Sister cities of Mostyska

Mostyska (Ukrainian: Мостиська, Polish: Mościska) is a city in Lviv Oblast (province) of Ukraine. It is administrative center of the Mostyska Raion. Population is 9,150 (2001). There is a break of gauge where the railway systems of the two countries meet. To speed up though traffic, a track gauge changing facility of the SUW 2000 variable gauge axle system has been installed to allow fitted trains to pass through the break of gauge at walking pace.

In 1340, Mostyska, together with Red Ruthenia, was annexed by Polish King Kazimierz Wielki, and the town remained in Poland for over 400 years, until 1772 (see Partitions of Poland). Mosciska, as it was called, belonged to the Przemysl Land, Ruthenian Voivodeship. In 1404, King Wladyslaw Jagiello granted it the Magdeburg rights town charter. Mosciska was the seat of a starosta, and the town was several times destroyed during the Tatar, Turk and Wallachian raids. In the late 18th century, when it already was part of Austrian Galicia, the population of Mosciska was 2,200, with a large Jewish minority. In the Second Polish Republic, Mosciska was the seat of a county in Lwow Voivodeship, with population reaching 5,000.

In late September 1939, during the Invasion of Poland, Mosciska was seized by the Red Army. Its ethnic Polish population was persecuted, with thousands sent to Siberia. In June 1941, the town was captured by the Wehrmacht, which remained here until July 1944. In the autumn of 1945, the so-called repatriation of Poles began (see Polish population transfers (1944–46)). It lasted until 1948, and as a result, most ethnic Poles left the town, together with monks from a local monastery of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. Most of the monks left in the summer 1946, taking with them the holy icon and everything they were allowed to carry with them, including sculptures and clothes. Those who remained were in May 1948 arrested by the NKVD, with two monks sent to Siberia. Afterwards, the complex of the monastery was turned into a warehouse. Currently, it serves as a hospital.

Currently, Mostyska is one of main centers of the Polish minority in Ukraine. In 1989, local office of the Association of Polish Culture of the Lviv Land was opened here. Currently, Poles make 36% of population. In 2002, a Polish - language middle school was opened here, with 250 students. Among notable born in Mostyska are philosopher Jan Legowicz, mystic Mikolaj z Moscisk (Nicolaus Moscicensis), and writer Jozef Kisielewski.