Attractions of Lviv region

The National Memorial Museum of Victims of Occupation Regimes "Prison at Lontskoho" was opened in Lviv in a building that for 85 years was occupied by the punitive bodies of various authorities.

The complex at the intersection of modern Bandery and Kopernika streets was built at the end of the 19th century for the Austrian gendarmerie. Then the prisons of the Polish, German and Soviet authorities were located in the building. In 1941, the largest number of political prisoners in Western Ukraine was destroyed here - 1,645. During the German occupation, the Gestapo prison was housed in the building. After the Second World War, it was used by the Soviet punitive and repressive authorities to hold captured rebels. After the declaration of Ukraine's independence, the detention center of the SBU was located here.

The museum complex "Prison at Lontskoho" was opened by the Liberation Movement Research Center and the Security Service of Ukraine. An authentic prison setting has been recreated. The complex includes a solitary confinement cell, a death row cell, and an investigator's office. Declassified "shooting lists" are presented, as well as the archive file of one of the most famous prisoners - Father Mykola Khmilevskyi, head of the underground Greek Catholic Church and member of the Ukrainian Main Liberation Council.

Excursions are conducted by appointment.

The Basilian Monastery of the Nativity of Christ with the rich Baroque Church of the Sacred Heart of Christ was built in Zhovkva in 1612 on the site of the wooden Basilian Church.

The first abbot was Metropolitan Dosytheus, buried in the crypt under the church. Initially, the complex was built in the Renaissance style and had a defensive character. The reconstruction carried out in 1905 completely changed its appearance. The Renaissance carved white stone southern portal has been preserved since the 17th century.

The wonderful iconostasis of the work of the famous master Ivan Rutkovich is now kept in the National Museum named after Andrey Sheptytskyi in Lviv. Modernist wall paintings of 1911-1939 have been preserved in the interior. the works of Yulian Butsmanyuk, which, in particular, depict figures of the Ukrainian People's Republic of Ukraine and the West Ukrainian People's Republic. The portrait of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytskyi can be guessed in the image of Savaof.

The relics of Saint Parthenius are kept in the Church of the Heart of Christ.

The Greek Catholic Church of the Nativity of the Holy Virgin in Sambir was built in 1728 at the expense of the Komarnytsky magnates on the site of the first wooden Ukrainian church, which the Polish authorities allowed to be built inside the city in 1558.

The paintings were done by the icon painter Martyn Yablonskyi. The miraculous Sambir icon of the Mother of God, which is considered one of the oldest in Ukraine (crowned in 1928 by Pope Pius XI), was transferred from the old one to the new church. After the Second World War, the icon was considered lost, but in 1996 it was found, restored and returned to the church.

Tourists are more attracted by the fact that the relics of Saint Valentine - the patron saint of lovers - are kept in the Church of the Nativity of the Holy Virgin. In 1759, the Holy Relics, which previously rested in the cemetery of Saint Priscilla in Rome, were transferred by the Vatican to Sambir for safekeeping. The authenticity of the relic is confirmed by a document of the Pope. On Valentine's Day and the Epiphany, relics are carried around the temple and displayed on a tetrapod for a week for general veneration.

Olesko Castle, which is part of the "Golden Horseshoe of Lviv Region", is one of the most famous castles in Ukraine. It is considered the only surviving stone fortress from the times of Ancient Rus' in Ukraine.

The medieval castle rises above the town of Olesko on a 50-meter hill, it is clearly visible from the road. Built in the XIII-XIV centuries. Galician-Volyn princes. The castle was first mentioned in 1327, when it became the property of Prince Yuriy II Boleslav. In the Middle Ages, the fortress was repeatedly attacked by Tatars, destroyed and rebuilt.

In the XVII century. Olesko Castle was owned by the magnates Danylovychs, who rebuilt it in its current form. In 1629 the grandson of Yan Danylovych, the future King of Poland Yan III Sobeskyi, was born here. Mykhaylo Khmil, Bohdan Khmelnytsky's father, served here.

