Saturday 30 June 2012


On June 22th, 1941 Nazi troops attacked Soviet Union, so Molotov-Ribbentrop's pact was broken. And since the beginning of Second World War in September of 1939 until June of 1941 the part of the Western Ukraine (Lviv, Ternopil, Volyn, Rivne, Ivano-Frankivsk regions) was under Soviet occupation. Soviet power thought these regions had finally become the part of Soviet Union in 1939 and during 1939-1941 NKVS (NKVD) agents imprisoned all persons, who disliked Soviet power or/and fought against Soviet system. And when Nazi-Soviet war had begun on June 22th, 1941 NKVS agents didn't know what to do with political prisoners - too much imprisoned people were in the prisons of the Western Ukraine, too much! Then Soviet power decided just to shoot all imprisoned! And NKVS agents shot, but also killed people in the ghastly way, cutting human body's parts, bricking in the prison's wall or burying in the ground yet alive persons, throwing grenades in the prison's cells, where their victims were. Since June 22th till the middle of July in 1941 near 24 000 victims of Soviet power were killed by NKVS agents in the Western Ukraine's prisons - in Lviv, Zolochiv, Drohobych, Lutsk, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, Rivne, Dubno, Zhovkva, Chortkiv, Berezhany, Stryy, Kremenets, Demyaniv Laz, Sambir, Pasichna, Sudova Vyshnya, Busk, Yavoriv, Horodok, Kamyanka-Buzka...That was real "face" of the horrible Soviet dictatorship.    

P.S. These photos were made by myself in the musem "Prison on Lontskyy street" in Lviv and there is written a short description of that cruel page of Ukrainian history and the numbers of killed Ukrainians in different cities. Only in Lviv 2 464 persons were killed in the prisons by NKVS agents since June 22th till June 28th, 1941, and prison on Lontskyy street was one of such terrible places in Lviv. Nowadays there is the museum of occupational regimes of Ukraine.   

Thursday 14 June 2012

Zhovkva (chapter 2)

                   View of Vicheva square - main and the ancientest street in Zhovkva


Townhall was constructed in the XVIIth century and nowadays functions also as Zhovkva townhall.


                       Townhall with a part of the fortificational wall with tower


         Vicheva square and its buildings constructed in the XVIIth century


           One of the oldest buildings, built in the XVIIth century on Vicheva square


Basilian monastery's complex: Jesus Christ Nativity Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (early XVIIth century), men's monastery (built in 1721-1730), bell-tower, complex of the publishing-house of Basilian priests (early XXth century).


                                 Jesus Christ Nativity Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

                            Bell-tower of Basilian monastery's complex


                            Jesus Christ Nativity Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

                            Jesus Christ Nativity Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

                                Bell-tower of Basilian monastery's complex

St. Lavrentiy Catholic Cathedral was built in 1606-1623. Here are buried Zhovkva founder Stanislav Zholkevskyy with his family and Yakub Sobeskyy, the father of Polish king Yan III Sobeskyy.


                            St. Lavrentiy Catholic Cathedral and bell-tower behind


                               St. Lavrentiy Catholic Cathedral

                                   St. Lavrentiy Catholic Cathedral's stairs


                              St. Lavrentiy Catholic Cathedral

                              Small bridge in the city's park.


                              Allegoric monument in the city's park.


Monument to the warriors of the war in Afghanistan (in Soviet period).


Monument to died participators (Zhovkva citizens) in military conflicts and wars abroad.


Monument to Yevhen Konovalets, famous colonel of Sichovi Striltsi (Ukrainian warriors in 1913-1920), founder of Ukrainian Military Organization (in Ukrainian - УВО) in 1920, founder of Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (in Ukrainian - ОУН) in 1929.


One of old buildings on UPA Warriors street (the end of the XIXth-early XXth centuries)


One of old buildings on UPA Warriors street (the end of the XIXth-early XXth centuries)

One of old buildings on UPA Warriors street (the end of the XIXth-early XXth centuries)


One of old buildings on UPA Warriors street (the end of the XIXth-early XXth centuries)


One of old buildings on Stepan Bandera street (the end of the XIXth-early XXth centuries)


 
One of old buildings on Stepan Bandera street (the end of the XIXth-early XXth centuries)


One of old buildings on Lvivska street (the end of the XIXth-early XXth centuries).


Zhovkva football stadium. Yeh, football is very popular kind of sport in Ukraine. :)

Wednesday 13 June 2012

Zhovkva

If You're visiting Lviv and are thinking what else interesting city situated nearby Lviv You can visit, so I recommend You to travel in Zhovkva. Zhovkva situates at the distance of 25 km to the north of Lviv and Your trip will take less than an hour (45-50 minutes) to travel from Lviv to Zhovkva. If You want to visit this ancient city of Lviv region independently, You can go to bus' stop on Kulish street (square near the building on Kulish street, 47) in Lviv, where all regular Lviv buses have end stop and go to Zhovkva. Bus ticket's price is 8 hryvni (UAH) in one side of the way. It's not expensive price, and, of course, Zhovkva is worth to be visited. Zhovkva was founded by royal hetman of Polish state Stanislav Zholkevskyy in 1594 and the city was planned by Italian architects Paolo di Ducato Clemenci (the first Zhovkva mayor, famous in the different documents as Paolo Shchaslyvyy), Paolo Dominici (Paolo Rymlyanyn) and Ambrosio Verbene (Ambrosio Prykhylnyy). And in 1603 Zhovkva got the Magdeburg Rights, so it was one of the important cities in the region. Zhovkva has a rich story and wonderful ancient sightseeings. Welcome to Zhovkva!    



The rests of the city's fortificational wall on Yevhen Konovalets square. This place is also important to know for tourists who like to travel independently, because all regular buses make final stop here. :)


                The rests of Zhovkva fortificational wall on Lvivska street.


One of Zhovkva castle's tower and the part of castle's wall. Zhovkva castle was built in 1594 by the royal hetman of Polish state Stanislav Zholkevskyy, Zhovkva city's founder. 


Castle's walls and Zvirynetska Gate. And many interesting things You can see, if You visit Zhovkva castle, where historic museum "Zhovkva castle" functions for last years.


View of Zhovkva castle and common grave of NKVS' victims of 1941.


Common grave of the victims, killed by NKVS agents in Zhovkva in June, 1941.


 
Holy Mother of the God sculpture-fountain on Vicheva square and Zhovkva castle behind.


 
One of the castle's part with Zvirynetska Gate.



                   One of the castle's tower and the part of the castle's wall.


                    Part of the castle's fortificational wall with Zvirynetska Gate.


                                One of the castle's towers in the city's park.


                        Hlynska Gate was constructed in the XVIIth century.



         Bell-tower was built in the XVIIth century as a part of Zhovkva fortifications.


Former Dominican men's monastery was constructed in the XVII-XIXth centuries, nowadays St. Yosafat Greek Catholic Church functions here.


                       View of the former Dominican men's monastery at the side.


     Synagogue was built in1687, nowadays is non-functioned and under reconstruction.


Sts. Petro & Pavlo Church was constructed in 1991-1993 (Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchy).


          St. Lazar Church was built in 1735 (Ukrainian Orthodox Autocefal Church).                                                                          

Memorable table on the building of the former Dominican women's monastery, constructed in 1682-1787.                                                                             

Wooden Holy Trinity Church was constructed in 1720 (Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church).