City Lviv is the pearl of Western Ukraine... It is located on the Poltva River, 70 km from the border with Poland. The history of the founding of Lviv goes back centuries: the first written mentions of it are found in 1256. According to one version, the city was founded by Prince Daniel Galitsky and named after his son Leo.
The city is rich in historical events and unique architectural monuments. In 1998, the historic center of Lviv was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
We started our acquaintance with the city from Svoboda Avenue, where the only museum of ethnography in Ukraine... Our attention was immediately attracted by a beautiful dome with the Statue of Liberty on the roof.
It is the only seated Statue of Liberty in the world. (Actually, this is not a statue of liberty, but a statue of frugality.)
A good view of the monument to Taras Shevchenko opens from the roof of the Museum of Ethnography and Catholic Latin Cathedral... Its construction began in 1360 and ended in 1479:
City view from the roof of the City Hall... There is a paid observation deck on its tower, which offers perhaps the best view of Lviv. Before us is the Latin Cathedral again:
Assumption Church- a monument of Renaissance architecture (XVI-XVII centuries). In 1779 the church was damaged by fire. It was rebuilt in 1796:
Dominican church and monastery. In Soviet times, the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism was located here. This is a cult building in Lviv and one of the most significant monuments of Baroque architecture in the city:
Historical center of the city. In the center - Jesuit church:
TV tower on Bald Mountain- the tallest building in the city:
Roof Church of Saints Peter and Paul of the Jesuit Order.
It is now closed for renovation. This is one of the most iconic buildings in Lviv: 41 meters long, 22.5 meters wide, 26 meters high. The church could accommodate up to 5 thousand believers. It is also the first baroque building in Lviv.
The church was built in 1610-1630, finishing work continued until 1660.
Now the church is used as one of the book depositories of Lviv.
The church itself has a non-standard layout: its entrance is located in the east, and the altar is in the west.
Lviv Opera House. At the end of the 19th century, Lviv was part of Austria-Hungary, was officially called Lemberg and was the capital of a large Austrian province - the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria. Then the need arose for a separate building for the theater. The Bolshoi City Theater (as the Opera House was called until 1939) opened on October 4, 1900.
Sculptures on the roof of the Opera House:
Several views from the roof of the Opera House. Monument to the poet Adam Mitskevich. Its height is 21 meters:
Mari Square in the evening:
View of the Opera House from the opposite side:
Bernardine Monastery (St. Andrew's Church). Once it was a Bernardine monastery, with which many interesting stories and legends are associated. A historical monument of the Renaissance, Mannerism and Baroque of 1600-1630, this is a monastery from the Middle Ages.
Catholic church of St. Elжbieta. This beautiful neo-Gothic cathedral in Lviv was named after the popular Empress Elizabeth (Zizi) Habsburg, wife of the Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph I:
At this, a short walk around Lviv came to an end. See you!
Lviv, the capital of Western Ukraine, is a large industrial and commercial center of Ukraine. Its narrow old streets and its historic center make it one of the best places in the country.
Lviv was founded as a fort in the mid-13th century by Danylo Halytsky and was named after his son Lev, which means lion. The lion is the historic symbol of the city. For centuries it has been the Western Ukraine's main city.
Lviv's main street is Freedom Avenue. It runs from Mitskevych Square to the Ivan Franko Opera and Ballet Theater. Also in Freedom Avenue you can see the National Museum which used to be the Lenin Museum. In the middle of the avenue there is a statue of Ukrainian national poet, Taras Shevchenko, and there are always a lot of flowers at its feet.
The Museum of Ethnography, Arts and Crafts, with a statue of Liberty in front, demonstrates furniture and porcelain. Each room presents a different era.
Opposite Lviv University there is a monument to the Ukrainian poet Ivan Franko, from which Ivan Franko Park stretches towards the Hotel “Dniester”.
Lviv's open-air Museum of Popular Architecture and Life is worth visiting. About 100 old wooden buildings are divided into many ethnographic groups of Western Ukraine.
