Christmas Lion. Work and Travel: Lviv

Lviv is a stunningly beautiful, hospitable settlement with numerous historical and architectural monuments and an indescribable soulful atmosphere! The ancient city delights tourists from the first minutes of their acquaintance! Here, every block, alley, street, building preserves the memory of past centuries. The city of Leva becomes especially magical during the New Year and Christmas holidays! Lviv is being transformed, “lit” with hundreds of lights, delighting tourists and local residents with festive events! the site will tell you why you should go to this wonderful city of Western Ukraine for Christmas.

Many exciting, festive events are planned for Christmas in Lviv. Guests of the city, as well as its residents, will be delighted with the Christmas spectacles - the installation of the Didukh, the solemn procession of the “star bears” and the parade of festive nativity scenes. Traditionally, in the city of Leva there will be a Christmas market, carols will be played, sports and Christmas-themed theatrical performances.

Photo taken from the website: lviv-karpaty.com.ua

The Christmas market in Lviv started on December 8th. To hold it, we chose the alley in front of the S. Krushelnitskaya Opera House and Rynok Square. Wooden houses decorated with festive illumination were installed here.

By visiting the fair town, guests will be able to purchase domestically produced New Year products, Christmas decorations, all kinds of decorations, souvenirs, try sweets and warm up with hot drinks. Master classes are planned to be held at the fairgrounds, near the main Christmas tree of Lviv.

Photo taken from the website: karpaty-lviv.com.ua

A model of an ancient loom will be mounted on Freedom Square. Tourists and Lviv residents will be able to watch the fabric making process. Every year, the fair in the city of Leva runs from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, and on weekends from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

The official opening of the Christmas market will take place on December 19. On this day, the beautiful evergreen New Year's tree will also be lit. Also, a fair called “Christmas on Museum Square” will run from December 25, 2017 to January 9, 2018 on Museum Square. It is organized by the Lviv Candle Manufactory.

Christmas entertainment

From December 28 to January 8, adults and children can have fun in the courtyard of the Palace of Arts. Little guests here will be able to go on winter rides, taste Christmas delicacies, and take part in games with animators. Children will love the snow-covered labyrinths and fairy-tale performances. Lobby recreation will be organized for adults. Every day, from 19:00 they will be entertained by cover bands. Guests will be able to warm up with hot drinks and immerse themselves in the real Christmas atmosphere! A festive shop will be installed at the entrance to the City Hall. Anyone can get inside the nativity scene and take a photo as a souvenir.

Photo taken from the website: www.777tur.com

Tourists and local residents, during the magical holidays, in the courtyard of the Town Hall, will be able to watch a Christmas production called “When Angels Descend to Earth” performed by the Resurrection Theater. Guests will be impressed by the Christmas carols and festive stage attributes.

On January 6, a traditional ceremony will take place in the city of Leva - the Didukh will be carried out and installed on Yavorsky Square. A festive procession is planned in the central part of the city, which will be accompanied by the singing of Christmas carols.

Festival "Flash of the Christmas Star". "Parade of Nativity Scenes"

From January 7 to 8, 2018, the Flash of the Christmas Star festival will be held in Lviv. A parade of nativity scenes will begin, a procession will be organized through the streets of the Old Town, in which carolers and “star bearers” will take part.

Photo taken from: commons.wikimedia.org

As part of the International Christmas Festival in Lviv, on January 8, a spectacular event will be held - “Parade of Nativity Scenes”. The gathering place for Lviv residents will be the area near the Church of the Most Holy Eucharist (Dominican Cathedral). Hundreds of people wearing Christmas stars will join the festive procession. They will pass through the central streets of Lviv and go to the square in front of the Lviv Opera.

On January 7 and 8, 2018, the “Nativity Scene Festival” will be held on the main stage of the fair town, in which dozens of groups will take part. They will delight all people present at the holiday with colorful performances of Christmas carols and exciting performances.

