Other sights in Lviv
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Lychakivske Cemetery
Don’t even think of leaving town until you’ve seen the Lychakivske Cemetery; it is only a short journey from the centre. This is the Père Lachaise of Eastern Europe, with the same sort of overgrown grounds and Gothic aura as the famous Parisian necropolis. Eagle eyes can try to spot the graves of revered nationalist poet Ivan Franko, Soviet gymnastics legend Viktor Chukarin, early 20th-century opera star Solomiya Krushelnytska, and some 2000 Poles who died fighting Ukrainians and Bolsheviks from 1918 to 1920. Ultimately you needn’t recognise a single soul to be moved by the mournful photos of loved ones, ornate tombstones and floral tributes.
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B
Armenian Cathedral
By some accounts, Lviv has more than 80 churches and it’s all too easy to overdose on ornate interiors and golden iconostases, but one church you should not miss is the elegant 1363 Armenian Cathedral. The placid cathedral courtyard is a maze of arched passageways and squat buildings festooned with intricate Caucasian detail. Stepping into the courtyard feels like stepping into another era. Quaint, cobbled vul Virmenska was the heart of the old Armenian (‘Virmenska’ in Ukrainian) quarter.
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St George’s Cathedral
On a hilltop beyond Ivan Franko Park stands St George’s Cathedral. This is the historic and sacred centre of the Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine, which was handed back after 44 years of compulsory Orthodox control. Constructed in 1774–90, this yellow building is pleasant enough, especially since a refurbishment for the pope’s 2001 visit. However, it’s perhaps not as striking as some of Lviv’s less important churches. For many, the most memorable element will be the 3D icon of Christ near the far right corner, if looking from the door. It presents Christ’s face from one angle, and the image from the shroud of Turin from another.
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C
Pototsky Palace
The Lviv Art Gallery has two wings – one in the lavish Pototsky Palace, the other around the corner on vul Stefanyka. The former houses an impressive collection of European art from the 14th to 18th centuries, including works by Rubens, Bruegel, Goya and Caravaggio. The art is all on the second floor. A tour of the palace’s empty but striking ground floor costs an extra 5uah. The wing on vul Stefanyka contains 19th- and early 20th-century art, most of it Polish and Russian.
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D
National Museum
Most of the National Museum is dedicated to Ukrainian art of the 12th to 20th centuries. The old religious icons and medieval books are quite extraordinary if you’re a fan. The temporary exhibitions by local artists are of a more variable quality. Taras Shevchenko’s moustachioed death mask is also here.
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E
Arsenal Museum
The town’s arsenal (1554–56) is now the Arsenal Museum, where you can check out suits of armour and various cannons and weapons.
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