The restoration of the castle after a strong earthquake in 1882 was carried out by the Polish Society for the Guardianship of the Castle in Olesko.

Since the 1970s, a branch of the Lviv National Art Gallery has been housed in Olesko Castle. In particular, the exhibition presents works by world-famous Ukrainian sculptor Ivan Pinzel.

The pearl of the collection is a huge (7.65 m x 7.3 m) battle canvas by Martino Altomonte "Battle of Vienna".

On the slopes of the hill is an Italian park with ancient and modern sculptures.

The magnificent monastic complex of the origin of the tree of the Cross of God (the former Dominican monastery) in the magnificent baroque style rises above Rozhenytsia Mountain on the outskirts of the village of Pidkamin.

The current architectural ensemble was formed in the 17th-18th centuries, however, according to one of the versions, the monastery was founded by Kyiv-Pechers monks back in the 13th century. The first mention of the wooden monastery of the Dominican Catholic order dates back to 1464, but it was soon burned down by the Tatars.

In 1612, the architect Pavlo Hizhitskyi and the engineer Hristian Dahlke began the construction of a new defensive monastery complex, which lasted for more than 80 years. The complex is dominated by the Church of the Ascension with a tall tower with a baroque spire, which can be seen from Pochaiv. The cells are adjacent to it, the bell tower, the chapel of Saint John Nepomuk (now the church of the New Martyr Nicholas) is located nearby. The complex is surrounded by walls with towers and bastions. In the center of the yard is a Corinthian column with the figure of the Mother of God (1719), and there is a 100-meter well on the territory. The monastery had a complex title - the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Cross of the God, the Apostles Peter and Paul and all the Saints. The main shrine was the miraculous icon of Our Lady of the Snows, which is now in Wroclaw.

In 1944, the monastery was closed by the Soviet authorities, a concentration camp for Ukrainian clergy was organized on the territory, where, in particular, Mykola Tsehelskyi, proclaimed a blessed martyr of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, was held. Later, a closed psychoneurological boarding school was established within the monastery walls, and the church was turned into a stable and even later into a garage. Grain was stored in one chapel, mineral fertilizers in another, and prison guard dogs were fed in another.

In 1997, the revival began with the efforts of a small brotherhood of Greek-Catholic monks of the Studite statute, and restoration is underway. In October 2022, the monastery bell tower restored with the funds of the European Union was consecrated.

The architectural ensemble of Lviv's main shopping square began to take shape in the 14th century in the style of European medieval cities (before that, the Stariy Rynok (Old Market) was the shopping center).

Market Square (Rynok square) is surrounded on four sides by 44 houses (apartments), different in time of construction and style (Renaissance, Baroque, Empire). Architects Petro Krasovskyi, Martyn Hradovskyi, Petro Barbon, Pavlo Rimlyanin, Bernard Meretyn, Sebastian Fesinger and others worked on the building.

Elements of Gothic architecture of the XV-XVI centuries have been preserved in the basements and first floors of many buildings. They are home to museums, shops and popular cafes. The Lviv Historical Museum occupies the most interesting buildings ("Black Stone House", "Royal Stone House" and others).

The Lviv City Hall (1381-1827) in the center of the square is a symbol of the city. The building is used for its intended purpose - it houses the city government. The Lviv Information and Tourist Center is located on the first floor of City Hall, providing tourists with information, maps and guidebooks.

There are always many tourists on Rynok Square in Lviv, especially on the days of numerous holidays and festivals.

The Roman Catholic Church of Saint Bartholomew was founded in Drohobych in 1392 by the Polish king Vladyslav II Yahaylo, but it was consecrated only in 1511.

The massive Gothic building of the church was built on the basis of the princely palace of the Galicia-Volyn principality. A powerful defense tower located nearby, which was part of the city fortifications on Castle Hill, began to serve as the bell of the church. Over the centuries, the building was rebuilt several times.

In Soviet times, the church premises were used as a warehouse. In 1989, the temple was returned to the Roman Catholic community of the city.

