Lychakiv Cemetery: destinies frozen in stone. Lychakiv Cemetery, Lviv, Ukraine

I invite you to take a walk through the city of the dead and listen to its legends...
It was decided to devote one of the days, or rather part of the day, of our stay to a walk through a historical and cultural reserve of local significance, through the open-air museum of funerary sculpture and architecture, into a majestic European necropolis, one of oldest cemeteries in Europe (it is older than Paris Père Laches and London Highgate) - according to the Lychakiv cemetery.

It’s probably worth starting to tell, or rather retell, the legends of the Lychakiv cemetery with a short historical background.

On an area of ​​42 hectares in 86 fields there are more than 5,000 tombs, 2,000 crypts, about 500 sculptures, 24 chapels, 5 memorials. There are over 100,000 grave structures. Each slab has a story, the architects thought through everything before the smallest details, capturing moments of sorrow in stone. The heterogeneity of the burials is evidenced by inscriptions in Polish, Armenian, German, Ukrainian and other languages.

The history of the Lychakiv cemetery begins in 1783. Then, by order of the Austrian Emperor Joseph II, burials around city churches and churches were prohibited - for sanitation purposes, of course. The old necropolises in the city center were excavated and the disturbed remains were transported to a new resting place.

At that time, no one could have foreseen that the cemetery on the outskirts of the city would become something like a beautiful landscape park, attracting mystics and romantics with its mysterious atmosphere. And it all started simply. A talented local gardening specialist, Bauer, with the consent of the magistrate, laid roads and alleys, planted trees and flowers - that is, he turned the “field of sorrow” into a very cozy place.

Since then, the Lychakiv Cemetery, where people who died of the plague were buried before in the 15th century, has become an “elite” final resting place for “privileged” Lviv residents - famous politicians, priests, military men, cultural and artistic figures, as well as simply wealthy citizens.

This fact explains the presentable appearance of the huge family crypts with magnificent bas-reliefs and tombstone sculptures, many of which are real works of art. It is they, the sculptures - stone, marble, bronze - that speak to us in the language of symbols and allegories, exciting the imagination and giving rise to legends.

There are plenty of legends, superstitions, and sad stories here. That's the kind of place it is.

Perhaps the most unrealistic of them is about a lonely lady walking along Mechnikov Street, which stretches along the cemetery.

The Legend of the Woman Without a Face

Oh horror, under her hood there was no... face!
The poor young man, trembling with fear, stuck to the ground, unable to utter a word, and the lady, waving her white hand goodbye to him, disappeared into the opening of the cemetery gate... Then the sound of wheels was heard - the carriage was approaching, and the young man, making sure that his legs They became wadded and they wouldn’t carry me home anymore, I was happy to “catch a taxi.” As you may have already guessed, the poor guy was unlucky again - the coachman also didn’t have a face under his hat, and the carriage disappeared with a roar behind the same cemetery gates.

Let’s not guess how much wine the young man drank the day before, or maybe, what the hell, insidious absinthe... or maybe he was distinguished by a rich imagination since childhood... but soon rumors spread throughout the city. And amazingly, there were immediately a dozen witnesses in favor, who also “saw” both the faceless lady in black and the carriage with the coachman. But there was not the slightest idea who this could be mysterious stranger... And if so, then let's leave it and return to more real personalities, which at least have names. Names carved on stone tombstones.

How Regina Markovskaya died

A life-size figure of a sleeping young girl - a beautiful, serene face, her hair scattered in disarray on the pillow... Several versions of her death are told. According to one of them, Regina was a promising young actress who “got too much into her role” on stage, and died when, according to the script of the play, her heroine was supposed to die.

According to another version, she, already a married lady, fell in love with a young womanizer and took poison, unable to bear his constant infidelities.

The third, and most likely the most plausible legend is that the heart of a young woman simply could not bear the tragic loss - the death of her young sons. Both boys, seven and two years old, were buried with their mother.

Previously, there was still a stone figure of a weeping angel at the head, and then it disappeared somewhere. Mysticism, an act of vandalism? Don't know. But there are always fresh flowers on her grave - visitors are drawn here as if by a magnet...

Grotger and Monnet

...The Lviv point brought them together. Fifteen-year-old beauty, mother and aunt’s pupil Wanda Monnet could not believe that this talkative, witty 28-year-old man, who publicly showered her with compliments, was the same Arthur Grotger, whom all of Poland revels in. She was even more amazed that Arthur, without delaying matters, declared his love to her during the dance. However, is this really what they do on the first evening of meeting each other? How could the girl know at that moment that Grotger had already seen her before and, sensitive to a woman’s soul and beauty, decided to win her heart? The day after the ball, Arthur Grotger was already standing on the threshold of their house. Thus began a great love.

The mother and aunt, with whom Wanda lived, liked this energetic and sincere young man, who showed respectful attention to them. They did not forbid their favorite to meet with him often, but when the question of engagement arose, they were not delighted. Arthur did not have enough money to provide their child with a decent future. But they didn't say no to him. It was jointly decided that Wanda would wait while Arthur earned money for the future life together. The time has come for separation.

They never got engaged to Wanda Monnet, who was madly in love with him, but even earlier, while walking together around Lychakovo, Arthur shared with his bride that it was here that he would like to be buried one day.

“My dearest, you are! - Grotger wrote to his beloved from the road. - I don’t see or hear anything except you. I became a man without thoughts, life and content, if we're talking about about matters that do not affect You or my love. In a word, without You there is nothing, neither in thoughts nor in actions.”

Every week Wanda received several tender letters, and she responded with the same. But they were not destined to marry.

Arthur Grotger died at thirty in the French Pyrenees from tuberculosis. Knowing that he was very sick, although not imagining how sick, Wanda Monnet was eager to be with him, trying to be with him. However, my mother and aunt, who were not experiencing the most financially, better times, they didn’t give her the amount she needed for the trip, although they could have. Bitterness and resentment towards them will not leave Wanda until the end of her life...