The nativity scene starts on January 7 at the Museum of Folk Architecture and Life. It will be opened by the program "B" family circle"(in Ukrainian - "In my native land"). The event will be accompanied by carols, performances of nativity scenes, a parade of Christmas stars, funny competitions, winter games, slides, sleigh rides, and a visit to the skating rink. On the second day of the festival, the celebration will move to the square in front of the Lviv Opera.

"Pampukh Holiday"

In the period from January 7 to January 8, the Museum of Folk Architecture and Life will host an event - “Christmas in Gai”, within the framework of which the “Pampukh Holiday” is planned (location - Shevchenkovsky Gai, Chernecha Gora, 1).

Photo taken from the website: stezhkamu.com

Guests of the event will be able to join ancient, national traditions and rituals. They will visit the fair, taste delicious donuts with various fillings and learn the secret of their preparation. Lviv residents and tourists who come to the wonderful city for the festivities will see wonderful Christmas performances, will be able to enjoy performances of street nativity scenes, and take part in competitions for best recipe traditional delicacy, as well as in the pampoo-eating competition. An atmosphere of joy and fun will reign at the holiday! There will be a Christmas post office on festival days. If you wish, you can send an exclusive Christmas card to your family and friends.

On January 9, at the Lviv Opera House, guests will be presented with a concert program entitled “Christmas at the Opera.” People present at the event will be delighted with the joint performance of “Picardian Tertsia”, vocalist Taras Chubai and the popular Ukrainian group “Crying Eremia”.

Where to stay in Lviv for Christmas?

1.

The four-star Hotel Saint Feder is located in the historical center of the city. The hotel is four hundred meters from Rynok Square, and one hundred and fifty meters from the Opera House. The hotel is located in an ancient building, erected in the 19th century. The hotel has twelve rooms in total. All of them are decorated in timeless classics.

The rooms are equipped with high-quality, antique furniture made of natural wood. Guests can stay in rooms of the categories "standard", "superior twin", "double superior" and "luxury". The price of staying at the hotel includes breakfast and Internet use. The hotel has a restaurant called “Terrace”, from the windows of which you can see the historical part of Lviv. In this cozy establishment you can taste European dishes, including Italian and French cuisine. Guests can park their car in the hotel parking lot. If necessary, the hotel can order a transfer to or from the airport.

Address: Lviv, Zvenigorodskaya square, building 3

2.

Hotel "Lviv" was built in the central part of the city, one hundred and fifty meters from the Opera House. The eight-story hotel building houses two hundred and fifty rooms of various categories - “comfort”, double “superior”, “junior suite” and “suite”. The hotel has a spacious hall, three conference rooms, and an elevator. The room rate includes Wi-Fi and breakfast. Parking is available on site. Guests can eat in the restaurant serving Ukrainian and European cuisine.

Address: Lviv, V. Chornovol Avenue, building 7

3.

In the center of Leva, four hundred meters from Rynok Square, there is a cozy, three-star hotel “Jem on Gnatyuka”. The hotel has thirty-five rooms of the categories “economy”, “standard” and “standard with balcony”. Tourists, upon checking into a room, receive free access to the Internet. Breakfast is also included in the room rate.

The interior of the rooms is designed in loft style. The rooms are equipped with plasma TVs with cable TV and private bathrooms. The hotel is located three kilometers from the central railway station. From the bus station to the hotel it is 6.9 kilometers. The route to the airport is 6.4 kilometers.

Address: Lviv, Academician Gnatyuka street, building 6

The Lion City will soon open its doors to Magic world a Christmas fairy tale that both children and adults can get into. Lviv is a city that combines eastern and western traditions of celebrating Christmas. In the city of Leo, bells herald the birth of Christ on December 25, when festive liturgies begin in Catholic churches. And in January, the Orthodox Christians celebrate the birthday of Jesus. Therefore, during this period the city is filled with people who want to join the magical traditions of celebrating Christmas in Lviv.