Shevchenko Avenue attracts people with its beautiful buildings and various shops. There you can find a statue of Mykhailo Hrushevsky, Ukraine’s most famous historian and the country’s first president in 1918. The Museum of Old Ukrainian Culture has a nice display of small, carved wooden Carpathian crosses.
Lviv Picture Gallery has one of the largest collections of European paintings in the country, with over 1000 paintings on display, and 5,000 in storage.
Lviv is also famous for its churches and monasteries, among which are the Roman Catholic Cathedral, Uspensky Church, St George's Cathedral, Church of St John the Baptist, Jesuit Church and many others. Lviv is also famous for its Museum of Historic Religions.
Inside the Town Arsenal there is the Museum of Old Arms, with a display of various arms taken from over 30 countries.
Lviv
Lviv - the capital of Western Ukraine, is a large industrial and commercial center of Ukraine. Its narrow old streets and historic center make it one of the best spots in the country.
Lviv was founded as a fortress in the middle of the 13th century by Danil Galitsky and was named after his son Leo. The lion is the historical symbol of the city. For centuries Lviv was the main city of Western Ukraine.
The main street of Lviv is Svobody Avenue. It stretches from Mickiewicz Square to the Ivan Franko Opera and Ballet Theater. In addition, on Svoboda Avenue, you can see the National Museum, formerly the Lenin Museum. In the middle of the avenue there is a monument to the Ukrainian national poet Shevchenko, at the foot of which there are always many flowers.
The Museum of Ethnography, Arts and Crafts, with the Statue of Liberty in front of it, displays furniture and porcelain. Different eras are represented in each room.
Opposite the Lviv University there is a monument to the Ukrainian poet Ivan Franko, from which the park named after Ivan Franko stretches to the hotel "Dniester".
It is also worth visiting the Lviv Open-Air Museum of Folk Architecture. About 100 old wooden buildings are divided according to the ethnographic groups of Western Ukraine.
Shevchenko Avenue attracts people with its beautiful houses and shops. There you can find a monument to Mikhail Hrushevsky, the most famous historian in Ukraine and the first president of the country. The Museum of Ancient Ukrainian Culture has a good collection of small carved Carpathian crosses.
The Lviv Art Gallery has one of the largest collections of European painting in the country, with over 1,000 paintings on display, and 5,000 in storage.
Lviv is also famous for its churches and monasteries, including the Roman Catholic Cathedral, the Assumption Church, the Cathedral of St. George, the Church of John the Baptist, the Jesuit Church and many others. Lviv is also famous for the Museum of the History of Religions.
Inside the city's Arsenal, there is a museum of ancient weapons representing more than 30 countries.
Lviv appeared on the world map in the middle of the 13th century. and was named after Leo, the heir to Prince Danila Galitsky. Today, the central part of the city is a mixture of Polish, German, Hungarian and Ukrainian architecture. Lviv is a real city-museum, the center of which is included in the UNESCO list.
Tourist map of the central part of Lviv. Click to enlarge the photo.
Panoramic map of the sights of Lviv.
Map legend:
Video: "Seven Wonders of Lviv!" - an overview of the 7 best sights of the city. More videos at the end of the article.
1. Market square
"Heart of the city" and the starting point for most excursion programs. The quadrangular square, 140 by 130 meters in size, contains such architectural monuments as the Town Hall, Chernaya Kamenitsa, "Kornyakt's House" and several palaces of aristocratic families.
2. Restaurants and coffee houses in Lviv
Lviv can rightfully be considered the gastronomic capital of Ukraine. The variety of restaurants and cafes is not limited to the nationalist Kryivka or the aromatic Lviv Coffee Mine. Hundreds of thematic establishments will easily fulfill the whims of any category of tourists.
3. Kamenitsa of the Scholz-Wolfovich families
The beautiful mansion was built in 1570 and is a fine example of German Renaissance architecture. The top of the kamenitsa is decorated with the Gospel sculptural composition "Epiphany".