When the amount needed was finally in her pocket and Panna Monnet began to prepare to leave, news arrived: Arthur was gone.

"Died! - this word echoed with a cry in my thoughts, but I still did not understand to the bottom of that terrible truth, could not understand her. I lost consciousness at the sight of his letters or some of the trinkets that I received from him. I couldn't talk about him. In the end, I didn’t have with whom... All my youth lay in the coffin...” (from the memoirs of Wanda Monnet, which are stored in the Lviv Scientific Library named after Vasily Stefanik).

Wanda did everything to ensure that Grotger’s body was transported from the French churchyard to. Her relatives put her ring and all her letters, which Arthur took great care of, in his coffin. But Wanda never found the strength to take one last look at the one whose image she would carry throughout her entire life.

It is interesting that, knowing about the strength of feelings between young people, the famous Italian sculptor Paris Filippi did not take money from Wanda Monnet for a sculptural monument on the grave of a young colleague. Moreover, Wanda Monnet made the portrait of the groom on a monument filled with various symbols herself.

It is known that four years later the girl married Grotger’s close friend, Karl Mlodnitsky, with whom she had a daughter, Marilya (later, the famous Lviv writer Marilya Volska), but until the end of her life she was often seen near Arthur’s grave, now also with her daughter, immersed in her memory and aching melancholy.

Today the oak tree reminds us of this story. According to legend, Arthur Grotger planted it in a tub as a symbol eternal love and happiness, and over time it was transplanted into the Jesuit Garden (now the Ivan Franko Park), where the tree grows to this day. The memorial corner of Arthur and Wanda in the Dome coffee shop, in the house where Wanda Monnet lived to old age, also reminds of her. The memory is preserved by the tombstone at the Lychakiv cemetery and archival materials in the Lviv Scientific Library.

But true feelings, like manuscripts, do not burn. Lvov residents still sometimes say to lovers: “They love like Arthur and Wanda.”

Couples in love say that in the deserted cemetery they sometimes see a young man and a woman walking towards them smiling, holding hands, but after a few steps they seem to melt into thin air. They say it's Arthur and Wanda who come to congratulate true love currently living.

Felix Barczewski

Before his death, he transferred all the goods into cash and bequeathed them to philanthropy and good deeds. More than half - on annual awards for the best works in the field of literature and history, the rest - for scholarships for students of Lviv and Krakow universities, for dowries for girls from poor families, etc. In his will, the prudent rich man indicated that none of his relatives had the right to challenge his will.

Mother and daughter

Wonderworker Nikolai Charnetsky

Bishop Kirill Stefanovich

32. Grave of Bishop Kirill Stefanovich

Dr. Jozef and his dogs

Centenarians

Lviv Charon

Under the cross unwillingly

Stone mourners

Much more such legends would probably have survived if not for one barbaric resolution of the Lviv magistrate in the middle of the 19th century, namely, the installation of a stone crusher in the cemetery. Indiscriminately and without regret, she ground monuments and tombstones into small pebbles, which were then used to compact the alleys. Moreover, the central gates of the necropolis were later built from these stones. Those graves were destroyed for which no one cared for for 25 years, and no one paid fees to Lychakov’s administration. New burials were allowed in their place. Thus, not many three-hundred-year-old tombstones have survived to this day...

But this barbarity cannot be compared with what began with the advent of Soviet power in 1939. The cemetery was open for mass graves. Since then, simple granite slabs have been in sharp dissonance with the elegant necropolis monuments of the past. But the most outrageous thing is the unprecedented looting and vandalism. Most of the old crypts were gutted in search of treasures of “bourgeois enemies of the people.” Just then, a very popular story was that an entire family of Polish magnates was buried in gold shoes. Every morning, cemetery employees found open coffins with remains right on the paths... And the fences of most graves became the prey of hunters for non-ferrous metals.

This disgrace continued until the Lychakiv necropolis was given museum status in 1990. Since then, the “city of the dead” has accepted new “tenants” only as an extreme exception. So, several years ago, composers Vladimir Ivasyuk, the author of the “Rue of Hearts” and Igor Bilozir, the brutally murdered journalist Georgy Gongadze, whose severed head, by the way, was never found, were buried there...

As mentioned above, many famous people are buried at the Lychakiv cemetery.

39. Among the stone angels, madonnas and crosses on Lychakovo you often come across very unusual tombstones. For example, a bronze figure of ancient Orpheus with a lyre on the grave of the famous opera singer Solomiya Krushelnitskaya (the Lviv Opera House is named after her).

40. The image of the titan Prometheus, the “stonecutter,” who keeps hammering away at the rock, apparently trying to reach out to us, the descendants, at the last resting place of the great Ukrainian writer Ivan Franko.

41. Grave of composer Vladimir Ivasyuk, author of “Chervona Ruta”

42. Little is known about this grave; in addition, the young guys died in a car accident

43. Viktor Chukarin (1921-1984) – athlete-gymnast who survived a fascist concentration camp; absolute world champion, XV and XVI Olympic Games.

44. Honorary Citizen

45. If I’m not mistaken, the grave of one of the city leaders.

The Cemetery of the Defenders of Lviv is located on a separate site. The Polish defenders of Lvov, who died during the Polish-Ukrainian War (1918−1919) in battles against units of the Western Ukrainian People's Republic, are buried here.

48. Nearby is the Memorial of Lviv Eaglets - according to the heroic name of the young Polish militia “Lviv Eaglets”, who took part in the defense of the city with weapons in their hands, including taking up defense directly at the Lychakiv cemetery, where many of them died and were buried.

