The Lviv Opera Theatre

Lviv - is the city in western Ukraine. Its population is approximately 800.000. It was founded in the middle of the 13th century by Prince Danylo Galytskiy, and named after his son Leo Leopolis. In different periods of its existence Lviv was a part of Poland, Austro-Hungarian Empire, Russian empire and USSR. Since 1991 it is a part of the independent Ukraine. There is a great number of places having historical, architectural and religious importance (some of them belong to the 13th century), there are more than 30 museums of history, ethnography, arms and art galleries. Lviv has always been a significant educational center of Eastern Europe - Ivan Franko National University, Lvivska Politekhnika University and other higher educational establishments are located there.

In 1998 the historical center of Lviv was included into the "List of World Cultural and Natural Heritage of UNESCO". We can name just a few places of historical importance: 

1. Rynok ("Market") square of Renaissance style (the 16-18th century);
2. Armenian Cathedral (the 14th century);
3. The Latin Cathedral (the 15th century);
4. The Boim's Chapel (the 17th century);
5. Renaissance ensemble of the Church of the Assumption (the 16th century);
6. The Church of Body of Christ of the Dominican Order (the 18th century);
7. St. George Cathedral (the 19th century);
8. Lviv Opera House (the 19th century);
9. Stryj park (founded in 1887).

A lot of ancient fortification and religious buildings are situated around Lviv - Olesko castle, Pidgirtsi castle. Not far from Lviv there are balneology centers in Truskavets, Morshyn and Skhidnytsia, ski-centers in Slavsko and Tysovets.

Excursions in Lviv

LVIV, OLD TOWN:

Founded in the mid 13th century, Lviv is one of the oldest towns of the Eastern Europe. A high standard of cultural life attracted there talented artists from other countries painters, sculptors, architects.

The tour will show You round the most remarkable sights of the most remarkable sights of the ancient city, which has preserved as an indivisible architectural ensemble in spite of wars, fires and revolutions - the medieval Rynok Square with the Town Hall and a set of ancient buildings, the Gothic Latin Cathedral, beautiful Cathedrals of Bernadines, Jesuits and Dominicans, ruin of the all Europe famous Golden Rosa Synagogue, magnificent city fortifications, including the Town and Royal Armouries, Gunpowder Tower and other old relics.

LVIV, THE REVIEW:

Lviv is one of the richest towns in Ukraine as to the number and value of historical and architectural monuments representing the architectural styles and trends of different times. The review tour shows round the complicated history of Lviv as a single whole with it`s architecture the Princely (Knyazhy) Town and the West European town building traditions including Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Classicism up to the Eclecticism and Art Nouveau. The tour route includes the old sights, city center, downtown and the memorial Lychakiv Cemetery.

THE RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES OF LVIV:

Since the earliest times Lviv was home to a nationally, religiously and culturally diverse population. Various communities Ukrainians, Poles, Jews, Armenians, Germans has played an active role in life of the city.

You will see the turbulent and eventful history of the religious and national groups, a set of attractive relics of the past. Among them the splendid Baroque Greek Catholic St.George (St.Jury) Cathedral, the beautiful Renaissance ensemble of the Orthodox Church of the Virgin Mary Assumption, the magnificent Roman Catholic Latin Cathedral, the unique ensemble of the Armenian Street and sights of the medieval Jewish block.

LVIV ABBEYS:

The fascinating tour to the bewitching world of the inimitable in beauty medieval Monasteries of Bernardines, Dominicans and Barefooted Carmelites and Convents of Benedictins and Poor Clares, where legend and reality are interlaced.

LVIV FORTIFICATIONS: LOST AND RESTORED

An unforgettable acquaintance with one of the most powerful medieval fortresses of the Eastern Europe: in the 14th-16th Lviv had been fenced by a triple fortified wall with towers, bastions and dishes. The fortifications partly reached our time in spite of fires and sieges, they keep the impress of the bygone ages.

You will pass round the line of the ancient fortifications and see the stern Town, Royal and Senyavsky Armouries, High and Low Walls with the Gunpowder Tower and Towers of Tailors, Turners and Tradesmen, fortified abbeys and cathedrals and the old Austrian Citadel of the 19th century remarkable for it`s eventful history.

LVIV TAMPLES:

The route includes the Lviv Temples of various times (14th-19th c.), architecture styles and denominations. Almost two dozens of refined Churches, Cathedrals and Chapels form the single precious necklace beautifying the ancient city heart.

Excursions in Lviv region 

Oleskyi castle in Lviv region

The Oleskyi Castle in Lviv region is a real object to note and it is located in the village of Olesk, 75 km from Lvov along the highway to Kiev. It is a monument of the 14th -17th cc. architecture and contains a rich collection of paintings, sculpture and furniture from the 16th - 19th cc. that attracts tourists.

The first mention of the castle in the historical sources dates back to 1327. At that time the Castle-fortress towered over the surrounding swamps. The walls were 10 meters high and 2,5 meters thick. The research workers are of the opinion that the castle was built by an offspring of Danylo Galytsky - one of his sons Andryi or Lev. For centuries the Oleskyi castle played an important role in the people's fight against the enslavers.

From hall to hall the exposition unfolds like the rolls of chronicles. Every hall is a museum exhibit in itself. The museum numbers about 500 works of painting, sculpture and applied arts.

Zolochivsky Castle in Lviv region

Zolochivsky Castle in Lviv region is a construction reflecting typical European military architecture and has not had significant reconstruction for centuries.

Built in 1630 like a citadel with bastions, it's surrounded by barrages. In the castle's courtyard there is the Great Palace built in late Renaissance style and the Chinese Palace built by Jan III, the King of Poland, for his wife Maria Kasimira de Arcunion.

Excursion to Zhovkva in Lviv region

The city has very rich and interesting history, related to life and activity of famous historical persons. There were private residencies of the crown hetman Stanislaw Zolkiewski and the King Jan the Third Sobieski, the military headquarter of Russian Tsar Peter the First, place of born and childhood of the Ukrainian Hetman Bohdan Khmelnitsky establisher of Ukrainian State in XVII century. Zhovkva is the only example in Ukraine saved Renaissance deal city-citadel, the real pearl of national architecture heritage. Today on the small territory of the city, there are present two monuments of city house building, 55 architecture monuments on world, national and regional level, two monuments of landscape architecture, 15 historical monuments.