Gothic white stone portals, wall paintings and stained-glass windows of the 19th century based on drawings by famous artists Yan Mateyko, Stanislav Vyspyansky and Yuzef Mehoffer have been preserved in the interiors.

The walls are reinforced with buttresses. On the northern wall of the church there are unusual white stone reliefs - three windows depicting a palm, foot and head in a papal tiara. Some sources call them symbols of Catholic rule, others consider these symbols to be pagan.

The marble decoration of the door with two swords reminds of the inhabitants of the city who died in the Battle of Grunwald.

The Church of Saint Archangel Michael in Lviv was built at one time as a Catholic church of the monastery of the Discalced Carmelites, which was first mentioned in 1634, and has a long history of construction.

It was built, perhaps, according to the project of the architect Ivan Pokorovych, the son of the Lviv architect of Italian origin, Adam de Liarto. The towers of the main facade were designed by the architect Alois Vondrashka in 1835-1839, and completed during the restoration in 1906 by the architect Vladyslav Halytskyi.

The church was painted in 1731-1732 by the Italian artist Giuseppe Carlo Pedretti together with his Lviv student and assistant Benedykt Mazurkevych. The main altar is made of black marble (XVII century). Its authorship is attributed to the sculptor Oleksandr Prokhenkovych.

As one of the defense nodes of Lviv, the Carmelite church was repeatedly attacked, and in 1748 it even served as the arena of the so-called "monachomachy" - a struggle between Carmelite monks and Capuchins.

In 1991, the church and monastery were handed over to the monks of the Studio Statute of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church (an order founded in the 1920s by Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytskyi) and re-consecrated in honor of Saint Archangel Michael, the patron saint of Ukraine-Rus and the guardian of the Holy Sepulchre.

The unique wooden church of Saint Archangel Michael in Kuty was preserved thanks to the students of the University of Banking of the National Bank of Ukraine, who managed to raise funds for its complete reconstruction in 2008. Until that time, the temple was in a deplorable condition.

This masterpiece of sacred architecture was created by the carpenter Hryhoriy Hebych from Sasiv in 1697. The temple is three-log, measuring 13.3 by 6.1 meters. In 1865, an arched gallery was added around the perimeter, which gave the Saint Michael's Church a romantic look.

Today, the Church of Archangel Michael has acquired its original appearance. The funds collected by the students were spent on covering the roof of the church, installing a fire protection system and alarm equipment. The following year, a small area around the temple was paved with cobblestones. Also, the old iconostasis of the 17th century, which was kept in the Olesko castle until now, was returned to the church. The solemn opening of the restored temple took place on September 26, 2010.

The Archcathedral of Saint George (Saint Yura)  in Lviv is one of the most beautiful architectural ensembles of the city, a pearl of the Ukrainian Baroque. The main shrine of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, where the residence of the metropolitans of the UGCC was located for a long time.

The first church on Svyatoyurska Hill in Lviv was founded during the times of the Galicia-Volyn principality. The current temple complex was built in 1744-1770 according to the project of Bernard Meretin, who combined the Rococo style with Ukrainian sacred aesthetics. Sculptures by Ivan Pinzel are installed on the main facade of the Church of Saint George. The bell tower houses the oldest bell in Ukraine (1341). The most valuable relic of the temple is the miraculous icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary (XVII century).

Metropolitans Andriy Sheptytskyi and Volodymyr Sterniuk, Patriarch Yosyp Slipiy are buried in Saint George's Cathedral.

Next to the cathedral is the Metropolitan Palace, where Pope Ivan Paul II stayed in 2001 during his visit to Ukraine.

Since 1998, Saint George's Cathedral, together with the ensemble of the historical center of Lviv, has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The wooden Saint George's Church in Drohobych is one of the most striking works of Galician folk architecture.

Included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in the category "Wooden Churches of the Carpathian Region of Ukraine". Belongs to the end of the 15th - beginning of the 16th century.