51. Victims of communist repression and the Holodomor are buried in this part

56. And more recently, a cemetery for the fallen in eastern Ukraine.

Lviv is one of the most beautiful cities in Ukraine, which, in addition to having the status of the cultural capital of the country, is one of the objects of the world cultural heritage UNESCO. This unique city is a real cultural treasure. A truly priceless pearl of this national and cultural heritage is the Lychakiv cemetery - one of the few ancient burial grounds that have survived in Europe.

Historical details of origin

In the middle of the 14th century, the city of Lviv fell into the hands of Casimir the Third. This affected the appearance of the city, which began to change rapidly. The city's infrastructure is expanding: taverns, prisons and, of course, cemeteries are appearing.

In the Middle Ages, it was considered the norm to bury the dead on consecrated ground - near churches. However, over time it became clear that such a neighborhood causes many problems. Cemeteries located in close proximity to residential areas created many threats to people's lives. Therefore, in 1783, the then Emperor Joseph II decided to remove all temple burials outside the city.

The city of Lviv was divided into several parts and four cemeteries were created. Residents of the fourth section and center got one of the old cemeteries in Lychakovo.

The cemetery received its official status in 1786, but burials had taken place there before. According to historians, back in the thirteenth century, people who died during the plague epidemic were buried there.

Since the inhabitants of the center were mainly the city nobility, it is not surprising that after some time the Lychakiv cemetery became the main necropolis of Lviv.

origin of name

The Lychakiv cemetery became so called due to the area in which it was located. This part of Lviv was inhabited back in the fifteenth century and was considered a suburb. In those distant times, caravans passed through these places on their way to Constantinople. The road was named Glinyanskaya because it led to the town of Glinyany. It began from the gates of the monastery located here. However, part of the road was called Lychakovskaya due to the name of the local settlement.

Commenting on the origin of the name "Lychakov", historians to this day do not have a common opinion. Some believe that this is a distorted version of the German Lutzenhof, derived from the name of the German colonist Lutz, who once lived in these parts. Others adhere to the version that the basis for this name was the word “lychaki”. In those days, this was the name given to the poorest residents who wore shoes woven from bast (the bark of a tree).

The ancient name stuck, and now, in addition to the cemetery, this is the name of the Lviv district, a park, a station and one of the streets.

Lychakiv cemetery in the pre-revolutionary period

From the moment of its official opening, this place immediately gained elite status behind the scenes. Here the most famous people of Lvov sought to find their final refuge: politicians, musicians, poets, representatives of the clergy, military leaders and simply rich people. Actually, it was thanks to their efforts that the Lychakiv cemetery began to look more like a museum.

In 1856, local authorities decided to improve the area. For this purpose, well-known masters of garden art were invited at that time: K. Bauer and T. Tkhuzhevsky. The craftsmen transformed the cemetery, creating paths, alleys and many green spaces. Now it has become more like a beautiful park, highlighting the uniqueness of these places with its natural beauty.

The peculiar popularity of the Lychakiv necropolis became so enormous that it had to be expanded several times until it reached its current area of ​​42 hectares, covering 86 fields.

Later, from the gloomy kingdom of death, the renovated park was transformed into a blooming and luxurious garden, where you could walk and enjoy the beautiful creations of the masters Tadeusz Baroncz and Leonard Marconi. A special place in the design of the necropolis belongs to the Shimzer family, which gave Lvov two generations of sculptors: Anton and Johann, as well as their descendant Julian Markovsky, the author of the famous “Sleeping on the Couch,” which has already become the hallmark of the cemetery. There you can also admire the famous mourners from Hartmann Witwer, thanks to whose talent this image of tombstone sculpture was established. Some of the sculptors are buried here.

Lychakiv Cemetery: legends

The crypts and graves, tombstones, and tombs that are located here are not only unique reminders of the lives of different people or entire families, but also tell many stories.

One of them is the legend of Józef Baczewski, who took care of his final refuge during his lifetime. His family was involved in strong drinks and became famous throughout the world thanks to them. Józef Adam, whose name is well known in this area of ​​business, showed particular entrepreneurial spirit. He also took an original approach to his funeral, building a chapel in advance on the territory of the Lychakiv cemetery and ordering an interesting device. The mechanical robotic funeral attendant not only delivered Yuzef to the cemetery, but also independently placed him in the coffin.

Another story is connected with an unusual tombstone. Here, on both sides of the bust of the wonderful doctor Jozef Ivanovich, are his two dogs - Pluto and Nero. Loyal to their master even after his death, they remained with him in the cemetery. There are also monuments with an interesting history that are unnoticeable due to their modest design. For example, about the brave army soldier Franciszek Zaremba, who, having avoided death in the war, lived long life at 112 years old.

Peculiar business card The Lychakiv cemetery became a sculpture of a sleeping girl. There is a mysterious story associated with this poetic tombstone. Józefa Markowska, pictured here, died in 1877.

Mysterious and sudden death caused a lot of speculation. There are several versions. One of them says that Yuzefa was an actress and, having got used to the role, died right during the premiere. The second is about the unhappy love of a girl who, having learned about her lover’s infidelity, poisoned herself. The third version is associated with the deceased children of Yuzefa. The source of the fourth is a Polish source, which claims that a man is buried here - Stanislav Zborowski.

Famous historical figures buried here

Many stories and legends today are associated with this mysterious place, like the Lychakiv cemetery. Who is buried here from famous personalities? Of course, among them are the most famous figures of culture, science, and art of Ukraine: famous composer, author of “Vodograi” and “Chervona Ruta” - Vladimir Ivasyuk; poet, public figure Ivan Franko; writers Osip Turyansky and Mikhail Rudnitsky; scientists Vasily Levitsky and Maxim Muzyka; historian Isidor Sharanevich and others.

Also, in addition to compatriots, here you can also find the graves of famous Poles who lived in Lviv: the author of wonderful children's fairy tales Maria Konopnitska, the mathematician Stefan Banach, the artist Arthur Grottger, the world-famous surgeon Ludovic Ridiger, Zygmunt Gorgolevsky - the author of the building and many other figures of science and art .

