Lviv: The “Little Paris”

In my defense, that is what it is known as in this part of the world.  I did not make it up, and can’t take credit for it.  If you’re coming to Europe (and especially countries like Austria or Poland which are so close), I would full heartedly suggest coming to Lviv.  It is such an unusual and beautiful place.

When I arrived I knew that I was supposed to catch trolley#9 from the airport to where it dead ends at the city square.  From there, my hotel was just a couple of blocks away.  So…the trolley pulls up…and I DO mean a trolley!  Like cable car style.  I pay the driver 2UAH (about 10 cents) and I get on.  Apparently there is a ticket system where the driver gives you a ticket and you stamp it into the machine…and apparently this process is a big deal because one lady started yelling at me in Ukrainian that I needed to do it.  Another lady (who spoke English) helped me, and I said Spasiba (thank you) in Russian.  She took my arm and said “No!  Thank you.”  Then looked at me.  I said “Thank you.”  And she said “you’re welcome.”  The message was very clear:  Do not speak Russian here.

Lviv geographically sits on the border of Poland and has been a part of many different nations over the centuries.  As you walk the streets, it is common to hear people speaking not only Ukrainian, but Romanian, Polish, even Russian in some cases.  I was often confused as being Polish, and have no idea why.  But the people here are VERY Western and anti-Russia.  It’s also a university town with several different campuses.  In other words, it’s like Ukraine’s Berkeley.

Why am I here?  First, I have never been here before…so why not?  And second, I wanted to be in an artsy atmosphere for Independence Day (after all the tanks and military in Kiev last year).

The main two things I did upon arriving here in Lviv was first see the Prison at Lontskogo, which was where prisoners were held by the Nazis, and later where Stalin’s regime interrogated prisoners.  It is now a memorial museum emphasizing that we never let such cruelty happen again.  It is all preserved, and as I walked through it I just became sick.  On the way out I was crying, and I thanked the lady at the door and made for the street.  This museum will only take about 10 minutes to walk through…but they will be the most horrific 10 minutes of your life.  I was completely unprepared…and only shared some pictures here.

The other item of business was much more fun (and how could it not be?):  High Castle!  High Castle is a giant mountain that overlooks the entire city.  It is very high, and part of the mountain is made up of an ancient castle that was destroyed centuries ago.   It was a hike.  It was a freakin’ hike.  And some of it was spent in the pouring rain.  But it was worth it.  I’ve shared some of my views from the top here.  Also at High Castle is an entirely preserved village which dates from 1840-1910…but that was so beautiful and such a great story, that it warrants its own blog.

As you read this, the Independence Day celebrations will be coming to a close here.  I look forward to sharing with everyone pictures of the festivities!  Who am I kidding, I’m just a sucker for lots of vyshyvka…and I’m assuming there will be a lot of people wearing some.  Until then…

Jeff:  Aug 24^th, 2017