I have always wondered which would have been be the first extra-EU country in my life. Answer is Ukraine, despite Lwow (third town of the country) is not so far away from Polish border and as you will read ahead I find kinship between the two countries.
Unusual choice to have a great friend in this trip: cool Bramby was the best option, with his verve and experience gained on New Zealand and Australia.
Lwow is such a great place linked to History: it was below the Habsburg and the Austrian – Hungarian Empire. When the First World War finished, the town became Polish. Lwow was chosen instead of Krakow (for budget reasons) as set place for some scenes of the famous movie Schlinder’s List.
Bigwigs
Rynok and the market place are the bigwigs, with a fountain in each one of the four stitches. The statues impersonate Neptune, Diana, Anfitrite and. Adonice. Nowadays there are the civic numbers in the main square but in the past houses and buildings were recognized with the owner’s name!
First and foremost I suggest to look the Hall Tower (Ratusz): on the top you can enjoy a fabolous panorama. You need breath and mettle, because of six flights of stairs plus a spiral staircase.
I have the feeling to stay in a ‘secret Poland’: really elegant, with its cafes, massive churchs and streets name in cirillic: the places is at the same time familiar and inscrutable.
Who knows the reason, maybe the Wisnieska liquer, made with cherries, or its cosmopolitan soul, or again because between Poles and Ukrains there is bad blood.
Virmenska
You cannot miss also Virmenska street, at the beginning of Armenian district: a little piece of former URSS transplanted on the Poltva shores.
Virmenska means the famous Armenian church. We were stopped by a cultured Armenian professor, Max, and Bramby replied classy quoting the Last Dinner of Leonardo. In this paintings it seems that there are 27 hands instead of 26. For a correct interpretation I send to http://albertocottignoli.over-blog.it/article-il-cenacolo-di-leonardo-66094465.html.
We were really proud to hear that the workers and craftsmen who built many buildings were Italians. They were selected by the noble class becasue the local workers weren’t so reliable!
Built in 1363,beautiful atmosphere based on incense and sacred icons arranged along the 2 sides of the central nave. Most of frescoes seem alive from how realistic they are.
Leaving the church, enjoyed a sumptuous lunch to a pathetically low price, we had the idea to head out of the center to admire the Zamok (the Castle). One hour walk to discover that the ruins of the castle are still nothing more. Even if the view from this raised area is not slushy, it reconciles us with the effort.
Theater of Ballet
The Theater of Ballet and Opera appears in its strenght; it’s a pity that inside was close!
The author is the local architect Gorgolevskj and it is considered one of the most beautiful of Europe.
Covered with rustic stone, on the left and right of the loggia stay allegorical figures: Popel and Baronch, the personification of Tragedy and the Comedy. On the main frame of the façade there are 10 figures, 9 of the Muses and 1 of Apollonius.
Huge regret for not having seen it inside, expressed by the magnificence of the Hall of Mirrors, whose image unfortunately I have only admired by Google Images.
I was surprised by his life, movida too; you might stay in peculiar places and come back at home with a bit more clear idea of what is Ukraine. Further, even with the wish to visit other beautiful cities as Kiev or Odessa.
