Pustomyty, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine

🇺🇦 Pustomyty (Пустомити) is a city in Lviv Oblast of Ukraine. It is administrative centre of the Pustomyty Raion. For centuries Pustomyty belonged to Ruthenian Voivodeship, Kingdom of Poland. In 1772 it was annexed by the Habsburg Empire (see Partitions of Poland), where it remained until late 1918. In the Second Polish Republic, Pustomyty was part of Lwów Voivodeship.

Pustomyty is a small town located in south-western outskirt of Lviv city. It is the administrative centre of Pustomyty district (since 1959). The town lies on the intersection of railway line Lviv-Stryi-Chop and local road T-1416 Lviv-Medenychi.

The earliest mention of the settlement in official documents is dated by 1441. “Pustomyty” title most likely has the geographical origins. In ancient times there was a village “Мито” ([myto], Ukr. “Duty”) here and it served as customs between Przemysl and Zvenigorod principalities. However, the locality had lost the importance after some time and the name was transformed into “Пусте Мито” ([puste myto], Ukr. “Empty duty”).

A mineral-water resort operated in Pustomyty in the late 19th to early 20th century. Baths were located in several villas and were able to accommodate 150–200 guests. None of those buildings survived till this day, except a small palace in the central town park.

Pustomyty obtained the town status in 1988, as the result of merge with neighboring villages Glynna-Navariya and Lisnevychi. Yellow circles of the town emblem represent this union. Also the lime kiln depicted on the emblem symbolizes the main Pustomyty craft for many years.

Until 18 July 2020, Pustomyty was the administrative centre of Pustomyty Raion. The raion was abolished in July 2020 as part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, which reduced the number of raions of Lviv Oblast to seven. The area of Pustomyty Raion was merged into Lviv Raion.