Rakovets, Lviv Oblast

Rakovets (Ра́ковець, in the past had the name Mlynivtsi (Млинівці)) – is a small village (selo), which is located in Lviv Raion, Lviv Oblast, of Western Ukraine. It belongs to Solonka rural hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. The village covers an area of 1,28 km2, and the population of the village is just about 207 persons. Local government is administered by Rakovetska village council.

Geography
The village is located at an altitude of 290 m above sea level, on the right bank of the Zubra River, a left tributary of the Dniester River (Dniester river basin). It is at a distance 1.5 km on the east of the Highway M06 (Ukraine) () at a distance 23 km from the regional center of Lviv, 29 km from the district center Pustomyty and 248 km from the city of Uzhhorod.

History
Rakovets village was mentioned for the first time in 1484. Its name comes from the crayfish (Rak richkovyy). Originally the village was a town. Then, unable to compete with neighboring Lviv, over the years the city has become a village.

Until 18 July 2020, Rakovets belonged to 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.

Cult constructions and attractions
The village has an architectural monument of national importance, the Roman Catholic Church of St. Valentine, which currently is inactive. This Catholic church was built in 1856. In 1890 it was severely damaged, but was later restored.

An architectural monument of local importance in the village is the Church of the Holy Virgin Protection, built in 1904 by the famous Ukrainian architect Vasyl Nahirnyy and the bell tower of the church of the Holy Virgin Protection (wooden). The church belongs to the Diocese of UGCC.

The miraculous spring is at the eastern edge of Rakovets. The spring is very well groomed and refers to the natural monuments.

Literature

 * Історія міст і сіл УРСР : Львівська область, Пустомитівський район, Раковець. – К. : ГРУРЕ, 1968 р. Page 603