Ferrum Lwów Sidewalk Stamps

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

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 […]

Made in Ukraine: Lviv Shopping Guide

An Alternative Shopping Guide to Lviv’s City Center A list of the best places to find all things made in Ukraine, clothing, local artwork, infused vodka and craft beer, as well as antiques. Clothing & Accessories & Home Decor Ukraine’s craft industry has really taken off in the last few […]

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

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 […]

ychakivgravevandalism

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

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 […]

Lviv at the Turn of the Century as Depicted through the Watercolors of Alfred Kamienobrodzki

Discover Lviv (Lemberg / Lwów) at the turn of the 19th-20th century through the watercolors of Alfred Kamienobrodzki (1844-1922), a talented architect and painter. His art beautifully captures the city’s architecture and landscapes, providing a nostalgic glimpse of Lviv’s past. Some of his watercolors can be found in the Historical […]

Decorative Hangers in Lviv’s Courtyards

These intriguing metal fixtures are a common sight in many of Lviv’s courtyards. They are decorative hangers integrated into the ironwork of the galleries’ banisters. Historically, they served for drying, brushing, and airing out coats. Another theory suggests they may have been used for hanging plants or flowers. Similar hangers […]

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

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 […]

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

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 […]

Lederer & Popper Photomontage Postcards of Galicia and Beyond

I love looking at old photographs of Galician cities and towns, especially postcards with city views. A real treat among these are photomontages — postcard collages. I first came across montage postcards depicting Lviv and was particularly struck by the one with a woman who had fallen from her bicycle. […]

Searching for Sunflowers in the Architecture of Lviv and Kraków

In the first couple months of the full-scale war (after being displaced from Lviv and living in Poland), searching for sunflowers in the architectural detail of Kraków became a way to soothe my soul, to find solidarity with Ukraine during those highly uncertain and volatile times. Each time I would […]