In 2019, the celebrations in honor of this bright day and event are called “Warm Christmas in Lviv.” Let's plunge into the atmosphere of warmth!

The city of Leo is so diverse that everyone will find something to their liking. Visiting churches, Christmas shops, fairs, skating rinks, restaurants, cafes, excursions and much, much more. We will tell you more about this. To feel the spirit of Christmas now, before reading the material, you can prepare yourself some fragrant mulled wine with aromatic apples, oranges, cloves and a pinch of cinnamon! And start dreaming of a magical Christmas!

Christmas traditions in Lviv

Proximity to Western European countries has taught Lviv residents to start the festive New Year and Christmas period already in early December. The Christmas fair took place on the streets of Lviv from December 8 in traditional locations and in a new place:

• and also in 2018-2019 there is a location in Sykhov.

Photo by: Tetiana Smirnova IGotoWorld Photo Group.

Lviv residents, who annually delight tourists with their products in the markets, work like bees already in November. They make designer wooden toys, wax candles, soft-as-down slippers, vests from sheep wool and many other things.

Although Catholic churches foretell Christmas already in December, the main celebrations on the occasion of the birth of Christ last from January 6-9. Despite the proximity to Poland and frequent family ties with their Polish neighbors, as well as the fashion for Christmas in Lviv according to the Western rite, in Galicia they strictly adhere to the traditions of their ancestors. Therefore, Lviv residents wait for the rise of the Christmas star on January 6th. They prepare a 12-course Holy dinner, organize Nativity scenes and go caroling from house to house.

Often nativity scenes are organized in churches, so members of church choirs play angels and devils. And how they sing! You can listen. If you come to Lviv for Christmas to visit your relatives or friends, then expect the arrival of talented nativity scenes. And, by the way, have a pretty penny ready for them. Or something tasty.

Where to go for Christmas in Lviv

Let’s take a closer look at what you can see in the city of Leo during the Christmas holidays to please yourself.

Svobody Avenue: fair and concert of Ruslana

Svobody Avenue in the historical part of the city with a square near the opera house will help you get into the Christmas mood. For starters, you can go to the holiday fair on. The first thing to do is to warm up. And what could be better for this than a glass of mulled wine or fragrant mead?

Photo by: Tetiana Smirnova IGotoWorld Photo Group.

Now you can go in search of something interesting at fairs - bells, Czechs, designer toys and even books telling about magical holiday Christmas in Lviv.

Photo by: Tetiana Smirnova IGotoWorld Photo Group.

Here, on Svobody Avenue, welcomes young visitors and their wishes St. Nicholas Hut, it opened simultaneously with the fair.

Location: The Freedom Avenue.

This year, Svoboda Avenue was decorated in the spirit of national traditions with half-meter-long Lemko spiders, specially designed for Lviv by craftsmen from Kosovo. These are amulets made of straw, decorated with paper flowers. Sometimes spiders were made from thin twigs or wire. They symbolized pre-Christian ideas about the creation of the world.

If you want to choose your own restaurant, you can find an establishment for every taste on the IGotoWorld.com website.

Photo by: Tetiana Smirnova IGotoWorld Photo Group.

Attend the Christmas service

The Christmas liturgy is a wonderful point on the plan for Lviv. If you rarely go to church, or don’t go at all, still do yourself a favor and come to the Christmas service to enjoy this festive event. more than enough.

Catholics celebrated Christmas on December 25th. And we offer a list Orthodox churches, where you can attend the Christmas service. We chose those temples that are monuments of architectural heritage.

• in the central part of the city, on Grushevsky Street, 2. Temple of the 18th century.
• on Lysenko Street, 43. Temple of the 19th century.
• on Bogdan Khmelnitsky Street, 28, at the foot of the High Castle Mountain. It is considered one of the oldest churches in Lviv. Dating from the 13th and 14th centuries, it has been rebuilt many times and the current architecture dates back to the 18th century.
• on Bohdan Khmelnytsky Street 77, monument from the 18th century.
• , Kleparovskaya Street, 35 (on the territory of the Lviv State University of Life Safety) - a temple resembling a mini-palace, a monument from the 19th century.