Cemetery memorial complexes

The vast areas of mass graves are especially impressive. Lychakiv Cemetery (Lviv) contains several famous ones that are known throughout the world. Here are several of them:

• a memorial dedicated to the fallen soldiers of the Ukrainian National Army;
• where are the graves of almost four thousand Soviet soldiers who died here during the Great Patriotic War;
• Lviv "Eaglets", a memorial dedicated to the young Poles who died here during the Ukrainian-Polish war;
• Rebel Hill - people who took part in the Polish uprising in 1863 are buried here;
• tombs where the sisters of the monastic order are buried.

Cemetery of Lviv "Eaglets"

The problem of restoring this burial place has been discussed for a long time, since during the Soviet period (in 1971) it was practically destroyed. After Ukraine gained independence, the Polish authorities approached with a proposal to create a memorial complex here, restoring the barbarically destroyed burial place of the legendary Polish “eaglets”. This was the name given to the young Poles who took part in the defense of Lvov and fought here during the Polish-Ukrainian War. Another name for this burial is the cemetery of the defenders of Lviv.

In 2005, the memorial complex was finally restored, and a grand opening took place with the participation of the heads of state of Ukraine and Poland.

Cemetery area layout

The territory of the modern Lychakiv cemetery is huge, however, despite this, everything here is arranged competently and harmoniously. Visitors are greeted by a stone fence with spire gates, which are connected by a forged lattice. Passing the fence, you can see nearby monuments and chapels, which are located in the area surrounding the entrance square and side alleys. The latter take guests into the deep greenery of the parks, hiding funerary masterpieces. Further, having risen to a slight elevation, they unite into a large ring road, from which numerous alleys branch off in different directions, penetrating into all corners of the cemetery.

Visit to the cemetery

Not visiting here means not seeing one of the stunning sights of the city. Moreover, since 1990, the Lychakiv Cemetery (Lviv) received the status of a historical and cultural museum. As you know, it is better to visit such places accompanied by a guide. The need for the presence of the latter is due to a number of reasons. Firstly, the huge territory of the cemetery, which is difficult to get around in one day. Secondly, it will be possible to hear interesting stories the lives of the people buried here.

Visiting hours for the cemetery are from nine to seventeen. For lovers thrills The museum administration offers excursions at night.

Today, travel companies provide short tours to Lviv among their services. Getting to know its attractions includes visiting theaters, museums, churches, as well as excursions to the Lychakiv cemetery.

How to get there

Today, the area of ​​the Lychakiv cemetery covers 42 hectares of land, so it is not surprising that it is easy to get lost here. And even the residents of Lviv cannot boast that they are well versed in the 86 fields where the Lychakiv cemetery is now located. Residents of the city can tell you how to get to this interesting place, and they willingly answer such questions from guests. You can get here by tram number 7 or 2, reaching Mechnikov Street. Next, you should go through the gate, erected here in 1875, and several alleys will open in front of you. Here the tourist makes the choice himself: either turn to the administration for help and book an excursion, or cope on his own using the Internet, a map and personal preferences.

Lychakiv cemetery is a kind of city of the dead that lives its own life. Like people, such places are born, grow and die. It is rare to find such an exception as His history goes back more than two centuries, and the concentration of stories of destinies, legends and miracles sometimes seems simply incredible.

The cemetery is not a place for walking. This rule has been instilled in us since childhood, and we live with the firm belief that every visit to the churchyard takes away a piece of our vital energy and strength. How many horror films are based on a plot where main character turns out to be at a gravestone at night! But if you are lucky enough to be in Lviv, then be sure to purchase an excursion to the Lychakiv cemetery. This place is strikingly different from everything that we understand by the word “graveyard”. After all, here is a real city of the dead with beautiful green alleys and paved paths, and the abundance of sculptures and architectural masterpieces makes the Lychakiv cemetery a real landmark of the city. From our article you will learn a lot of interesting things about this unique place, as well as the stories of people who found eternal peace here.

Short description

Lychakiv Cemetery in Lviv is considered one of the oldest and most beautiful. Twenty-six years ago this necropolis was officially reclassified historical monuments. Now it belongs to the historical and memorial museum-reserves of Ukraine. On the territory of Lychakov there are graves of celebrities, tombs of ancient European families and burial places of citizens awarded various honorary titles (including Hero Soviet Union). Here you can find gravestone inscriptions in at least twenty-four languages, and among the graves there are more than four hundred thousand burials of people of different nationalities.

The Lychakiv cemetery occupies about forty-two hectares of land on a hill. The entire territory is cut into eighty-six sections, here for some reason they are called “fields”. The churchyard is famous for its sculptural structures; there are more than five hundred of them. The richly and intricately decorated crypts are also of great interest to local residents and tourists. Many of the two thousand structures were created by famous architects of their time. They often became the authors of tombstones, which clearly read various architectural styles, characteristic of a particular era.

Today, you can book a group tour to see the graves of celebrities. It is conducted in several languages, so Foreign tourists often visit the most famous cemetery in Lviv, listening to the guide with great interest.

History of the cemetery

Historians claim that the Lychakiv cemetery (Lviv) was founded in the sixteenth century. However, written evidence has been preserved that even three centuries before the founding of the necropolis, people who died of the plague were buried on these lands. The place was considered sufficiently remote from the city, which excluded the spread of infection.

The widespread use of the Lychakiv cemetery for burying dead citizens began only at the end of the eighteenth century by order of Emperor Joseph II. The fact is that previously it was customary to bury the dead within the city limits near temples and churches. Crypts were built in a small area, where all the bodies ended up. Naturally, the smell of rotting flesh enveloped the city in a stinking cloud. Infectious diseases often broke out, usually turning into epidemics and killing huge numbers of people. The Austrian emperor decided to move all cemeteries outside the city in order to clear its territory of any possible infections and unpleasant smell, due to which visiting the church turned into painful torture.

