Lviv

Geography

Localization

Of a surface of 171 km ², Lviv is to approximately 70 km of the Polish border . Encircled many hills, the average altitude of the east city of 289 meters to the top of the sea level. The culminating point is called Vysokyy Zamok (the High Castle), a hill of 409 meters.

The old city, surrounded by walls, was located at the buttress of the High Castle and the Poltva river. At the 13th century, this river was used for the trade and the transport of goods. But at the beginning of the 20th century, the river becoming increasingly polluted, it was decided to cover it and make it pass under the old city. The central artery of Lviv, the Avenue of Independence ( Prospective customer Svobody ), as well as the famous Opéra of Lviv are just with the top of the underground river.

Its geographical coordinates are: 24°05' 00" E 49°52' 00" NR.

Climate

The Climat of Lviv is continental moderate. The average Température is of -4°C in January and +18°C in June. Although there are approximately 660 mm of Précipitation S per annum, the city knows one period cig in summer. Lviv has on average 300 days of sun per annum.

History

XIIIe century-XIXe century

The city was founded at the 13th century by the prince Daniel de Galicie of the duchy of Ruthènes of Galicie-Volhynie, and a name derived from that of his/her son gave him, Lev (first name which could be translated by Leon). It replaced Halych like the main city of the area.

Although the first mention in the chronicles goes back to 1256, of the archaeological excavations in 1993 showed that there were campings as of the 6th century. At the dawn of the history, the zone was built-in the empire of the Grand Moravian then was coveted by two emergent States: the Poland during the reign of Mieszko I {{er}}, chief of the Polanes); and Rus' of Kiev. It is thought that Mieszko controlled the zone between 960 and 980. According to the chronicle of Nestor, in 981 it was conquered by Volodymyr large the, Prince de Kiev.

In 1323 the dynasty of the Romanovitch - the local branch of the Riourik dynasty - died out. The city was bequeathed to the heir to the dynasty of Romanovitch (by his/her mother) - Boleslas de Mazovie (also of the dynasty of the Piast by his/her father). It took the name, “Yuriy,” (Georges) and adopted the Greek religion (orthodoxe) of Rus', but did not obtain the adhesion of the noble buildings which poisoned it.

After its death in 1340, the rights of Lviv were claimed by his/her cousin Casimir III of Poland, which invades the duchy successfully and occupied Lviv in 1349. In 1356 the city obtained the Droits of Magdeburg and the right to control itself, which involved that the problems of the city were to be solved by a council elected by the easy citizens. In 1386 the zone was included in the Polish crown by Jadwiga of Poland. Later the city saw the crowning of several kings de Pologne.

Belonging to Poland, (and later of the lituano-Polish community), Lviv became the capital of the Voïvodie ruthene, which included five areas: Lviv, Chelm (Kholm), Sanok, Halych and Przemyśl (Peremysl). In the following centuries the Poles colonized in great number and Lviv became an multi-ethnic, multiconfessionnelle city and a center of culture, science and trade. Three archbishop's palaces were installed there: roman catholic, orthodoxe Greek and orthodoxe Armenian. There were also Germans and as from the 16th century, of the Protestants.

In first half of the 17th century the city counted from 25 to 30.000 people, among them of many craftsmen.

In 1649 the city was besieged by the Ukrainian Cosaques under the command of Bohdan Khmelnytskyï, which captured the castle. However the city was not taken because it due to pay a ransom. In 1657 it was invaded by the foreign armies of the duke of Transylvania Georges I {{er}} Rákóczy, and in 1672 by that of Turkish Othoman of Mehmed IV.

In 1772, following the partition of Poland, Lviv became the capital of the Austrian province called kingdom of Galicie and Lodomerie. This mode left a great print on the architecture of the city. In 1776, appears the Gazette of Léopol , in French language, first newspaper in Ukraine. In 1784, the first university was opened by the Emperor Joseph II. The courses, were given in Latin, German and Polish and, starting from 1786, in Ukrainian. At the beginning of the 19th century, the city became the seat of the primacy of the catholic Ukrainian Greek church.

In 1867, the Galicie, always dominated by Austria, obtained a broad autonomy and the Poles profited from certain cultural freedoms, in the local government and education. An Ukrainian patriotic movement remained.

With the collapse of the empire of the Habsbourg, after the First World War, the local Ukrainian population proclaimed Lviv capital of the republic of Western Ukraine on November 1st 1918. A few days later, the Polish population took the contôle most of the downtown area but the Ukrainian forces besieged the city.

The city was attached to Poland until the Second world war

In 1922, the first air flight regular connected Gdańsk to Warsaw then in Lviv (Aerolloyd company, ancestor of the BATCH Polish Airlines).

Second world war

At the beginning of the Second world war, the area was invaded initially by the Soviet then by the Nazi S and, again, the Soviets.

Polish census of 1931: Total 312 231

Polish 198 212 (63,5%)
Ukrainian 35 137 (11,3%)
Jewish 75 316 (24,1%)

The city and its area were built-in the Soviet socialist Republic of Ukraine in 1939. Just like the remainder of the Western Ukraine, Lviv knew Stalinist terror what drew up an important part of townsmen against the Soviet mode.

