High-Mountain Observatory on Chornohora

The problem of new observatory construction originated in Poland after the World War I as the existing one situated in Warsaw was getting less usable for astronomical observations because of the rapid city development. But Warsaw University and the Ministry of Religious Denominations and Public Education expenses were insufficient for realization of such a project.
In 1935, the general, engineer Leon Verbetsky in the name of State Defense League suggested to professor Michał Kamieński (director of the astronomical observatory of Warsaw University) that an astronomical section be built in a meteorological observatory. Its building was planned in the shortest time in the Carpathian mountains on the summit of Pip Ivan. Construction of the observatory started in summer 1936 (after the project of architects K. Marchevsky and Yo. Pohosky).

This project was admitted to be the best in closed competition. Observatory's walls are made of limestone blocks to thickness of 1,5m on the level of underground floor and 1 m on the level of the first and second floors. Inside, the building is insulated by a pitch layer between dry cork and stone. It is a two-storey construction from the east, five-storey from the west because of its location on the slope. Two-sloped roof was covered with copper plates. The telescope was located in rotunda from the South. Building materials were delivered from the railway station of Vorokhta through forest paths with the help of Hutsul horses or by hand. Great efforts were made to transfer 33 crates of dome components to the summit of Pip Ivan. The biggest one weighed 950 kg. Inauguration took place on July 29, 1938. When the World War II started observatory's workers evacuated the most valuable equipment: 5 lenses of large diameter, 2 lenses of smaller diameter, 2 micrometers and 2 chronometers. In November 1939 these things were moved to Budapest astronomic observatory, at the end of War to Vienna and at last they were given back to Poland again in the first afterwar years. The three-lens objective is preserved in the Silesian Planetarium. Refractor's objective has been used to observe stars visually for a few years in Ostrovik. At the end of 1939 the construction itself and equipment remains on the altitude of Pip Ivan became the property of Soviet government. Meteorological observations were made there until the end of June 1941. Radio probes and pilot balloons were launched. At that period the director of observatory was Korostenko M. When Germany attacked the USSR, a detachment of Hungarian troops was stationed in the observatory building until late autumn 1941.
In May 1942 Commissar of the General Government's astronomical observatories Valter K. visited the observatory on Chornohora. Following his instructions, metal components of the astrograph were moved to Lviv. To this day they have been kept in the building of the Physics Department of Lviv State University on Kyrylo and Methodii Street.
Thereafter the observatory stood abandoned, and residents took away everything of value, including the dome and roof copper plates. Scientific work on the summit ceased for decades — until the present restoration phase.

The main astronomic observatory's instrument was 33 centimeter astrograph manufactured by the firm "Sir Howard Grubb, Parsons and Co" in Newcastle, Great Britain. It was designed after the English technology on two poles that guaranteed stability. Its motion was set by electric engines automatically regulated by a special chronometer with seconds contacts. Astrograph was located in the dome (English manufacturing) of 6m diameter covered with copper metal plates. The dome was being revolved with electric engines. Astrograph's mounting was done by magister Maciej Bielicki, who fulfilled the first observations to verify it in 1937. Bielicki managed to get 4 pictures of asteroid (704) Interamnia. A few months later 2 pictures were made of comet Jurlof-Achmarof-Hassel. These plates are well-known in magazine publications. All other materials were lost during Warsaw uprising in 1944.

The observatory chief was meteorologist magister Władysław Midowicz. Meteorological observations were fulfilled by Franciszek Wiatr, Bernard Liberra and Stefan Shchyrbak. The latter also fulfilled astronomical observations and was simultaneously the observatory's supervisor.

Observatory restoration (2012–2026)

Since 2012 Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University and the University of Warsaw have been restoring the historic building on Pip Ivan (2028 m). On 27 August 2026 they opened the International Centre for Shared Scientific Equipment there: a telescope is installed in the dome, with remote operation planned. Part of the building houses Ukraine's highest mountain rescue station (State Emergency Service). The site is a science and rescue facility, not a museum or tourist hut — see the Scientific Centre «Observatory» page for access details.