Lviv
Львів | |
---|---|
City | |
Nicknames: Ukrainian Piedmont[1] | |
Motto(s): | |
Coordinates: 49°50′33″N 24°01′56″E / 49.84250°N 24.03222°E | |
Country | ![]() |
Oblast | Lviv Oblast |
Raion | Lviv Raion |
Hromada | Lviv urban hromada |
Founded | 1256 |
Magdeburg law | 1356 |
Government | |
• Mayor | Andriy Sadovyi |
Area | |
• City | 148.9 km2 (57.5 sq mi) |
• Metro | 4,975 km2 (1,921 sq mi) |
Elevation | 296 m (971 ft) |
Population (2022) | |
• City | 717,273 |
• Rank | 6th in Ukraine |
• Density | 4,800/km2 (12,000/sq mi) |
• Metro | 1,141,119[3][4] |
• Demonym | Leopolitan |
Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
Postal codes | 79000–79490 |
Area code | +380 32(2) |
Licence plate | BC, HC (before 2004: ТА, ТВ, ТН, ТС) |
Website | city-adm |
Official name | L'viv – the Ensemble of the Historic Centre |
Criteria | Cultural: ii, v |
Reference | 865 |
Inscription | 1998 (22nd Session) |
Area | 2,441 ha |
Lviv (/ləˈviːv/, /ləˈviːf/ lə-VEEV, lə-VEEF; Ukrainian: Львів [ˈlʲʋiu̯] ; see below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the sixth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of 717,500 (2022 estimate).[5] It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion,[6] and is one of the main cultural centres of Ukraine. Lviv also hosts the administration of Lviv urban hromada. It was named after Leo I of Galicia, the eldest son of Daniel, King of Ruthenia.
Lviv emerged as the centre of the historical regions of Red Ruthenia and Galicia in the 14th century, superseding Halych, Chełm, Belz, and Przemyśl. It was the capital of the Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia[7] from 1272 to 1349, when it was conquered by King Casimir III the Great of Poland. From 1434, it was the regional capital of the Ruthenian Voivodeship in the Kingdom of Poland. In 1772, after the First Partition of Poland, the city became the capital of the Habsburg Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria. In 1918, for a short time, it was the capital of the West Ukrainian People's Republic. Between the wars, the city was the centre of the Lwów Voivodeship in the Second Polish Republic. After the German-Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939, Lviv was annexed by the Soviet Union.
The once-large Jewish community of the city was murdered in large numbers by the Nazis and by Ukrainian collaborationists during the Holocaust. For decades there was no working synagogue in Lviv after the final one was closed by the Soviets. The greater part of the once-predominant Polish population was sent to Poland during a population exchange between Poland and Soviet Ukraine in 1944–46.
The historical heart of the city, with its cobblestone streets and architectural assortment of Renaissance, Baroque, Neo-classicism and Art Nouveau, survived Soviet and German occupations during World War II largely unscathed. The historic city centre is on the UNESCO World Heritage List; however, it has been listed as an endangered site due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Due to the city's Mediterranean aura, many Soviet movies set in places like Venice or Rome were actually shot in Lviv.[8] In 1991, Lviv became part of the independent nation of Ukraine.
The city has many industries and institutions of higher education, such as Lviv University and Lviv Polytechnic. Lviv is also the home of many cultural institutions, including a philharmonic orchestra and the Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet.[9]