By decree of the emperor, four plots of land were cleared for graveyards. But, unfortunately, only the Lychakiv cemetery has survived to this day. Every schoolchild in Lviv knows about it, because walking around it historical museum turns into real pleasure. Interestingly, from the moment of its foundation, the cemetery area aroused interest among wealthy residents of the city. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, they began to buy land for the construction of crypts, this significantly expanded the perimeter of the churchyard. From that moment on, not just tombstones were erected here, but real masterpieces of art, to which the most famous sculptors and architects had a hand. Among them are names such as:

• Hartmann Witwer.
• Paris Filipi.
• Leonardo Marconi and so on.

The tombs created by these people became family ones. Several generations of the same family found their peace here.

In the fifties of the nineteenth century, a project was created that turned the territory into a real museum. Its authors were two talented botanists who thought through a system of alleys and paths that give visitors the feeling of walking through a beautiful European city.

Which celebrities are buried at the Lychakiv cemetery?

Many guides claim that the names of the people who found refuge in the churchyard near Lvov mean nothing to the Russians. In fact, this is not so, because among the large number of Polish, German and Ukrainian names there are those that are well known to our compatriots from Soviet times.

For example, he is buried here National artist USSR Boris Romanitsky and his wife Nadezhda Dotsenko. During the excursion, the guide will definitely lead the group past the grave of the Soviet playwright Yaroslav Galan, well known throughout former republics Soviet Union. We'll talk about his memorial a little later. If you find yourself in the Lychakiv cemetery, be sure to visit the grave of Ivan Franko. This man is considered one of the most prominent figures in the revolutionary movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. At the same time, he is known as a writer, poet and publicist. A year before his death, he was even nominated to receive Nobel Prize. In Ukraine, his name is very well known and respected; one city and urban settlement in the Lviv region is named after the revolutionary.

Visitors to the cemetery should also pay attention to the monuments to the following people:

• Stanislav Lyudkevich.
• Vladimir Ivasyuk.
• Mikola Kolessa.
• Yaroslav Galan.
• Regina Markovskaya.
• Grigory Tyutyunnik.

We will briefly talk about each memorial in the following sections of our article.

Hill of Glory

The Lychakiv Cemetery currently includes the Hill of Glory, a famous memorial where Russian soldiers who died in 1914 in the Battle of Galicia, as well as Soviet soldiers who liberated Lviv from the fascist occupiers, are buried.

The first burials in this area were made in the fourteenth year of the twentieth century. There were mass and individual graves here. At that time, the memorial was a white high cross mounted on a pedestal. Paths were laid nearby and benches were placed.

After World War II, the number of burials increased - two hundred and fifty-five individual graves and three mass graves. The memorial was completely redone, and she worked on its project large group architects from Lviv. Thanks to their efforts, the Hill of Glory began to look like a circle, divided into two semicircles by an alley. Each contains thirteen tombstones, at the entrance there are two sculptural groups and Eternal flame.

Unfortunately, if you come to Lviv now, the eternal flame at the Lychakiv cemetery will not burn. The last time it was lit on May 9 of this year at nine o'clock in the morning and extinguished at six o'clock in the evening. This fact caused great unrest in Ukraine, but the head of the memorial museum-reserve refers to the order received from the mayor of Lvov.

Memorial in honor of soldiers of the Ukrainian National Army

Nine years ago, a memorial was erected on the territory of the Lychakiv cemetery in memory of the fallen soldiers of the Ukrainian National Army. It began to take shape two months before the end of the war with Nazi Germany.

Today, patriots and members of various public organizations often come here to lay flowers at the monument.

Burial of Stanislav Lyudkevich

If you start exploring the churchyard from the central alley, you will probably come across the Lyudkevich memorial. This amazing person was talented composer and an artist who received many titles confirming his services to the country. Stanislav Lyudkevich lived a hundred years and all these years warmed people with the flame of his talent. That is why a sculptural composition of Prometheus was installed on his grave, reflecting the essence of the composer’s life.

Ukrainian composer and poet Ivasyuk

Vladimir Ivasyuk, like many other artists Soviet period, buried at Lychakovo. Over the thirty years of his life, he managed to prove himself as a talented and versatile person who contributed huge contribution in development Ukrainian music. Ivasyuk played the violin, guitar and several others superbly musical instruments. At the same time, he wrote poetry, and by education he was a medical worker who showed great promise.

There are many rumors associated with the death of V. Ivasyuk, because he was found hanged from a tree in the vicinity of Lvov. Official version There was a suicide, but several times a criminal case was opened into the death, but each time it was closed due to the lack of evidence of a crime.

Mikola Kolessa

Not far from Lyudkevich’s grave is buried the composer Kolessa, who managed to live to be one hundred and three years old and had a long list of government awards. Mikola Filaretovich composed music and also played in the theater. Unfortunately, a worthy monument has not yet been erected at his grave. However, it is to be hoped that the sculptural composition will be created soon. After all, such a person deserves a long memory.

The burial of Yaroslav Galan does not have an elaborate appearance or even a sculptural composition that could reflect the talent of this writer and publicist. His grave is marked by a simple, smooth, dark-colored granite slab. True, it is quite difficult to pass by it. It stands out very clearly against the backdrop of intricately decorated crypts, which are often called “houses for the dead.” It is noteworthy that after a downpour, an Orthodox cross clearly appears on the smooth slab. Local residents find no other explanation for this other than a mystical one.

If you find yourself at the Lychakiv cemetery, be sure to find the grave of Galan, who showed himself to be a bright individualist during the period of total power of the Communist Party over the minds and souls of the people. It was for his views that he paid with his life when he was hacked to death with an ax by a Ukrainian nationalist.

