In Which I Fail to Enter a War Zone

I am admittedly late in beginning this section of my blog, and there are a score of adventures from last year still missing, but I will skip ahead to the present trip in the spirit of relevance.

For a country that some claim is “on the edge of civil war,” all Ukraine has thus far shown to me is the same peace and hospitality as ever before. Men may be fighting and dying in Luhansk and Donetsk, but everywhere that I have been has betrayed no hint of this violence. That said, some things have certainly changed in the eleven months since I was last here.

A patriotic slogan, "Glory to Ukraine!" spray-painted on the crumbling ruins of a building in Stryis'kiy Park. I was to see much more similar graffiti during my time in Ukraine.

L’viv is an eternal city, like Rome or Paris. It wears its age like a crown of flowers on its head. It is perhaps the most under-appreciated gem of a city in the world. The analysts who fear that all of Ukraine may descend into chaos on a moment's notice have obviously never visited this wondrous place.

Here, mere hours from the Polish border, life goes on as usual. Crumbling Austrian facades tower over quiet streetside cafes. There is music, laughter, and life. The only remaining sign of the recent tragedy is a poster in front of the main government building in Rynok Square, honoring the "Heavenly Hundred" who were killed in clashes against Yanukovych's government in February. More of the dead came from L'viv than from any other city. And while hints of mourning still appear now and then, it is apparent that most L'viv residents understand that the country's struggles are not over. At the Ukrainian Greek Catholic church service I attended on Sunday, all of the intentions were offered for Ukraine's Crimean Tatars, who have been forced off their land and threatened-- again-- by the Russians.

I know that in America right now, one is hard pressed to find a picture of Ukraine that does not include men with guns. So here are several that I took on a Sunday stroll through Stryi'ski Park.

 

...and from a foray into the city center by the Opera House.

And yes, even in the midst of all this peace and beauty, there are still reminders.