Lviv, Ukraine

Welcome to Lviv, the largest city in western Ukraine and one of the main cultural centers of the country. With a population of 717,273 (2022 est.), Lviv serves as the administrative center of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion. The city was named in honor of Leo, the eldest son of Daniel, King of Ruthenia. Lviv emerged as the center of the historical regions of Red Ruthenia and Galicia in the 14th century, superseding Halych, Chełm, Belz, and Przemyśl. It was the capital of the Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia from 1272 to 1349, when it was conquered by King Casimir III the Great of Poland. From 1434, it was the regional capital of the Ruthenian Voivodeship in the Kingdom of Poland. In 1772, after the First Partition of Poland, the city became the capital of the Habsburg Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria. In 1918, for a short time, it was the capital of the West Ukrainian People’s Republic. Between the wars, the city was the center of the Lwów Voivodeship in the Second Polish Republic. After the German-Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939, Lviv became part of the Soviet Union. The once-large Jewish community of the city was sharply reduced in number by the Nazis during the Holocaust. For decades there was no working synagogue in Lviv after the final one was closed by the Soviets. The greater part of the once-predominant Polish population was sent to Poland during a population exchange between Poland and Soviet Ukraine in 1944–46. Despite its tumultuous history, the historic heart of the city, with its cobblestone streets and architectural assortment of Renaissance, Baroque, Neo-classicism, and Art Nouveau, survived Soviet and German occupations during World War II largely unscathed. The historic city center is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Due to the city’s Mediterranean aura, many Soviet movies set in places like Venice or Rome were actually shot in Lviv. In 1991, Lviv became part of the independent nation of Ukraine. Today, Lviv is a vibrant city with many industries and institutions of higher education, such as Lviv University and Lviv Polytechnic. It is also the home of many cultural institutions, including a philharmonic orchestra and the Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet. The city’s coat of arms, the banner of the Lviv City Council, and the logo are the officially approved symbols of Lviv. Lviv’s modern coat of arms is based on the coat of arms from the city seal from the middle of the 14th century—a stone gate with three towers, in the opening of the gate of which walks a golden lion. Lviv’s flag is a blue square banner with the city emblem image and with yellow and blue triangles at the edges. Lviv’s logo is an image of five colorful towers in Lviv and the slogan Lviv — open to the world under them. Lviv’s climate is humid continental (Köppen climate classification Dfb) with cold winters and warm summers. The average temperatures are −3 °C (27 °F) in January and 18 °C (64 °F) in July. The average annual rainfall is 745 mm (29 in) with the maximum in summer. Mean sunshine duration per year at Lviv is about 1,804 hours. Come and explore the rich history, stunning architecture, and vibrant culture of Lviv, Ukraine!