Ivano-Frankivsk - Name

Name

Stanisławów was founded as a fortress in 1650 and was named after the Polish hetman Stanisław "Rewera" Potocki, although other sources claim it was named after his grandson (see History of Ivano-Frankivsk). In 1772 its name was transliterated into German as Stanislau when it became part of the Austrian Empire and later Austria-Hungary; however, after the revolution of 1848 the city carried three different linguistic renderings of its name: German, Polish, and Ruthenian (German: Stanislau; Polish: Stanisławów; Ukrainian: Станиславів, Stanyslaviv). Other spellings used in the local press-media included: Russian: Станиславов and Yiddish: סטאַניסלאוו.

After World War II it was changed by the Soviet authorities into a simplified version Stanislav (Ukrainian: Станіслав; Russian: Станислав). In 1962, on the city's 300th anniversary, it was renamed to honor the Ukrainian writer Ivan Franko. Due to the city's over-sized name, unofficially it is sometimes called simply Franyk by its residents. Even though Ivano-Frankivsk is the officially accepted name, the city's original name was never fully abandoned and/or forgotten and can be found throughout the city in all kinds of variations.

Name change

• 1662 founded as Stanisławów
• 1772 transliteration change to Stanislau
• 1919 transliteration change to Stanislaviv
• 1919 transliteration change to Stanisławów
• 1939 transliteration change to Stanislav
• 1941 transliteration change to Stanislau
• 1944 transliteration change to Stanislav
• November 9, 1962 name change to Ivano-Frankivsk (for honour to Ivan Franko)