The Polish People’s Theatre in Lviv (founded in 1958), St John Paul II Cathedral Choir (1971) at the Metropolitan Basilica of the Assumption of Mary (cathedral status since 1412), two Polish schools – the Mary Magdalene 10th Secondary School (1816) and the Maria Konopnicka 24th Secondary School (1944), Pogoń Lwów Sports Club (reactivated in 2009) and the Kurier Galicyjski (2007) are just some examples of the organisations and institutions that focus the life, activities and emotions of the Polish community in Lviv.
As of 1 September 1939, Lviv had 333,000 residents, with Poles constituting (according to various sources) 51–65% of the population. As part of the post-war resettlement operation (1945–1946), more than 98,000 Poles left Lviv. The number of Poles currently living here is unknown – according to estimates from before 24 February 2022, the number could exceed ten thousand people of Polish descent, although the actual number of people with Polish ancestry may be even higher.
Poles have built and helped shape Lviv for centuries, making the city much more beautiful, attractive and important on the European stage. Today, we can enjoy the rich historical legacy of the city, which comprises a one-of-a-kind mosaic of cultural, social and religious experiences, meanings, symbols and sensibilities.
A place that still stands as undeniable proof of the role of Poles in Lviv’s history is Lychakiv Cemetery, established in 1786. Along with Warsaw’s Powązki (1790), Vilnius’s Rasos (1801) Paris’s Père-Lachaise (1803) and Kraków’s Rakowiecki Cemetery (1803), it counts among the most important Polish cemeteries.
The list of brilliant Polish scientists, artists, writers, athletes, soldiers, politicians and other distinguished residents of Lwów and other Polish cities buried there is very long. The most prominent of these include the sculptor and painter Artur Grottger, lawyer and long-time professor of criminal law at the University of Lwów, Juliusz Makarewicz, mathematician Stefan Banach, Officer of the Polish Armed forces Konstanty Ordon, economist Franciszek Stefczyk and architect Julian Zachariewicz.
Lviv is currently home to more than ten Polish community organisations. The largest of these is the Association of Polish Culture of the Lviv Land (founded in 1988). Lviv is also home to the head office of the Federation of Polish Organisations in Ukraine (established in 1992), which is one of two Polish umbrella organisations operating in Ukraine.
The beautiful tradition of Polish scouting, which was born in Lwów in 1911, is still upheld by the Polish Scouts in Ukraine. The Cemetery of the Defenders of Lwów, also known as the Eaglet Cemetery, as well as other places of national remembrance, are looked after by the Polish Association for Maintaining Military Graves in Lviv. Looking after the Janów Cemetery is the main purpose of the ‘Zabytek’ Association of the Fans of Polish Cultural Heritage.
The Lviv University of the Third Age and the Catholic Third Age University focus their educational offering on senior students, the ‘Echo’ Polish Mixed Choir cultivates Polish musical traditions, the Apostolic Movement Association ‘Lwów Family of Families’ focuses on work and supporting families, while the ‘Dajmy Nadzieję’ Charity Foundation offers hospice and palliative care to children and other people suffering from illness and those in need.
The ‘Własna Strzecha’ Lviv Association of Friends of the Fine Arts offers opportunities for artistic development, and the Polish Radio Association includes those with an interest in radio journalism, providing the Lviv community with interesting broadcasts as part of the Polish Radio Lviv channel, which airs news, interviews and anniversary programmes.
