Lviv Local Customs

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There are four fountains with sculptures representing mythological figures around Market Square:
- on the south-western side –
Neptune fountain;
- on the north-western side –
Amphitrite fountain;
- on the north-eastern side -
Adonis fountain;
- on the south-eastern side -
Diana fountain.
The fountain figures were made by Hartman Witwer (1774-1825) out of limestone.
They embody the allegory of earth (the sculptures of Diana and Adonis) and water (the sculptures of Neptune and Amphitrite).
The Market Square figures were created between 1810 and 1814.
These fountains are a good meeting point for people, especially for the first-time visitors of Lviv.
One of the first pictures of the entire group of VT Meeting participants was made in front of Amphitrite fountain.

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There are a lot of unique city festivals that no other Ukrainian or Russian city can boast of:
Bear Festival;
Coffee Festival;
Chocolate Festival;
Cooks’ Festival;
Waiters’ Festival;
Musical Arts Festival;
Ethno-Jazz Festival;
Days of Lviv
(a city festival observed on the second weekend of May
with a lot of colorful events)
and others.
When we had lunch at Gallery Cafe, we saw the participants of the International Children's Painting Festivals called Young Talents Under the Patronage of King Daniel and the Golden Easel competition.
That festival was taking place at Merchants' Tower center in Liberty Avenue.
We saw a lot of amazing kids' pictures and handicrafts. Good luck in the future, kids! :-)
City Festivals

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Kinopalats at 22 Theater Street is a nice place to hide from the terrible rain and storm that often happen here in Lviv.
I enjoyesd my walk, but when the rainy weather became unbearable, I decided to see a new movie at this place.
It was Prince of Persia.
The ticket price was 35 UAH.
I enjoyed every minute of it!
Answering machine: +38 032 297 50 50;
Ticket reservation: +38 032 297 50 05.

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The Ukraine is a country of cash, so it is always best to pay cash. The local currency is the "Hryvnia" (abbreviation: UAH) which is divided into 100 Kopecks.

In 2004/05 new banknotes were put into circulation, but the various old ones are still valid and in circulation as well.

This causes some confusion as you may have 2 or even more variations of the same banknote in your wallet.

In the last years the Ukrainian Hryvnia has been relatively stable. Nevertheless you might see some signs stating prices in US Dollar or Euro.

I usually prefer to get my money from cash points which can be found at almost every corner in Lviv. I really find it amazing how many banks you find in Ukrainian cities.

You can also exchange your local currency at one of the many exchange booths. As their rates might vary, I recommend to campare a few rates and ask how many Hryvnia you really get for your currency.

Just make sure that you don't have to pay a commission and that you count the money at the window in front of the person in charge.

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Latin Cathedral is the main Roman-Catholic church in Lviv.
It was the first site we saw in Market Square. The cathedral was founded in 1349.
It was constructed during the centuries and absorbed the styles of different epochs.
There are precious relics in the central altar of the church, among them the wonder-working Icon of the Virgin Mary the Gentle.
You can see a memorial plaque dedicated to the visit of Pope John Paul II who attended a mass here on June 26, 2001.
The Chapel of the Boim Family is the only remaining part of the cathedral cemetery. It is located on the site.
See also:
Interactive Map of Lviv

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There is a traditional market of popular handicrafts in the square located behind the Opera and Ballet Theater. This place is mostly for foreigners who have no time to look for good souvenirs at small shops around the city.
This is where you can buy a lot of souvenirs to take home with you: pictures, postcards, clothes and what not.
You can negotiate the price here, but the discount is usually not more than 5-10 UAH ($1).

when traveling by train, be prepared that your travel companions might be too excited to meet you. for some of them, you will be the first foreigner they have ever met on the train, or even in their life. Most likely they would not speak your language, but they will try to impress you with Ukrainian hospitality. Th Ukrainian hospitality might translate into ask you to share a dinner with them and in some cases, offer you a drink "za znayomstvo" ('nice to meet you' drink). The drink can range from a beer to numerous shots of vodka. Usually a polite ‘thank you’ and ‘no’ (dyakuyu, ya ne pyu - ukr.) will do, but if your travel companion keeps insisting, say that you take medication that do not go with alcohol (ya pryimayu liky - ukr.) In rare instances, which will hopefully never happens, your companion might keep bugging you. in that case, ask a conductor to move you to another compartment.

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The city of Lviv was founded by Daniel (otherwise Danylo) of Galicia, a prince who later became a king, in 1256 – or at least that is when the first written mention of the city was made. He named the city after his son, Leo or Lev. From Leo to lion is not much of a jump, and so the lion became the city’s emblem.

We were told on the road train tour that there are over 3,000 images and statues of lions in the city! I didn’t see anything like that number in my short stay, but I did see a lot, so I am prepared to believe it. The two playful cubs in my main photo are just outside the entrance to the City Hall on Ploscha Rynok, and the winged lion in photo 2 is almost opposite them at the entrance to the Partisans’ Café. Meanwhile Daniel himself has his own statue in Galytska Square, as seen in photo 3.

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We found the people of Lviv to be very friendly and welcoming. Several seemed to take a lot of interest in our group, especially when they realised that we came from so many different countries. The young man whom we “adopted” on the first morning as a sort of unofficial guide; the other young man who was roped in to take group photos for us in the main square and took the task very seriously; the owner of “U Pani Stephy” restaurant who baked her own-recipe cheesecake for us; and the sales assistant in a souvenir shop who waited while I went to change money to make my purchase.

But most memorable of all were the two occasions when we engaged in conversation with local young people. The group here at the Lychakiv Cemetery were with their teacher who was keen that they have a chance to talk English with us. They were a really lovely group and I think the encounter made our day as much as it did theirs. After the impromptu photo session we allowed them to keep our VT flags, so somewhere in Ukraine now there is probably a classroom festooned with the VT logo and VT message!

The second encounter came later the same day on the top of High Castle Hill where we ran into a group of teenage English students. They were much more self-conscious than the morning’s younger crowd had been, but one girl eventually opened up enough to talk a bit about their studies and where they came from, and her friends clustered round to listen even though they were too shy to join in.

If you should get a similar opportunity do take it. It’s rare for these young people to be able to talk English to a native speaker, so you’ll be helping them out, but it may also be one of the most memorable experiences of your trip.

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On May 24 Heroes Festival is observed in Lviv.
There are memorial meetings at the cemeteries where the national liberation heroes are buried at Lychakiv Cemetery and Yahiv Cemetery.
There is a patriots' procession along Stepan Bandera Street and a rally at Bandera monument in Bandera Street and another one at Shevchenko monument in Liberty Avenue.
Heroes Festival in Lviv.
Stepan Bandera is a very revered national hero in Lviv.
The monument to Stepan Bandera was dedicated on October 13, 2007 in Bandera Street, not far from the railway station.
The monument is four meters high. It was created by sculptor Mykola Possikyra and architect Mykhailo Red’ko.
As the city mayor said, “It’s the people’s monument to the people’s hero”…
You can see the Arch of Triumph behind the monument with a golden trident above it.
The arch is 30 meters high. It consists of four columns, each of which representing a certain period in the Ukrainian history – from King Daniel to our times.