Overview of the city
Lviv is a regional center located in Halychina (Galicia) just on the route connecting Western and Eastern Europe, in 544 km from Kyiv. The population is above 800 thousands. Some international flights run to and from the city’s airport. This scenic city in the West of Ukraine is considered to be the capital of Western Ukraine and one of the leading centers of the country’s cultural and spiritual life as well as national liberation movement.
Modern Lviv is characterized by exquisite art, rich folk traditions, a mixture of many nations, warm hospitality, tourism services and business activity. More than fifty percent of all architectural monuments within Ukraine are located here in Lviv. The central part of the city is a historical architectural habitat. Gray stones of Lviv reflect a diversity of styles. You may experience the feeling of the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Classicism and Secession. The historic Lviv, known as a city of sleeping lions, endured numerous battles, invasions, fires and floods, but never lost its uniqueness and attractiveness. Lviv can be called a “museum-city on the open air”, where dreams are said to come true, where every street is a legend itself.
Lviv is not only the masterpiece of history of the Western Ukraine but its business center as well. Because of its geographic location and historical facts, this city attracts foreign investors, entrepreneurs and businessmen. Produce of Lviv enterprises, especially that of food industry, is well known all over Ukraine and in the neighboring countries for its high quality and considerably low prices.
In Lviv one can feel the freshness of the Carpathian air and enjoy a very rich and beautiful nature of the Western Ukraine with its Carpathian Mountains.
It goes without saying that Lviv can be called one of the pearls of Europe.

Some Historical Facts
According to the main historical version, Lviv was founded by Danylo Galytsky, the Prince of Halytsko-Volynske Principality. The city was named in honor of Danylo’s son, Leo.
According to another version, it was Leo himself who founded the city and called it Lviv. This version arose because of a phrase in Latin, inscribed on the Halytskyy Gate of Lviv (Halytska Street is located there nowadays): "Prince Leo is my founder. My descendants are to be called Leontopolians”.
Lviv had many rulers and belonged to different states such as Halytsko-Volynske Principality, Great Lithuanian Principality, Ritch Pospolyta, Austro-Hungarian Empire, Western Ukrainian National Republic, Poland and the USSR. Now Lviv, a multinational city, is one of the pearls of Independent Ukraine.
The first written notice of Lviv appeared in scrolls of 1256. That spring, a fire took place in Holm Town, in the north of Lviv. This event was written down and added as a historical fact to the future biography of the city.
In 1992 archeological excavations that took place in the city center, near the Opera House, revealed remnants of the ancient buildings and pieces of artefacts created in the 5th – 18th centuries.

Architectural Reserve
In 1356, Lviv received the “Magdeburgh Right”. That was the time when one of Lviv famous craftsmen, architect Nychko, began to build the Latin Cathedral – a beautiful building of Gothic style. Architect Mikolay Hanseke, one of Vrotslav craftsmen, continued the construction after the death of Nychko. Vrotslav's builders, Yoahim Hrom and Ambroziy Rabish, finished the construction of the cathedral in the 15th century.
The Armenian Cathedral, founded by rich Armenian merchants, Yakiv and Panos, in 1363 A.D, represents another superb piece of art of Lviv.
In the second half of the 16th century Stavropihiysky Brotherhood of Lviv founded the exclusive Renaissance ensemble of the Assumption Cathedral with its high belfry and a unique Trinity chapel. These architectural pieces of art, designed by Italian architect Pavlo Rymlyanyn and his assistant Amvrosiy Pryhylny, combine Renaissance and Halytsky styles.
A name of another renowned architect, Bernard Merderer (Meretyn), is also connected to the history of Lviv architecture. This artist arrived to Lviv from the borders of Austria, Switzerland and Italy. In the middle of the 18th century, on one of the hills of Lviv, he created an extraordinary majestic ensemble of Greek-Catholic St. Yuriy's Cathedral that seems to hover over the town.
In 1772, after the 1st separation from Poland, Lviv and the whole Halychyna region entered the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Famous Austrian craftsmen, Hartman Vitver, Anton Shimzer, Frants Treshesher, Lyudvig Pihl, Pyetro Nobilye and Theophil Hanzen, became the founders of the city's new architecture.
The building of Ivan Franko Opera and Ballet House is an extraordinary unique architectural masterpiece as well. It was constructed by Polish architect Zigmunt Gorgolevsky in 1900. Today the theater is not only the adornment of the town, but also a cultural center of Lviv. The architect Z. Gorgolevsky is famous for the other two buildings he created – Odessa Opera and Ballet Theater and Vienna Opera House. The fate of Z.Gorgolevsky was a tragic one: he committed a suicide after he had got the news that Lviv Opera House sank into the ground for half a meter and was almost destroyed . The cause of this were waters of Poltva River, that flowed beneath the city center and the Opera House itself .

Lviv Nations
Since the 14th century Lviv has been the international center of trade and cultures. According to historical records, Germans formed the larger part of Lviv population in the beginning of the 15th century. Afterwards, Armenians, Ukrainians, Poles, Hungarians, Italians, Greeks, Frances and Scotties flooded the region. By the middle of the 16th century, Poles, Ukrainians, Germans, Jews and Armenians presented the majority of the population of the city.
The modern Lviv is still a multinational city, where Ukrainians, Russians, Poles, Armenians, Germans, Czechs, Jews and Hungarians and many other nations live.

Lviv Legends
City's legends are as magic as its streets. There are several of them that are worth to be presented here.
1.Once long ago a poor minstrel-singer from a distant country arrived to Lviv to earn some moneys. Lviv citizens enjoyed his melodic songs, young ladies fell in love with him, and old merchants gave him moneys. But the singer was sad : once, an haughty beauty passed by him in Rynok Square and paid no attention to his music – this was the cause of his sorrow.
The singer followed the young lady to her house. And one rainy evening, the musician began to play a sad melody of love by her windows. It was cold, but he played the whole night. In the morning his strings stopped playing and people saw the dead body of the musician, that was wet from rain...Since then, one can hear Lviv rain playing sorrowful songs of love and the old city crying with it.
2. There is another sad legend of Lviv…Once upon a time, an Italian merchant came to Lviv to sell wine and fell in love with a young beautiful lady. There were no obstacles for the couple to get married but one: the Italian was a Catholic and the girl was an Orthodox. After long hesitations, the young girl’s family agreed with the marriage.
The merchant had to go back to Italy for the new consignment of wine. When he came back to Lviv, the young lady was ill. The merchant devoted all his time to get her cured, but the young beauty died. The Italian died shortly afterwards. But before his death he asked to be buried together with his beloved one. On their grave there was an inscription: "they died from love".
3. Wandering along the corridors of Lviv historical archives, the ghost of the lonely monk, who sold his soul to devil, can be seen there.