Lviv and History

There are places where nowadays are naturally linked with the past. That is about Lviv. Uniqueness and originality of the city shaped a specific ideal image of a city-museum, where a major part of cultural monuments of Ukraine is located. But it is not only the quantity of these monuments that matters...

A variety of ethnic, national, and religious communities has always been a big asset of Lviv. During many centuries in the city co-lived Ukrainians, Poles, Germans, Jews, Armenians, Scotts, Moldovans, Hungarians, Czechs, Greeks. It is evident that this coexistence has not always been ideal, although, there are no doubts about mutual influence of cultures and religions.

Due to the development of trade the city was getting rich, and Rynok Square was a meeting place for merchants from East and West, North and South to promote the city in Europe. Descendants of Italian, Swiss, and German architects, who had come here to build unique architectural ensembles, temples, houses, got assimilated in Lviv. Merchants from Armenia and Moldova, German and Czech craftsmen, teachers settled down in Lviv.

Lviv downtown with its clear division into local national precincts turned out to be a furnace, which formed a unique multicultural environment.

Lviv as a rebellious, freedom-loving city has a glorious image of Piedmont both in Ukraine and Poland. In the middle of 19th century Lviv was a centre of Jewish enlightenment. Usually the most interesting events happen at the intersection of cultures. Lviv has always been proud of famous artists, engineers, founders of cultural, economic, sport societies.