Notable Figures / Personalities

The pages in this section highlight the lives of a number of influential individuals associated with the town of Tluste and its rich history over the past 300 years, among them:

	Ba'al Shem Tov (c. 1698 - 1760) Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer - widely considered to be the founder of the Hasidic movement, revealing himself and assuming the name Ba'al Shem Tov ('Master of the Good Name') in 1734 while living and teaching in Tluste.  more »
	Myhaylo, father of Bohdan Khmelnytsky (c. 1595 - 1657) Leader from 1648-1657, of the Zaporozhian Cossacks who organized an uprising against Polish rule in Ukraine, which ultimately led to the transfer of the Ukrainian lands east of the Dnieper River from Polish to Russian control.   more »
	Jan Sas Zubrzycki (1860 - 1935) Born in Tluste on 25 June 1860, Jan Zubrzycki went on to become a prolific architect, designing some 40 churches and 25 other buildings in Galicia and Bukowina, including Tluste's modern Greek Catholic church in 1912.   more »
	Grand Duke Myhaylo Romanov (1878 - 1918) Spent time in Tluste in the winter of 1914-15, in the midst of the First World War. Tsar Nicholas II of Russia abdicated in his younger brother's favour on 28 March 1917, however Myhaylo renounced the throne the following day.   more »
	Theodor Wacyk (1886 - 1968) In the late 1930s or early 1940s, he was commissioned to paint the frescoes of the recently completed Greek Catholic church of Tovste. Further research is needed to determine whether or not any of the original frescoes remain.  more »
	Anton Navolskyy (1894 - 1965) Came to Tluste around 1930 to take up position as parish priest; and raised funds for the completion of the Greek Catholic church. Between June 1941 and March 1944, during the Nazi occupation of Tluste, he sheltered Jews facing persecution.   more »
	Baruch Milch (1907 - 1989) Medical doctor based in Tluste between 1940-43; kept a detailed diary of the atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis and their collaborators against Jews in Tluste. This moving account was published only after his death in 1989.   more »
	Eugene Bohdan Roslycky, PhD (1927 - 2008) Microbiologist by profession, author, literary critic, translator, editor of quarterly "Ridnoshkilnyk" magazine, community advocate; president of the Ukrainian-Canadian Congress in London, Canada, for over 20 years.   Obituary »

In addition to these prominent figures, there are a number of other individuals who were born and raised in Tluste, then went on to undertake successful careers and enjoy public recognition abroad, among them:

Lonhyn Horbachevsky (- 1971) - early 20th century community worker

Volodymyr Kucher (1885 - 1952)   - theoretical physicist, author of works on quantum mechanics. Famous for his exploration of quanta particles movement equations and the theory of light pressure; developed the quantum theory of solids and quantum statistics. (Brief mention in external website.)

Bernhard Wachstein (1868 - 1935) - Viennese genealogist, librarian, historian, and bibliographer (Link to the relevant JewishGen ShtetLinks page.)