthodox church. This was the case in Ternopil and Rohatyn, among others. Records can also be found of the destruction of the falcon on top of one of the edifices by Ukrainians, who fired at the statue.

After Poland regained its independence, the gymnastics association set about restoring its premises. At times, the damage was so extensive that it took several years for the druhs to rebuild. The difficult situation of many falconry nests in the newly revived Poland did not exclude the possibility of their development in the future. It is worth noting that some nests, such as those in Stanislawów or Rohatyn, expanded their material base by adding new buildings.

The Falcon Houses , once built on the territory of the former Eastern Galicia and now located in Ukraine, are still magnificent buildings, although some are in need of renovation. They house, among others, the Regional Children's Library (Ivano-Frankivsk, formerly Stanislaviv), the Municipal House of Culture (Stryiisk) and the Oleksandr Kozarenko Philharmonic (Kolomyja). It is worth comparing how these buildings looked in old photographs and postcards, which show their original appearance. Reaching into the resources of libraries and archives, it is also possible to see that some of the 'Sokol' buildings that have been erected have not survived (the examples of Sambor and Brzeżany).