Regina Markovskaya

This actress was awarded one of the most unusual monuments in the cemetery. It is often called the “sleeping beauty” because of the sculptural composition of a girl reclining on a luxurious bed. The young beauty is in a sleeping state, her face is relaxed, and her hair is scattered across the pillow. Historians claim that the sculptor was a relative of Regina Markovskaya and in his creation tried to capture the beautiful features of the actress.

There are many rumors about her on the Internet, but it is known for certain that she did not shine on stage for long, dying of tuberculosis.

Grave of G. M. Tyutyunnik

The tombstone of the Ukrainian prose writer Grigory Tyutyunnik looks very stern against the backdrop of the ancient sculptural compositions of the cemetery. It is a roughly hewn stone, to which is attached a bas-relief with the writer's face. On the tombstone itself, only the years of the writer’s life are carved.

I would like to note that Tyutyunnik lived a short life - only forty-one years. But the writer used the time and talent given to him by fate to the fullest. He created a number of works that are still considered classics of Ukrainian literature. Some of them were even made into feature films.

Travel to the Lychakiv necropolis and cost of excursions

If you don’t know how to get to the Lychakiv cemetery, then this section of the article will be useful to you. The necropolis is located on Mechnikov Street, thirty-three, close to the central square. From here you can walk to the churchyard in literally fifteen minutes.

However, there are several routes public transport, which will quickly take you to this necropolis. Podvalnaya Street runs through the center of Lviv, from it you can get to the Lychakiv Cemetery by tram number seven. If you are planning to go sightseeing in Lviv directly from the train station, then you need bus route twenty-nine or tram number ten. You can also use minibuses, which ply in large numbers along Lychakovskaya Street.

Please note that there is an entrance fee to the necropolis. For one person you will need to pay about ten hryvnia. Group excursions are carried out with at least ten tourists. In this case, you must pay one hundred hryvnia. For this money, a guide will take you through the most interesting places cemetery and tell about its history in the required language.

Many people say that visiting the Lychakiv cemetery made a deep impression on them. However, not all tourists allow themselves to take photographs of tombstones, considering it bad manners and fearing the revenge of the deceased. It is known that incredible stories of a mystical nature often happen in this churchyard. For example, in one of the crypts where a mother and daughter, who were burned alive during a fire, are buried, the creaking of iron chains holding the coffins is periodically heard. This is quite difficult to explain, given that the crypt is hermetically sealed and drafts are impossible inside. Whatever the reality, a tour of this ancient necropolis leaves positive emotions, seasoned with light and light sadness.

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If you type “Lychakiv Cemetery” into Google, the search engine will return hundreds, or even thousands, of links to photos, videos and just text with information about one of the oldest cemeteries in Europe. So I won’t discover America and won’t tell you any hitherto unknown facts, but will just show you a few tourist photos taken last summer during our trip to Lviv.

To be honest, I shot without any system. We randomly chose the direction of movement through the cemetery and sometimes stopped to take a photo at the most noticeable or unusual monument in our opinion. Already at home, I read a lot of interesting things about the famous Lviv necropolis and regretted that I had not prepared before the trip. Then our movements would be more meaningful and the most famous and famous “tenants” of Lychakivskoye would be included in the frame. But what we have, we have.

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The official date of foundation of Lychakivsky is 1786. The reason for the emergence of the cemetery was a decree of the Austrian Emperor Joseph II who considered it necessary to streamline burials and avoid the unsanitary conditions that arose as a result of burying the bodies of the dead in dungeons near churches. On hot days summer days There was a corpse smell in the churches. Thanks to the emperor, four cemeteries were built around Lvov. Three of them ceased to operate during the time of Austrian rule. A railway line was built through Paporovka, on the site of the Gorodotskoye cemetery there is a Station Bazaar, and on the site of the Stryisky cemetery there is a monument Soviet army and a hotel. Only one has survived- Lychakovskoe.

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All this is known to Wikipedia and a bunch of other sources on the Internet, and all these sources are unanimous regarding the date and reasons for the emergence of the necropolis. But then small discrepancies begin. They concern the name of the Lychakiv district. According to one version, Lychakov- distorted German Lutzenhof (court of the Lutzes, German colonists who settled here at the end of the 16th century), according to another Lychakov comes from the poor people who wore bast shoes and settled in this area back in the 15th century. There is also no consensus regarding the status of the cemetery. It is believed that due to its proximity to the center of Lviv, the Lychakiv cemetery immediately became prestigious; wealthy residents of the “middle” were buried there. i stya." It is known that in the 15th century those killed as a result of epidemics, as well as suicides, were buried on Lychakivsky. So the “prestige” of the cemetery at the beginning of its existence is in question.

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Boris Akunin, in his Cemetery Stories, very accurately described the sensations that arise in modern active cemeteries: “The active Moscow cemeteries make me sick to my stomach. They look like bleeding pieces of meat torn out alive. Buses with black stripes on the sides drive up there, they talk too quietly and they cry too loudly, and in the crematorium conveyor shop a choral prelude howls four times an hour, and a government lady in a mourning dress says in a staged voice: “We approach one by one, we say goodbye.”
Thanks to the efforts of the botanist Karl Bauer, who developed the projectals and paths in 1856, Lychakivskoe is perceived more like a huge park surrounded by greenery and lined with many sculptures. Or like an open air museum- history of Lviv since the time of Austro- The Hungarian Empire until the collapse of the USSR.

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Polish family crypts. Some date back several hundred years. Most of them were looted with the advent of Soviet power. According to legend, a certain Polish family was buried in gold shoes. Revolutionary-minded looters could not allow such misuse of precious metal by the bourgeois dead and carried out “expropriation” of the contents of the crypts at night. In the morning, cemetery watchmen found coffins with remains right on the cemetery paths.

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Much would have come to this day more monuments, if not for the wheel of history in the form of a stone crusher directed by the Lviv magistrate in the 19th century to destroy graves that had been unattended for more than twenty-five years. Three-hundred-year-old slabs were mercilessly ground into stone chips, which were then filled with cemetery alleys.

