Galicia Archives - Forgotten Galicia

Ghost Signs of Przemyśl

Areta — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 14:18:46 +0000

Today a small city in eastern Poland, Przemyśl (Peremyshl in Ukrainian transliteration) was once a major city in Galicia. Przemyśl’s population consisted of many nationalities, including Ukrainians, Poles, Jews, Germans, and Czechs. According to the Austrian census of 1830, the city was home to 7,538 people of whom 1,508 (20%) […]

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Cultural Confluence: Exploring Shared Songs Across Ukrainian and Polish Traditions

Areta — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 08:34:05 +0000

During a visit to Kraków the week before Christmas, I attended a small gathering at an acquaintance’s apartment. While they sang Polish Christmas carols, one particular melody stood out to me — it was remarkably similar to a Ukrainian Christmas carol, with lyrics that resembled those of its Ukrainian counterpart. […]

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Long Live Skrypnykivka: How the Galician Diaspora Preserved the Ukrainian Orthography of 1928

Areta — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 15:12:15 +0000

The old Ukrainian diaspora, primarily originating from Galicia, has been instrumental in preserving linguistic elements predating the 1933 orthography, which marked the onset of russification in Ukrainian orthographic tradition. Alongside, this community has safeguarded distinctive Galician linguistic and orthographic customs, which have gradually faded within Galicia itself. This article has […]

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Ferrum Lwów Sidewalk Stamps

Areta — Mon, 24 Jun 2024 07:36:00 +0000

Ferrum-Lwów Machine Factory and Iron and Metal Foundry was part of a large company that had factories in several cities including Łódź, Poznań, Kraków, and Sosnowiec near Katowice. In Lviv, the factory was located in the Pidzamche neighborhood and in addition to various iron and metal works such as manhole covers and […]

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Waterworks Plates of Lviv

Areta — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 11:15:54 +0000

Before World War II, companies that installed plumbing and sewers in Lviv (Lwów/Lemberg) attached plates on building where such services were provided. A few of these plates, which state in Polish that “wodociąg w tym domu” (water supply in this house) was installed by such and such company, can still […]

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Shund on Shellac or Gimpel’s Theatre, Lemberg: The Sounds of a Popular Yiddish Theatre Preserved on Gramophone Records 1904–1913

Areta — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 08:33:24 +0000

This version of Michael Aylward’s article “Shund on Shellac or Gimpel’s Theatre, Lemberg” is based on a much longer version with various appendices. The complete version is posted in PDF format at the bottom of this article and may be downloaded. If you wish to quote from either of these […]

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Headless Statues and Etched-Out Faces: Vandalism and Ruin in Lychakiv Cemetery

Areta — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 08:50:23 +0000

The beautiful Lychakiv Cemetery greets visitors with its winding paths adorned by exquisite artistic statues and grave vaults, evoking a nostalgic journey through time. However, amidst its splendor, one can’t help but notice the destroyed headstones and vaults. This made me wonder why so much damage can be found in […]

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Janusz Majewski (1931-2024): King of Bittersweet Nostalgia

Areta — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 12:28:55 +0000

An interview with the celebrated film director Janusz Majewski, who died on 10th January aged 92, was one of the last of the old guard of Polish directors who emerged in the 1950s. He was part of a generation of filmmakers that put Poland firmly on the cinematic map. ‘He […]

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Architectural Celebration and Financial Security: How the Dnister Insurance Company Appeared in Lviv

Areta — Sat, 14 Oct 2023 12:05:00 +0000

From Lokalna Istoriya – text and photographs by Yuliya Korytska-Holub, original in Ukrainian The building of the Dnister Insurance Company, situated at the corner of Pidvalna and Ruska streets in Lviv, has been considered a gem of the city since its inception. Recent renovations have only heightened its elegance, though not without […]

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‘Chorna Rillia’: How a Galician Cossack Folk Song Became Popular Ukrainian and Yiddish World War I Ballads

Areta — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 11:48:42 +0000

Recently, on Instagram I came across an intriguing post from Yiddish Shul, revealing a surprising connection between a famous Yiddish World War I ballad and a Ukrainian folk song. Although I was familiar with the Ukrainian song, its origins were unknown to me. As I delved into its history, I […]

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