4. Boim Chapel
The chapel-chapel was consecrated in 1617 and has survived to this day in its original form. The facade of the building is decorated with intricate carvings. Almost all representatives of the local Boim merchant family are buried in the basements of the building.
5. Mountain "High Castle"
Right in the center of Lviv there is a hill "High Castle" (413 m.), Which stands out against the background of the rest of the city. Once there were the first city fortifications. There is an observation deck at the top of the hill with the best view of the center of Lviv.
6. Armenian Cathedral
One of the oldest temples in the city consists of three interconnected courtyards. In the eastern part of the complex is the Corinthian Column of 1726.
7. Assumption Church
Throughout its history, the temple has been the main center of Russian culture in Lviv. The architectural dominant of the complex is the 66-meter high bell tower.
8. Cathedral of St. George
The beautiful temple combines elements of Rococo and Ukrainian folk architecture. For a long time, the cathedral served as the residence of the Greek Catholic metropolitans of Ukraine. In 2001, Pope John Paul II held a liturgy here.
9. Lviv Opera and Ballet Theater
The theater is named after the opera singer Solomiya Krushelnitskaya. The building, built in 1900, can accommodate 1,100 people. There is a beautiful fountain in front of the theater facade.
10. City Hall
The four-storey Town Hall with an inner courtyard acquired its modern look in the 30s. XIX century. Today its lower tiers are occupied by the city administration, and on the upper tiers there is an observation deck.
11. Powder Tower and Arsenal
The buildings are part of the powerful fortifications that encircled Lviv in the 16th-17th centuries.
12. Temple of St. Elizabeth
The church, located on Krapivnitsky Square, is considered one of the best examples of French Neo-Gothic.
13. Lychakiv cemetery
The cemetery-museum was opened in 1786. Almost every tombstone here is a sculptural miracle.
14. Brewery Museum
The first museum of this kind in Ukraine. Located in the basement of the Lviv Brewery, celebrating its 300th anniversary in 2015.
Leo is a large representative of the feline family. It mainly lives in Africa, not a small population survived in India in the Gir forest (Gujarat state). Previously, lions were distributed almost throughout Africa up to India, but due to the destruction by humans of both the animals themselves and their habitats, the range of lions has significantly decreased. By the way, fossil remains of lions are also found in southern Europe.
Leo is the only representative of cats who lives in a flock. I call flocks of lions prides.
Lions have pronounced sexual dimorphism, that is, anatomical differences between males and females (excluding differences in the anatomy of the genitals). This also distinguishes the lion as an exceptional representative of the feline family.
Lions do not differ in high speed and therefore use various techniques and tricks for hunting. For the same reason, lions hunt mostly at night. Lionesses surround a herd of some herbivores and choose the weakest one.
In the history of mankind, the lion is a symbol of courage and courage. Lions are often found on the coats of arms of noble families.
The lion pride consists mainly of females and lion cubs. There are no more than three males in the pride.
The responsibilities of lions and lionesses in the pride are different. Lionesses are responsible for obtaining food and looking after lion cubs. Lions defend the territory.
Only at first glance can we assume that the lions have no competitors. The most cunning and cruel rivals of lions in Africa are hyenas.
In a one-on-one duel, the lion will emerge victorious, but a flock of hyenas can clothe a lone lion.
Lions eat their prey according to certain rules. The first tidbits of the carcass are eaten by the leaders of the pride, even if they did not take part in the hunt.
The carcass is eaten in a specific order. First they eat the heart, then the liver and kidneys. Only after eating these organs, lions begin to eat meat with skin.
If the leader is very hungry, then he eats all the prey whole. The rest of the lions go hunting again.
Lion cubs go last. Thus, the weakest members of the pride remain the most hungry.
When the time comes to reproduce, the lion begins to court the lioness, showing her various signs of attention. After mating, the lion and lioness live together until the third month of pregnancy.