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Since 1991, the Lychakiv cemetery has the status of a historical and cultural reserve. All new burials are carried out only with the permission of the mayor and in agreement with the chairman of the academic council. Sub-burials of direct relatives are allowed. Residents of Lvov who emigrated to America, but wished to be buried in their homeland, are buried here. Modern, sparkling Americanism against the backdrop of the gloomy, moss-covered stones of old Europe.

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Female figures in mourning poses are mourners. There are a huge variety of them on Lychakivsky, in various variations. They say that “tears” actually roll down the faces of some of them in the morning hours. But there is no mysticism in this. If you believe the stories, some sculptors made a system of invisible grooves in the stone, in which morning dew accumulated and flowed out of the holes in the eye area.

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19. family coats of arms..

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And of course, what is an ancient cemetery without legends. The famous Lychak "sleeping beauty". Regina Markovskaya. The story of the “sleeping beauty” is very well told: “The life-size figure of a sleeping young girl - a beautiful, serene face, her hair scattered in disarray on the pillow... Several versions of her death are told. According to one of them, Regina was a promising young actress who was too She “fell into the role” very much on stage, and died when, according to the script of the play, her heroine was supposed to die. According to another version, she, already a married lady, fell in love with a young womanizer and took poison, unable to bear his constant infidelities. The third, and in my humble opinion, the most plausible legend - the heart of a young woman simply could not bear the tragic loss - the death of her young sons. Both boys, seven and two years old, were buried with their mother. Previously, a stone figure of a weeping angel still stood at the head of the bed. then it disappeared somewhere. Mysticism, an act of vandalism? I don’t know. But there are always fresh flowers on her grave - visitors are drawn here as if by a magnet...”

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The grave of the Armenian bishop Samvel Kirill Stefanovich. Again, according to legend, at the age of 75 the bishop became seriously ill and, anticipating his death, ordered a tombstone for himself. By the time the work was completed, the patient’s condition had improved dramatically and the priest was on the mend. He lived another 28 years caring for his own image carved in stone.

And finally, one more story for lovers of horror stories: “There are crypts here with a “bad” reputation, such as one of the richest tombs of Rosalia and Wanda Zamoyski. Mother and daughter tragically died in a fire in 1902. They say that you can often hear the chains on which the coffins are suspended rattling in the hermetically sealed crypt..." But, unfortunately, we knew nothing about this and I don’t have a photo of the “bad” crypt. Perhaps you will be interested in going to Lviv yourself, going to the Lychakiv cemetery and finding this gloomy place :)

The historical center of Old Lviv, due to the presence of a huge number of museums, temples and architectural masterpieces, is included in the World Heritage List by the world organization UNESCO.
One of these attractions ancient city, which earned Lvov world fame, is Lychakiv Cemetery, which is rightfully considered one of the most ancient necropolises in Old Europe.

It’s hard to imagine, but the Lychakiv cemetery is older than the famous Parisian necropolis of Père Lachaise and the famous Highgate in London. The history of the cemetery began in 1786, when by order of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary Joseph II it was forbidden to bury people within the city limits. And such a measure was not simply caused by the whim of the autocrat.

The fact is that, according to the tradition existing at that time, people were buried directly in the basements of churches or near church buildings. This tradition has led to the development of unsanitary conditions and uncontrolled outbreaks infectious diseases. Suffice it to say that, according to the recollections of contemporaries, at summer services in Lviv churches the smell of corpse decomposition was clearly heard.

The Lychakiv cemetery was allocated a place where, back in the 16th century, townspeople who died of the plague were buried. Since this cemetery was located closest to the city, residents of the city center were buried there. It is clear that these were mainly wealthy people, and their tombstones are now of real cultural value.
Over time, being buried at the Lychakiv cemetery became prestigious.

IN Soviet time, starting somewhere in the mid-60s, it was possible to bury a relative at the Lychakiv cemetery only after receiving special permission from the city authorities. Mostly famous political and political figures were interred here. public figures. Although, by giving a huge bribe of 15 thousand rubles at that time, it was possible to obtain the coveted permission without any special merit to society.

The Soviet period in the history of the cemetery is characterized by the appearance on its territory of a mass of monotonous rectangular stone tombstones, topped with stars, which somewhat fall out of the general architectural ensemble of the pantheon. However, there are no more than a third of such burials. Most of the Lychakiv graves date back to the second half of the 19th century, although you can find burials made at the very dawn of the foundation of the necropolis. In those days, there was a tradition among wealthy citizens to order the production of tombstones from famous sculptors. Until now, people freeze in silent admiration before the works of master carver Hartmann Witwer, who created four antique statues located in the corners of Market Square, brothers Johann and Anton Schimzer, Paul Eutele, Monardo Marconi, Paris Filippi, and other equally famous sculptors that era.

Silent symbols of human destinies

If you look closely at the grave monuments, you will notice some of their similarities and a certain symbolism in their inherent details. Numerous female figures frozen in mournful poses, they represent figures of the Virgin Mary or inconsolable mourners, in front of whom there is always a special urn or other container to collect shed tears. For the buried aviators, who at that time were owners of one of the most romantic professions, a stylized image of a propeller was an invariable attribute of the monument. In the same way, using your imagination, you can decipher the numerous other symbols that decorate the tombstones.

For example, hourglass and the broken column symbolize the transience and meaninglessness of earthly life. Most often, such signs decorate the graves of young people who died untimely. Various goose feathers, laurel wreaths or a silent lyre will tell you that a person of a creative profession has found his peace in this place, and a lion will tell you about his final refuge courageous man, most likely military.

Images of a falcon were placed as a reminder of the inherent loyalty and love of the deceased, and a ball topped with wings was an invariable attribute of a merchant’s grave. A huge number of graves are decorated with symbols inherent in Christianity. This is the grapevine - a symbol of immortality human soul, as well as simply artistically executed crosses.

