Lviv III

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

You thought we were gone for good, didn't you? I guess we needed a break from the blog and didn't even know it.  We've been back in Seattle since the 6th. It's been a crazy week of unpacking (not just our suitcases but our entire condo-- all our belongings were in moving boxes while we were away). We've been busy visiting people we love that we've neglected for half a year, getting cell phone service, forwarding and reading mail, doing laundry, filling an empty fridge, running errands of all sorts, sending off our first packages from our new shop Handle With Care... and despite our long to-do list at home, we took off on a weekend trip to Idaho to see my (Julia's) side of the family. More on all this later.

We're finally back with a travel post! This post is heavy on the history, but I figured our Ukrainian friends/readers would really appreciate it. 

The city of Lviv is the biggest city on the western side of the country (near the Polish border), and thus has a very European feel.  It was founded by Prince Danylo of Galicia (a former region between Ukraine and Poland) in the 13th century. He named the city after his son, Lev (which means "Lion" in Ukrainian)-- thus it's also known as the Lion City. You may have picked up on this through our recent photos. There are lions everywhere. The lion theme is present on gates, statues, and cafes (the House of Legends we mentioned earlier has a quirky "Lion Room" that's a must-visit).  Since Prince Danylo's reign, Lviv has been a major city of Poland and of Austria-Hungary (ruled by the Hapsburgs, a family we learned about during our time in Vienna and Budapest). Lviv was once part of the USSR, was occupied by the Germans during WWII, and is now an important city in the country of Ukraine, which gained it's independence in 1991. You can see it had a lot of influences from many different cultures, and that's probably why it appealed so much to us. 

Lviv is widely known as the cultural city of Ukraine. It's popular for it's philharmonic orchestra,  opera/ballet house, and many art galleries. We were so glad to catch a musical at the Lviv Theater of Opera & Ballet, which we'll share with you later. If you're into the arts, you will be amazed at how affordable it is to enjoy in Lviv.  Lviv has more than 100 festivals annually, 60 museums, and 100 churches! We loved the atmosphere of Ukrainian pride among narrow cobbled streets, historic buildings, art culture, cozy cafes and restaurants, and delicious homey food. 

The people who live in Lviv are true nationalists and everyone speaks very pure Ukrainian, whereas other major cities of Ukraine (like the capital city Kiev) still have a ton of Russian-speakers left over from the Soviet Union. If you say something in Russian while in Lviv, it's likely you'll be corrected in Ukrainian! I was pretty embarrassed by my accent and poor Ukrainian. 33% of Lviv's residents consider themselves to be followers of Bandera (link in Ukrainain), a controversial figure who was the leader of the Ukrainian Nationalist Movement. Today, some people in Ukraine hate him and still fear his followers called "Banderevtsi" (who are mostly in Lviv). Others praise him as a Ukrainian hero. It seems like Ukrainians can't seem to agree who are the good guys and who are the bad guys to this day. 

If you visit Ukraine, you absolutely have to make a stop in this city to witness the true Ukrainian culture and spirit.

* Julia

[History Sources: Wikipedia, GT, and a walking tour we loved and very highly recommend by InLviv]

19 comments :

  1. Gorgeous photos. I am very jealous of your country. I wish Romanians would take as much pride in their country as Ukrainians. Maybe something might actually be restored to it's original shape.

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  2. Glad you are back to blogging! Beautiful photos as always!

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  3. so glad to see a new post form you guys. I am happy that you both getting settled in after your return, it's a lot of catching up to do after being away form home but eventually everything will fall into place.

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  4. These photos are beautiful!!! Excited to see more!

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  5. These photos are beautiful! I live in Seattle too, (at least over the summers) and I'm so inspired by all of your adventures!

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  6. I was so afraid I'd never hear from you guys again!
    Glad to see you're back with more gorgeous photos!!
    Will you be blogging even after you finish sharing these past 6 months?
    I think that would be awesome!

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  7. So glad to see you're back! : ) It looks as though you had a similar issue to the one I have every time I go back to Poland. I feel like I have a 10 year old's speech, ha! Lovely photos, as always.

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  8. Did you go to Kiev? I'm planning a trip there this summer. Would love some tips from such seasoned travelers.

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  9. mike & i just took a peek at these! they are so beautiful - and such lovely editing. great architectural shots. xoxo

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  10. Again, I am in love with your picture, the tones are super nice and the shots beautiful!

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  11. These photos make me feel so cold!

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  12. I just stumbled on your blog and am so happy I did! These photos are beautiful and made me nostalgic for home

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  13. So beautiful! I am so drawn in by the photos of the people on the buses! Awesome that you guys are getting settled in at home. You guys are amazing.

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  14. yessss !!!
    They are blog posting again !
    Youpiii

    Renaud from Paris

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  15. So jazzed....just got my postcard in the mail yesterday!!! thanks bunches, totally inspired to update my camera and get on the road. take care you two, you are so cute together. totally inspired to find a man now too! haha

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  16. Ana- That's an interesting perspective! Every country needs proud citizens, I guess.

    ShoKrey- We'll see if we can have interesting things to share, but I think we'll have enough trips to keep it up, even after the 6 months.

    Eva- Glad I'm not the only one!

    Julia- Yes, we did go to Kiev! You'll see our photos from Kiev here in a few weeks. We highly recommend to go on a free walking tour on your first day there-- you will learn so much.

    Tiffanym- You're very welcome. Good luck on your search. ;)

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  17. Ah, I love L'viv! It is such a magical city!

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  18. As always your photos are incredible! You should be working for the Tourist Information office as I'd be on the next flight now if i could (even though it's cold). You really have a talent for bringing out the best of a city, including the mood of the people and culture.

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  19. I love the way you photograph! The coloring, composition, style...i love to see other people who share the same love of travel. I'll be going to Russia in 3 weeks so I hope to come back with some fantastic pics!
    btw, Welcome back home!

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