The Church of Saint George was brought to Drohobych from the Carpathian village of Nadiiv in 1656 and erected on the site of its burnt predecessor. A bell tower was built in 1678. The interior is painted with wonderful frescoes by Stefan Medytsky, the ancient carved iconostasis has been preserved.

The church was renovated several times, but did not lose its original appearance. Currently, part of the exposition of the historical and local history museum is located here. The rest of the exposition is located in the nearby wooden church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (1613)

Defensive Catholic Church of the Martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist in Sambir, built in the 16th century according to the project of architect Yuzef Tarnovchyk instead of a wooden church that burned down, has survived to our days after several reconstructions.

The largest was held after the fire in 1642. The architecture of the Saint John the Baptist Church combines Gothic and Renaissance features. It is the tallest and grandest building in the city.

The church is distinguished by its rich interior decoration. The Neo-Gothic organ, mounted in 1888 by the firm of Yan Slivinskyi from Lviv, has been preserved.

In 2007, a monument to Pope Ioann Paul II was erected in front of the church of Saint John the Baptist.

The majestic church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary of the Dominican monastery was built in Zhovkva in 1655 at the expense of Sofiya Teofila Sobeska, who owned the city at the time - the mother of the future Polish king Yan III Sobeskyi.

The Catholic church in the early baroque style was built on the site of the wooden church of the Virgin Mary. The monastery is surrounded by high defensive walls with a round corner tower, which was part of the system of city fortifications. In the 18th century, the complex was supplemented with monastic cells.

Sofiya Teofila Sobeska is buried in the church, as well as one of her sons, Mark - the brother of King Yan III Sobeskyi, who died near Batoh in 1652. The allegorical tombstones of the work of the German sculptor Andreas Schlueter have been preserved.

During the Austrian rule, part of the premises of the monastery were taken away, and during the Soviet times the temple was closed.

In 1995, the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary was rededicated as the Greek Catholic Church of the Holy Martyr Josaphat, and the Zhovkva-Sokal diocesan administration of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church was located in the monastery.

The Krekhiv Monastery of Saint Nicholas of the Basilian Fathers is one of the most important shrines of Greek Catholics in Ukraine, a place of mass pilgrimages.

It was founded at the beginning of the 17th century by the monks of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, Yoil and Sylvester, in the caves of Mount Pobiyna among the wooded hills of Roztochchya.

In 1618, Stanislav Zholkevskyi issued a charter for the foundation of the Krekhiv monastery. At that time, the wooden Peter and Paul Church was already standing on the rock, and the Annunciation Chapel was near the cave. Construction of the monastery complex at the foot of the mountain soon began. The monastery was surrounded by defensive walls, the Transfiguration and Trinity wooden churches (later moved), the stone church of Saint Nicholas, a four-tier bell tower, and the monastery building were built on the territory. The walls of the monastery repeatedly served as a refuge for local residents during Tatar attacks. Bohdan Khmelnytskyi and Peter I visited it at different times.

During the Soviet rule, the monastery was closed, and a boarding school for mentally retarded children was placed on the territory.

The revival began in 1990. The Higher Theological Seminary of Basilian was located here.

Mass pilgrimages take place on May 22, the day of the transfer of the relics of Saint Nicholas. Pilgrims climb the "Way of the Cross" to the top of the mountain to the chapel of the Holy Sepulchre.

The Krekhiv healing spring is especially popular with tourists.

The first wooden town hall was built in Sambir back in 1390, after the city received Magdeburg law.

The stone building on the current site was built in 1580, but half a century later it burned down during a fire. Only the basement premises were preserved, which became the basis for the construction of the current town hall.

The construction of the two-story building in the Renaissance style with a high 40-meter tower was completed in 1670. At the same time, the numbers "1606" are placed above one of the entrances, which gives reason to some researchers to consider the Sambir town hall as the oldest in Ukraine.

In 1844, a major reconstruction was carried out. The tower clock by the Prague master Heinz, which is still running, was installed on the tower in 1885 in place of a broken old clock.

The Sambir Town Hall still serves its purpose - it houses the state authorities: the City Hall and the City Council of People's Deputies.