Then the pregnant lioness leaves the pride and looks for a secluded place for childbirth. Lion cubs are born small and cannot walk for about 10 days of life. The eyes of the lion cubs open on the 15th day of life.
Lviv - the city of sleeping lions Lviv stands on seven hills, like Rome Lviv is a small Paris, or maybe Paris is a big Lviv.
Lviv attracts with its mystery, antiquity and warmth. Lviv is not just an old city, Lviv is a beautiful historical monument, along the streets of which it is a great pleasure to wander. Narrow streets paved with paving stones, mysterious Lviv courtyards ... Lviv fountains, Latin Cathedral, Italian courtyard, Dominican church, Assumption church, Armenian Cathedral and Armenian courtyard, remains of fortifications with the city and royal arsenal ...
And many more interesting things ...
Galitskaya Square, Lviv. The monument was installed in 2001, sculptors Vasily Yarych and Roman Romanovich, architect Yarema Churilik.
1600-1630, Cathedral Square, Lviv. Previously, it was the Bernardine Church at the monastery of the Bernardine Fathers, also known as the Observant Fathers, who are one of the branches of the Franciscan order. From here began the campaign of the False Dmitry to Moscow.
Mytnaya Square, Bernardine Monastery, Lviv
Built in 1554-1556. The city arsenal adjoined the walls of Lviv. During the attack of the Swedes in 1704, the arsenal was destroyed, but two years later it was rebuilt again. The modern restoration was carried out in 1979-1981.
The back of the arsenal from the side of Arsenalnaya street, Lviv
Built in 1554-1556 It was part of the fortification system of the city of Lviv and served to defend the approaches to the city from the northern side
Powder Tower, Lviv
Installed on the street. Basement near the powder tower in Lvov. According to one version, Ivan Fedorov was from Petkovichi and was born on the border of modern Minsk and Brest regions around 1510. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Krakow.
Museum Square, Lviv: The foundation stone of this majestic, dynamic and exciting structure was laid by Jozef Potocki, the great crown hetman and the main donor of the construction, which lasted from 1749 to 1764.
According to legend, on the site of the cathedral there was a tower of Prince Leo, the son of Daniel Galitsky
Stavropigiyskaya Street is one of the oldest streets in Lviv, which leads from Rynok Square to the Dominican Church. For the first time (as Body of God Street) it is mentioned in documents of 1405. The then name comes from the fact that the street went to the Dominican monastery, which has a church of the Corpus Christi. Since the 18th century, the name Dominican has been fixed. Modern - since 1946 (in honor of the Stavropigian brotherhood, whose houses were located nearby).
The pharmacy has been operating in the city of Lviv since 1735, it was opened in Lvov, near the Market Square by the military pharmacist Natorp.
The construction of the cathedral began in 1363. It was built by the architect Doring (Dore, Dorko) at the expense of the Armenian merchants Yakov from Kafa (Feodosia) and Panos from Gaytsarats.
In the courtyard, the musketeers fought with the guards in the movie "The Three Musketeers". Armenian Cathedral, Lviv.
The Lviv Armenian Archbishop Joseph Teodorovich ordered the young Polish artist Jan Henry Rosen to paint the cathedral. The artist followed the path of synthesis of the Armenian-Byzantine tradition with the Western European tendencies of contemporary art.
The drawings for the new wooden ceiling were made by the architect Movchinsky, who used modernized Armenian and Oriental motives. Lviv
Armenian Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Lviv
"Kam'yanitsy z lyrisov", Lviv
In the middle of the 7th century, there was a sluice on this place, which regulated the water level of the Poltva River. In 1793, the best Galician restaurant "Under three hooks" was located here. Over time, the owners decided to open a hotel called "De Russie". In the middle of the 19th century, the hotel was named after the founder - Georges Hoffman - ‘Georges’. Honore de Balzac, Ethel Lilian Voynich, Franz Liszt, Maurice Ravel, and the Persian shah Muzaffar ed-Din stayed there. In 1899 this building was demolished, and in 1900 a new building of the Georges Hotel was built (the authors of the project were the architects of the Odessa Opera House G. Gelmer and F. Fellner).
