PREREQUISITES AND TOURISM AND RECREATION SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SACRALIZATION OF MONUMENTS OF ANIMAL NATURE IN THE IVANO-FRANKIVSK REGION
Authors: KHIMICH Mariia 
Published: November 2022

There is a large number of geological and geomorphological monuments in Prykarpattia, which, in addition to scientific significance, also have a sacred significance, since the objects of inanimate nature were among the first that people used in religious life, endowing them with supernatural power. Nowadays, many geological and geomorphological objects of the Ivano-Frankivsk region have significant potential for use in religious tourism and the formation of the spiritual and religious worldview of the population.

Ukraine has great potential for the development of tourism and recreational activities. Ivano-Frankivsk region within the Carpathian region is located in the foothills and mountainous part of the Ukrainian Carpathians and is characterized by significant bio- and geodiversity and picturesque landscapes. On the territory of the region, as a result of complex internal and external geological and geomorphological processes, unique, valuable and diverse geological and geomorphological monuments of nature were formed, their purposeful and systematic study is an important direction of scientific research, because monuments of inanimate nature are not reproducible and can undergo anthropogenic and other influences. Geological and geomorphological objects were among the first natural objects to which people attached sacred meaning, believed in their spiritual properties and supernatural power. Many geological and geomorphological monuments of Prykarpattia within Ivano-Frankivsk region have significant potential for use in religious tourism and formation of the spiritual and religious worldview of the population.

The article analyzes scientific views on the definition of the concepts: "natural monument", "inanimate nature monument", "geological natural monument", "sacred object", the main features of the geological and geomorphological structure of the study area are investigated in the context of possible the acquisition of sacred meaning by natural objects, the diversity and peculiarities of the location of geological and geomorphological monuments of Prykarpattia with an indication of their sacred meaning are determined, the tourist and recreational significance of sacred objects of natural origin in Prykarpattia is outlined.

It was established that the complexity of the lithologic-structural structure, as well as internal and external processes in the landscapes, contributed to the formation of a large number of geological, geomorphological and hydrogeological objects of inanimate nature in the Carpathians, which are the geological heritage of Ukraine, and are also places of sacred significance. Within the limits of Ivano-Frankivsk region, among the geological and geomorphological monuments, the following groups of inanimate objects of a sacred nature are distinguished: mountain peaks, rock complexes, water objects, grottoes. In the percentage ratio of groups of sacred objects of inanimate nature by geological and geomorphological features, we can see that the largest percentage of sacred natural objects is made up of such groups as we have highlighted, such as rock complexes and hydro objects (41% each), to a lesser extent - peaks mountains (15%), and the least - caves (3%).

Sacred objects of inanimate nature within Ivano-Frankivsk region are unevenly located, most of them are located in the mountainous and foothills of the region, which once again proves the dependence of the presence of monuments of inanimate nature on geological and geomorphological processes, in particular, weathering, karst formation, exits of underground of waters, the complex action of several processes.

The largest concentration of sacred natural monuments can be traced within the boundaries of the Kosiv district - 16 objects. 14 sacred objects are located on the territory of Ivano-Frankivsk district, 12 - located in Nadvirnyanskyi district, 6 - in Verkhovynskyi district, 5 - in Kalusskyi district and 1 in Kolomiyskyi district.

The sacred content of these objects provides an opportunity for the development of religious tourism in the Ivano-Frankivsk region in such directions as: - sacred tourism - where geological and geomorphological objects act as objects of a sacred nature; - religious tourism - the possibility of using monuments of inanimate nature as objects for studying the history of religions; - pilgrimage tourism - where mountain tops, rock complexes, hydraulic objects and grottoes are a place of healing, prayer, repentance, thanksgiving; - esoteric tourism - where geological and geomorphological objects can contribute to the expansion of the traditional religious worldview.

Key words: natural prerequisites, sacred objects of inanimate nature, geological monuments, geomorphological monuments, Ivano-Frankivsk region.