In summer 1941 Lviv was occupied by the Germans. The attempt at Ukrainian nationalists to proclaim independence during regime change failed lamentably.

At the beginning of November 1941, the Germans created a ghetto in the north of Lvov. In 1941, the Nazis carried out the members of the direction of the prison and the members of NKVD, room affirming that they all were Jewish. The German police force carried out thousands of old or sick Jews while they crossed the bridge of the street Peltewna to join the ghetto. In March 1942, the Germans started to off-set the Jews towards the death camp of Belzec. In August 1942, more 65 000 Jews had been off-set ghetto of Lvov and had been exterminated. Thousands of others were sent in the camp of forced labor close to Janowska. At the beginning of June 1943, the Germans destroyed the ghetto. Thousands of Jews were killed on this occasion. The survivors of the ghetto were sent to the camp of forced labor of Janowska.

Soviet period

Independent Ukraine

Transport

Bus

As in many Ukrainian cities, the network of drunk is not very well developed and the number of lines is rather reduced. But alternative means of transport and little expensive were set up: " Marshroutky". They are light vans or small trucks arranged in the minibuses and which furrow the city and the suburbs. The marshroutky do not have really fixed stops nor quite precise schedules but it is a relatively cheap, fast and effective service. Certain lines of marshroutky serve also cities of the area like Sehyni (Шегині) close to the Polish border .

Trams

The first lines of Tramway inaugurated on May 5th 1880. May 31st 1894 the last tram line still tractor drawn by horses was electrified. After the Second world war and the year of the city by the Soviet Union, several lines were closed although the majority of the infrastructures were preserved. However, much of stops were removed and today, the average distance between two stops is of approximately 2 kilometers.

Currently, the network of Lviv is composed of 75 kilometers way and approximately 220 trams. The majority of the ways are in very bad condition just like are to it the vehicles which borrow them. The majority of the trams are of type KT4, produced in Czech Republic by Tatra. New T4+T4 are in service on line 2. Old vehicles Gothaer Waggonfabrik of before the war are still used for the maintenance work.

Trolley bus

With the end of the war and the return of many inhabitants who had flees the city, Lviv knew a demographic strong growth and extended rather quickly. This was also accelerated by the development program of the heavy industry of the Soviet authorities in the area. From 1952, to mitigate the lack of means of transport, lines of Trolleybus started to replace the lines of Tramway S which had been removed. Later on, of many other lines were built to connect the Banlieue S dormitories to the city. Today, approximately 200 trolleys, for the majority built in the Sixties circulate in the city.

Train

Lviv is an important rail junction with step less than 9 lines which converge there. The majority of the Ukrainian cities can be connected directly since the viv like some cities abroad. From its proximity with the Polish border, there is much train in direction of this country. Much passing by Przemyśl and Rava Ruska such as for example the pullman-car expresses the connection Kiev - Cracow. For more details: Site Lviv Railway Station (in Ukrainian)

Airport

Lviv has an international airport (Code AITA: LWO) located at the south-west of the city (Official site of the airport of Lviv) (3 km OF the CENTER, it is served by the tram and the buses. Domestic and international connections regular exist with Kiev, Simféropol, Moscow, Warsaw, Frankfurt, Vienna. …

Education

The viv are an important center of education and Recherche in Ukraine. The city accommodates three large Université S and of many institutes of higher education but also eight institutes of the national Académie of sciences of Ukraine, more than forty Institut S of Recherche, three academies,…
Principal universities:

University Ivan Franko ( ЛьвівськийнаціональнийуніверситетіменіІванаФранка in Ukrainian) Official site in polytechnic English
National university of the viv ( Національнийуніверситет " Львівськаполітехніка" in Ukrainian) Official site in Ukrainian and English
University of medicine of viv Danylo Galitsky ( ЛьвівськийнаціональниймедичнийуніверситетіменіДанилаГалицького in Ukrainian) Official site in Ukrainian

Twinnings

Topicality

The aerodrome was the scene of a carnage on July 27th, 2002, when a fighter plan SU27 was crushed on crowd during a demonstration, making 83 died and 116 wounded.

The city was submerged in December 2004 by the Orange revolution as from the moment when the very disputed presidential election failed to turn to the advantage of the capacity in place. It was one of the first to refuse the announced result of the faked victory of Viktor Ianoukovitch.

In 2012, it must accommodate meetings of the Championnat of Europe of football, the occasion to undoubtedly increase its hotel capacity.

Remarkable buildings

the Dominican church
the opera at the end of the prospect Svobody ( Freedom ), built in 1900 by the Gorgolevski architect.
middle-class houses around the place Adam Mickiewicz.
the Rynok place with its frontages Rebirth and its courses interior with Italian. In its center l'" is; hotel of ville" , overhung of a tower of 65 meters. The building is surrounded by four statues, respectively representing Diane, Adonis, Neptune and Amphitrie. The statue of Neptune was the place where the public executions with the Middle Ages proceeded.
the Armenian, founded cathedral in 1356.
old ramparts of the city and their museum of old weapons.

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