“Christmas in Gaia”: make a didukh and a Christmas star

“Christ is born!” - “We praise him!” These are the words that will be heard from everywhere in Lviv. And also carols that will glorify the birth of Christ. Don't be surprised or scared when the devils chase you - these are the characters of the Nativity Scene. There will be a great many of them during the celebration of the Christmas in Gaia festival. The event will take place at the Museum of Folk Architecture and Life “Shevchenkovsky Gai”. This is a lot of carols, nativity scenes, theatrical performances, traditional festivities and a huge number of Christmas stars!

Photo by: Tetiana Smirnova IGotoWorld Photo Group.

Also here you will be offered interesting master classes:

• for making didukhs and spiders from straw;
• for baking bread;
• on making huge Christmas stars.

They promise to teach you how to do it volumetric stars made of paper with a diameter of 50-80 cm. You must register for the master class in advance on the website of the Shevchenko Gai Museum.

And how can you leave Lviv without coffee? A must buy for your coffee lover friends. They will be grateful.

Photo by: Tetiana Smirnova IGotoWorld Photo Group.

Also have a wine tasting at the fair. Bring a bottle of the most delicious thing to your family who appreciate the sunny drink. And so that they can make aromatic mulled wine from wine, purchase an exquisite set for this drink.

Photo by: Tetiana Smirnova IGotoWorld Photo Group.

Lviv chocolate is also loved by many guests. So visit. Although, it is quite possible that chocolate for every taste can be purchased at the holiday fair.

Have you already gathered your thoughts? If yes, hurry up and order. They are selling like hotcakes! If you want to travel on your own, choose a room in a hotel or hostel in Lviv.

The Lion City is one of the best options celebrate Christmas, get acquainted with the ancient traditions of this holiday and enjoy original national dishes. So don’t wait, study carols and go to Lviv for Christmas!

tour "Christmas Star of Lviv"

Popular tour to Lviv for Christmas 2020, to a city of ancient traditions and customs that differ significantly from other regions of Ukraine.

On tour in Lviv for Christmas You will see and be a participant in celebrations of 40 religions in the city: Christmas services in the unique cathedrals of Lviv, a parade of stars and bright nativity scenes.

The cost of a Christmas tour to Lviv includes everything you need for your holiday: from transfer from station to hotel on the day of arrival, to the entire excursion program and accommodation in hotels of the selected category.

Direction:
- Lviv

Accommodation type:
- Lviv hotels

Tour type:
- in Lvov

We buy tours to Lviv for Christmas from: Kyiv, Kharkov, Odessa, Dnieper, Donetsk, Zaporozhye, Krivoy Rog, Nikolaev, Mariupol, Vinnitsa, Kherson, Poltava, Chernigov, Cherkassy, ​​Zhitomir, Kamensky, Kropyvnytskyi

Day 1 of your tour to Lviv for Christmas:

Rozhdestvensky Station greets you with festive bustle, and the manager is already waiting for you. The program begins with an excursion bus trip around Lviv, where traditions are intertwined with colorful history and mysticism. Christmas celebration in Lviv has a very ancient history, colorful nativity scenes are created in cathedrals of different faiths. This tradition was started in the 13th century. Our guide will reveal for you the history and traditions of Galician Christmas.

What we will see:

• Cathedral of St. George. The main Greek Catholic church of Lviv, which bears the name of its patron, St. Yuri. Incredibly beautiful architecture, rich interior decoration, a rare copy of the Shroud of Turin and miraculous icons.
• Lychakov is an ancient place surrounded by hundreds of secrets and legends.
• The High Castle is the only Lviv mountain from where you can see the city at a glance.