The last resting places of famous Lviv residents

For pious families at that time, large and spacious crypts were erected, which were supposed to rest the ashes of an entire family. Arouses great interest among visitors crypt of the Barczewski family, created in the mid-80s of the last century in a pseudo-Byzantine style. The bowl-shaped dome of this, one of the most beautiful crypts of the Lychakiv cemetery, was destroyed during the Second World War. Now a tree symbolically grows from it.

It is interesting that this crypt was built with the money of the last representative of the Barczewski family, who died at the age of about fifty without starting a family. Since he was quite wealthy, he spent part of his money on creating a family crypt, and donated the rest to charity.

The history of the creation of an Armenian tombstone is quite interesting. Bishop Samuel Stefanovich, who, one day, already in his old age, feeling unwell, decided to order a monument for himself, so as not to burden his relatives with future worries. However, after the order was completed, Stefanovich unexpectedly recovered and lived for almost 28 more years, being able to observe and care for his future grave.

The former owner of the then-famous Concordia company, which provided ritual services to the townspeople, is buried under a monument with the inscription “Lvov Charon” on it. This comparison of oneself with the mythical carrier of the souls of the dead speaks of the peculiar sense of humor of the person lying under the stone slab. He was also remembered by the townspeople for his invention of a special “tomb hotel”, where, for a fee, the coffin with the deceased was kept until the day of the funeral.

Lviv lovers are invariably attracted to the grave of a young Polish artist Arthur Grottger, which at that time was extremely popular in its homeland. Having fallen in love with the Lviv beauty Wanda Monnet, he was going to marry her legally, however, some time later, he died at the age of 30 far from his homeland. Faithful to her fiancé, Wanda Monnet sold all family valuables and transported the ashes of her chosen one to Lviv, fulfilling his last will. The monument for the grave was created completely free of charge by the artist’s friend, Paris Filippi. It depicts a grieving girl sitting in front of a falcon, a lyre and a broken easel stretched out at her feet.

On field number 70 - monumental Mausoleum of Felix Barczewski, built by his son, the richest man in Podil. The giant crypt is the only modern reminder of the fabulous wealth of this family. After himself, Barchesky left 700 thousand guilders in cash for charity and science.

Nearby is one of the most poetic tombstones in the cemetery. Sleeping sculpture Jozefa Markovska(died in 1877) gave rise to more than one legend in which the woman is for some reason called Barbara and attributed to her different biographies. Either she was an actress who died during a performance, or an unfortunate woman who was poisoned because of her lover’s betrayal.

Among modern tombstones there are also masterpieces, for example, a long-legged bronze Orpheus on the grave Solomiya Krushelnitskaya. There are unusual tombstones: for example, a bust doctor Yuzef Ivanovich His faithful dogs Pluto and Nero are guarding him.

Legends of Lychakiv Cemetery

Like any ancient place, the Lychakiv cemetery also has its mystical places and legends. True, some of which can be fully explained by rational methods.

For example, on the tombstone of the famous Soviet publicist Yaroslav Galan, known for his ardent anti-religious writings, the contours of a Christian cross clearly appear after the rain. This mystical transformation can be explained by the fact that an old tombstone was used for his grave, the cross on which was not completely erased by a careless master.

Another legend tells that some stone statues of mourners located on graves actually shed tears. However, this miracle can only be noticed in the early morning, before the dew has dried. This metamorphosis is explained by the fact that ancient sculptors created a system of invisible grooves in the stone, through which dew or rainwater accumulated overnight could flow out of specially made holes in the area of ​​​​the eyes of the statues.

And Lviv superstitious students come to the Lychakiv cemetery to get soil from the grave of Nikolai Charnetsky. During the sessions, the grave of this Greek Catholic bishop has to be filled several times. Students believe that the martyr, whose remains were reburied in the 1960s, will help them pass the exam, and the soil on his grave has miraculous powers.

The difficult history of the Polish “Eaglets”

Enough large area The Lychakiv Cemetery is occupied by the “Lviv Eaglets Memorial”, which is very popular among Polish tourists visiting Lviv. The remains of young Polish militiamen who died during the defense of Lviv during the Ukrainian-Polish War of 1918-1919 are buried there. Many of them were not yet 16 years old at that time.

These regularly spaced rows of identical white stone crosses with black plaques on them really make a strong impression on visitors to the memorial. The pantheon itself was erected by the Poles back in the 30s of the last century. However, in 1971 Soviet authorities They decided to demolish the pantheon, which was carried out in a short time with several tanks.

Back in the mid-90s, the then President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma promised his Polish colleague Alexander Kwasniewski to do everything necessary to restore the memorial. However, long debates in the Lviv City Council about the need to eliminate the symbols of militarism placed on some monuments did not allow this to be done quickly. The monument to Polish eaglets was inaugurated only during the presidency of Viktor Yushchenko in 2005.

One of the oldest cemeteries in Europe

The current Lychakiv cemetery contains more than 300 thousand burials, more than 2 thousand crypts, and almost 500 sculptures, including many highly artistic ones. The oldest burials are dated 1787 and 1797. In 1856, it was decided to transform Lychakiv from a city of the dead into a kind of park for romantics. Then the university botanist Karl Bauer landscaped the territory, laid paths and alleys.

It’s not difficult to get lost at the Lychakiv Cemetery - few people can boast that they can navigate all its 86 fields well. But at first it’s simple - to the street. Mechnikov, where the entrance to the cemetery is located, is served by tram No. 7. Then there are the 17th century neo-Gothic gates and the ticket office. It will take a couple of minutes to explore the impressive chapels surrounding the gate area - these are the mausoleums of the Sukhodolsky, Kiselki, Kshechunovich, Adamsky, Morovsky and Lyudinsky. Well, then there are several alleys and a lot of routes to choose from.