Mitskevich Square, Lviv
Theater Square, Lviv
According to the novel by Yaroslav Gashek, Švejk visited Lviv during the First World War. Cafe "Videnka Kava", Lviv
Cafe "Videnska kava", Lviv
It was built in 1880. This was the apartment of M. de Treville in the movie "D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers."
Behind the fence with ornamental metal gates, a view of the palace opens, as if transferred from the banks of the Seine or the Loire.
The date of foundation is considered to be January 16, 1661, when the decree of the Polish king Jan Casimir granted the status of an academy and the "title of a university" to the Jesuit college founded in 1608. Formal confirmation of the rights of the academy and the university followed in 1758-1759.
Ivan Franko National University, Lviv
Former noble casino, count's casino, folk casino, Gerhard's casino. The authors of the project were the famous Viennese architects G. Helmer and F. Fellner, the authors of the project of the Odessa Opera House. The interiors of the building were often used for filming, including for the film "D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers."
St. George's Cathedral is the main Greek Catholic cathedral in Lviv, the main shrine of the UGCC.
The first temple was located on a mountain, later called Holy Jurassic, even in princely times. An Orthodox wooden church and a defensive monastery were built under Prince Lev Danilovich around 1280.
Cathedral of St. George, Lviv
The Holy Jurassic Cathedral was built in 1744-1770, from the time of its construction the temple belonged to the Uniate order of Basilians, and in 1816 the Greek Catholic archbishop was housed here.
st. Podvalnaya, Lviv
The first Assumption Church existed in princely times and was burned during the attack on Lviv by Polish feudal lords in 1340. Then there was the second and third also disappeared in the fires. In 1591, for the fourth time, the construction of the church, which stands to this day, began.
Remains of the fortress wall of the Polish fortress High Castle. Lviv
1830-1835, Lviv
Market Square, Lviv
In 1772, residents of the city, in protest forgiving the occupation of Lviv by the Austrians, walled up the main entrance to the cathedral. The brick arches are visible even now. Since then, for 240 years now, the temple can only be accessed through the side entrances.
In 1910, a memorial plaque was installed on the western wall of the temple in honor of the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Grunwald, in which the Teutonic Order was defeated. During the Nazi occupation, the plaque was destroyed. Now at this place is a tablet to John Paul II.
They say that when you come here and hold your breath, at one point you can hear the whispers of lovers ... This courtyard for a long time hid the love of the Polish king Jan Sobieski for the French noblewoman Maria Casimira.
Another attraction of the Market Square is the unique fountains. Once upon a time, during the reign of the Polish kings, city wells were drilled on Market Square. Over time, they disappeared as unnecessary, but in 1793, four fountains-sculptures were installed in place of the wells in memory of them: Neptune, Adonis, Diana and Amphitrite.
Massarovskaya or Venetian kamenitsa, the name comes from the surname of the first owner Antonio Massari, who came to Lviv in the second half of the 16th century. In 1583 he accepted city citizenship, married one of the richest brides of Lviv and built this house (or rather, converted the old one).
Market Square, Lviv
Kamenitsa was built in 1610 and has come down to us almost in its original form. In this house, the Cossack leader Ivan Podkova was awaiting the death penalty. On the day of his execution, the annex to the town hall collapsed, and this was regarded as a bad sign.
Founded by German merchants and artisans at the end of the 13th century. Lviv
Built in 1609-1617 (according to some sources in 1609-1615). as the ancestral crypt of the Boim family by order of the Lviv merchant Georgy Boim. Lviv
Connected with my grandmother, leading me by the hand for a walk in the Kosciuszko park. Huge old trees, shady paths and cast-iron benches, on which, as if just recently, beautiful ladies in elegant long dresses with small dogs in their arms were sitting.