Free time in Christmas Lviv. It’s worth stopping and drinking a cup of real Lviv coffee. We go to the central avenue to establish the Didukh. The holiday continues.

Day 2, Christmas in Lviv - a time of fairy tales and miracles

The streets of Lviv are one of its main assets. Walking along the narrow streets paved with paving stones, you can understand the character and character of the city. And when they are also decorated with festive lights, then the impressions can be safely multiplied by two!

What we will see:

• We will see Christmas services in the Armenian, Dominican, and Assumption Cathedrals; the bright colors of the attributes of the Christmas holidays are intertwined into a continuous rainbow. It’s not easy to talk about this in order to get a sense of the whole picture of events.
• Royal and city arsenals with a collection of weapons from around the world. Many exhibits are real works of art.
• Catholic churches where Christmas has already been celebrated will greet us with leisure and lack of fuss. Latin Cathedral, Jesuit Church...

Preparing for Christmas. We offer Christmas dinner + program in one of the city restaurants - 550 UAH/person.

Merry Christmas 2020!

Day 3, Christmas in Galician style

Galician breakfast at the hotel starts the day. A free day, although it’s hard to call it free. Christmas processions, carols, a magnificent Christmas market, Christmas mail - unexpected discoveries await you. The bright holiday of Pampukh - here you can taste such an assortment of donuts that you will no longer need lunch and dinner. In powder, with chocolate, fruit, caramel, very popular and delicious caramel apples. Of course, Transcarpathian mulled wine.

All this is very interesting, and in some places even tasty, we mean the “Lviv Chocolate Workshop”, where chocolate is created right before your eyes.

In the center of Lviv, a procession of nativity scenes, a parade of stargazers and carolers begins. Bright columns of the Christmas masquerade. In addition, you still need to leave time to visit the souvenir fair, which is located behind the museum, to the left of the Opera House, in order to surprise your friends with gifts and souvenirs.

Day 4, legends of the capital of Galicia

After breakfast at the hotel, until 12:00, participants of the tour to Lviv for Christmas say goodbye to the hotel and place their things in the hotel storage room. Today we will have an excursion walk “Miracles in Lviv and beyond” 11:00 (3 hours). We will see what Lviv is proud of - masterpieces included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

What we will see:

• Potocki Palace, built in the style of Louis XIV and striking in its significance;
• St. George's Cathedral, where Christmas celebrations are still ongoing. And the interior design of the cathedral will not leave you indifferent.
• The casino you know from the movie "The Three Musketeers". Just look at this staircase and immediately remember how the cardinal came down it to greet D'Artagnan.
• The oldest Kornyakt tower in Ukraine, built in 1578 and miraculously preserved to this day
• and much more...

At the end of the excursion, we walk energetically to Rynok Square to continue celebrating the Nativity of Christ in Lviv.

Independent transfer to the station. Departure.

What is included in the price of a tour to Lviv

The cost of a tour to Lviv for Christmas includes everything you need for a wonderful holiday:

• Transfer to the hotel upon arrival in Lviv;
• Hotel accommodation in Lviv (4 days);
• excursions;
• Breakfast at the hotel (depending on the hotel);
• Accompaniment by a tour guide
• Free early check-in at the hotel if the reserved room is available;
• After checking out from the hotel (on the day of departure), placing things in the hotel storage room is free of charge

What is not included in the price of a tour to Lviv

Photos of hotels - accommodation for Christmas 2020 tour

The table shows the cost of the entire tour in hotels in the historical and new centers:

Hotel accommodation in Lviv:	3 days, UAH/person	4 days, UAH/person
Hostel (historical center) Economy (comfortable on the floor, without breakfast)	-	2040
Hotel "Burger +" Standard (comfortable room, no breakfast)	1860	2460
Hotel "Getman" Economy (room comfort, breakfast)	1720 1960	2100 2460
Hotel "Fortuna" Standard (room comfort, breakfast)	-	3060
Hotel "Pivdenny" Standard (comfortable room, no breakfast) Suite (comfortable in the room, without breakfast)	- -	2910 3360
Supplement for 1 place. hotel accommodation	upon request	upon request

Discount for children under 12 years old - 200 UAH/person (for a hostel - 150 UAH/person)
For children under 6 years old, without additional charges. services - free

THE TOUR OPERATOR COMPANY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR WEATHER CONDITIONS, OR FOR TRAFFIC TRAFFIC AND REPAIRS ON THE ROAD.
The OPERATOR company reserves the right to make changes to the tour program without changing the total number of services

Popular tour to Lviv for Christmas. Christmas in Lviv buy from Kyiv, Kharkov, Odessa, Dnieper, Kherson, Poltava, Chernigov, Cherkassy, ​​Zhitomir, Kamensky, Kropyvnytskyi, Donetsk, Zaporozhye, Lvov, Krivoy Rog, Nikolaev, Mariupol, Vinnitsa

The warmest, most cozy and romantic city in Ukraine - Lviv is ready to receive guests all year round. But it acquires its unique and fabulous atmosphere when it appears on the calendar New Year and Christmas. Western Ukrainian flavor, national traditions and excellent European service. This is exactly what tourists come to Lviv in winter for every year. Don't know where to go and what to pay attention to? We offer you a short guide to the brightest corners of Lviv.

Holidays in Lviv - traditions and customs

Lviv is full of colors at Christmas and loud songs are heard through the streets. Local residents treat the traditions and cultural features of this holiday with special trepidation. Despite the fact that most of the local residents are Catholics, the city noisily celebrates both the New Year and Orthodox Christmas.

Church services begin in Lviv on December 25, guests are treated to pastries and sweets. The city is decorated with miniatures from the Bible, garlands, lanterns and Christmas tree decorations.

The most striking traditional performances begin on January 5-7, on Christmas Day. A costumed nativity scene walks along the paving stones - the pride of Ukraine’s national heritage. Characters from folklore and church stories walk through the city, sing songs and treat children to sweets. Nativity scenes visit both private homes and shops, restaurants and cozy corners of Lviv.

What to see and what to do in Lviv at Christmas

Events in Lviv offer a wide range of leisure activities. It all starts from the first days of December. One of the most exciting events is the Christmas market in Lviv on Rynok Square. It starts in the middle of the month, on December 12th. If you missed this event this year, be sure to plan it for next year. Preparations for the fair begin a month before the start. Figures made of wood, paper, fur, plush, glass and other things are made by the best craftsmen of the region. Here you can also buy embroidered shirts, skirts, caftans from leading Ukrainian handicraftswomen. Books, souvenirs, decor, treats. Present your kitchen the best establishments from all over the country - you can eat enough for the year ahead.

Another unusual option entertainment in Lviv - Pampukh Holiday. It starts on January 7 and lasts until January 11, takes place in Shevchenkovsky Gai. Baking masters from Ukraine and neighboring countries come here. All guests are treated to the same donuts. You can either buy them or earn them for poems, songs, carols and other amateur activities. If you are confident in your culinary skills, then take part in the Hostess Competition. And for those who are not afraid to gain weight New Year holidays, offer participation in a competition for eating donuts at speed. In addition to all this, the festival features a fair with souvenirs and decorative items. self made.

Freedom Square is full of interesting corners throughout the Christmas period. There are small restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops. Guests of the city are treated to mulled wine, hot chocolate, cocoa and, of course, the legendary Lviv coffee. Chocolate and gingerbread, fruits, tangerines, candies, honey, jam. And also attractions, the opportunity to ride a chariot, warm up by the fireplace or drink honey beer.

It will be very interesting to visit the Opera House in the city center. It is within its walls that during the Christmas holidays, nativity scenes and theater troupes perform performances on the theme of biblical stories. You will never see more colorful costumes than those of the local devils and angels. But we recommend booking tickets in advance - the excitement for the performances is colossal!

On December 28, a site with attractions and concert stages opens near the Palace of Arts. Local musical groups perform here, children's animators work, various master classes are held, and the whole street smells of baked goods from restaurants.

Traditional entertainment in Lviv takes place at the City Hall, where a shopka installation is installed. And on Christmas, January 6, Didukh is paraded along the central street. He, surrounded by mummers from Lviv, is carried along the avenue and installed on Yavorsky Square.

The International Christmas Festival begins on January 8th. As part of this event, a Parade of Nativity scenes and a solemn service in the Dominican Cathedral take place around the city. The parade ends at the Opera House, where the Nativity Scene Festival takes place.

Until January 21, the city hosts the “Great Kolyada” in the Church of the Most Holy Eucharist. It is dedicated to preserving the spiritual heritage and Christian tradition of the Ukrainian people. Local and all-Ukrainian folklore and choral groups will perform at the concert venues.

What Lviv gives in January

The good thing about Lviv for the New Year is that literally on every corner you can buy gifts for yourself and your loved ones. home business card cities - chocolate. The sets also include coffee ensembles, gingerbread cookies and other sweets.

Handmade candles are highly valued - scented, artistic, and entire installations are created from wax products.

Of course, in the western region it is good to buy embroidered shirts and other national clothes. All this is done by hand, by leading craftswomen. Shirts, towels, napkins - a colorful gift with national flavor.

Books are a special pride of Lvov. Fairy tales, detective stories, educational literature, reference books, dictionaries, encyclopedias - all this can be purchased in the best bookstores in the city. Publishing houses and small printing houses will provide the best gift for your loved ones.

In addition, dozens of souvenir options will be presented for the New Year. Christmas symbols, national gifts, crafts, cards and much more. No one will leave Lviv without a gift!

Spending the weekend in Lviv

The trip can be organized either by yourself or with the help of travel agencies. Christmas tours to Lviv for 3-4 days cost from 1,700 hryvnia per person.

Another option is to go on your own. A train from Kyiv to Lviv costs from 170 hryvnia, a plane – from 2,900 hryvnia. Getting from Dnieper to Lviv will cost from 165 hryvnia by train.

Video - This is how Christmas is celebrated in Lviv

In the city you can rent an apartment, for more comfortable accommodation there are hotels - in the city of Lviv, the price will please any tourist.

It doesn’t matter what place you live in, it doesn’t matter which location you choose to go to. The main thing is warmth, comfort and a real fairy tale that Lviv streets offer. Numerous events, responsive and hospitable Lviv residents, European service and Frost patterns on the windows in the evenings. To relax and forget about the bustle of the city during the New Year holidays, go to Lviv.

I decided to post here some notes about our winter trip to Ukraine. I wrote them back in the winter, but at first I didn’t want to interrupt the “Italian cycle” here, and then I couldn’t get around to it... I’ll start with how we celebrated Orthodox Christmas in the city of Lvov. After the recent events of May 9, many probably have the opinion that Lviv is a nationalist city where Russians are persecuted and insulted. I’ll say right away that we haven’t seen anything even remotely similar and we took away the best impressions from Lviv.


Initially, we had absolutely no idea how widely Orthodox Christmas is celebrated in these parts. I can only blame my ignorance for this and the fact that I did not consciously think about this topic. And subconsciously there was a certain stereotype - in the east of Ukraine there are more Orthodox Christians, and in the West, probably, there are more Catholics, and they celebrate Christmas “in a European way.” We even doubted whether we would find a church there if someone from our company wanted to attend the Christmas service?

What did it turn out to be? The majority of believers in Western Ukraine belong to the Greek Catholic Church. This is one of many “Eastern Catholic churches”, each of which has its own differences, but also has something in common - they recognize the primacy of the Pope, but in church rituals they are guided by the Byzantine (in this case, Orthodox) tradition. And, accordingly, Christmas is celebrated, like the Orthodox, from January 6 to 7. On the morning of January 6, we left our hostel and went to Rynok Square to begin our acquaintance with Lviv, viewing it from the town hall tower. There was a small crowd at the entrance to the town hall, which we took to be a queue for that very tower. But a couple of questions showed that those gathered were waiting for the “didukh” to be brought out. Who? - we did not understand, demonstrating dense ignorance. Well, didukha, this is like a Christmas tree here, they explained to us.

And indeed, soon a young man in a national shirt with such a standard appeared from the doors of the town hall - perhaps it symbolizes the Christmas star that announced the birth of Christ?

The young man was followed by cute children, also in national costumes.

Some also had stars.

One woman carried an icon.

Two young men came out behind the children, carrying a beautiful sheaf decorated with ribbons. This was the “didukh”. Behind him were the Lvov mayor and other officials. At least, that’s what our neighbors told us; we ourselves didn’t know the mayor.

The entire procession left Rynok Square and went somewhere further. As we learned from the evening television news, they reached Svoboda Avenue, where they solemnly installed a “didukh”. And we stayed in the square, where the Christmas market was in full swing.

They sold all sorts of souvenir gingerbread cookies and non-souvenir donuts.


They also offered “hot porter” - in this case, a warmed mixture of light and dark beer with spices and honey.

We tried it - it was tasty and unusual.

If in Central Europe these days the entire New Year and Christmas entourage was practically curtailed, then in Lviv everything was in full swing. There are New Year's compositions on the cafe tables and wreaths on the doors.

By the way, we found these brooms at the doors to one of the cathedrals. I wouldn't pay special attention- Well, the janitor threw the brooms here, and that’s fine, but I saw people entering taking brooms and shaking snow off their shoes with them before entering the church.

In the evening, already dark, we went into the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord and stood for a while during the service. I am not a very church-going person, so I cannot appreciate the intricacies of the ritual - at first glance, I will say this, it was very similar to an Orthodox service. There were quite a lot of people, but the spacious temple was not crowded. I remember this detail: we couldn’t find where candles were sold and finally we noticed two little grandmothers quietly moving around the church with baskets. We approached and asked how much the candles cost, and grandma said - free. Well, there was some money in the basket there, we also added something, that is, everyone puts in as much as they want. On the second day of Christmas in Lviv the joyful celebration atmosphere. For example, you sit in a modest cafe, eat a pork chop, and admire the Christmas tree.

And then the door opens, mummers come in - boys and girls, dressed as wise men, devils and other biblical characters. They sing songs and read poems expressively with different wishes. Not everything is clear, because, of course, it’s in Ukrainian. I remember there was something about wishing for pineapples on the Christmas table. Then they go around the tables with a hat and give them money. We gave it a couple of times too.

There is also a performance on Rynok Square, but here the troupe is “richer”.


Signs of Christmas are everywhere - the wall near the cafe “Pid Klepsydrou” (“Under the Clock”) is painted with Christmas graffiti.

There are Christmas trees in churches

and small nativity scenes.

In the evening we were already leaving Lviv and before that we decided to visit the Beer Museum (a landmark of Lviv) - it was closed, and we only ended up in the basement under it, where the large beautiful restaurant “Robert Dorms Beer House” is located.

There, in the hall, a master class on didukh weaving was held for everyone, in which our Lena took part.

In general, Lviv is a great option to celebrate Christmas! I recommend to everyone. True, there are also disadvantages. On January 6th, many museums are already closed in the afternoon, and none of the cultural institutions are open on January 7th (cafes are open). We wanted to get to the Svirzh Castle, we found a person at the travel office who knew another person who had the keys to the castle. But this man lives in the village next to the castle, and as we were told, he will not go anywhere on January 7th. So you will have to come to Lviv in the summer.