Sunday16 February 2025
ord-02.com

The UNESCO Director-General inaugurated a cultural hub in Lviv.

This is the first UNESCO office in Ukraine.
Генеральный директор ЮНЕСКО открыла в Львове культурный хаб.

On Tuesday, January 28, the first UNESCO cultural hub in Ukraine was presented in Lviv. The restored facility in a historical building in the city center will serve as a multifunctional space for cultural events. The hub was opened with financial support from Spain.

At the hub's opening, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay highlighted Lviv's unique role.

“This is a creative city because it is part of our global network that connects creativity and artistry from around the world. The city draws on an incredible history, its academic traditions marked by key thinkers, philosophers, and renowned writers from Franko and Joseph Roth to Victoria Amelina. This hub is more than just a center; it is not a museum; it is designed for people who can benefit from it. Providing a home for culture and education is the future,” emphasized Audrey Azoulay.

Голова ЛОВА Максим Козицький, гендиректорка ЮНЕСКО Одрі Азуле, міністр закордонних справ Іспанії Хосе Мануель Альбарес Буено, міністри культури Микола Точицький і закордонних справ Андрій Сибіга, мер Львова Андрій Садовий (фото ЛМР)

The cultural hub, spanning over 400 m2, will host meetings, training sessions, workshops for artists, conferences, and exhibitions. The first floor will feature a municipal library-candy shop with a separate entrance from Nyzhankivskyi Street. On the second floor, there will be a reception area, co-working rooms, an exhibition hall, and a multimedia studio for audio and video recording. Spaces and multimedia equipment for socially-oriented events will be provided free of charge.

“In life, there are three things that can be lost forever: life, nature, and historical heritage. And we understand this like no one else in times of war because the aggressor wants to destroy us. Both physically and our culture, and our nature. Today's opening of the UNESCO hub sends a strong message from the entire civilized world that we are together. Our culture is the bridge that connects countries and cities,” stated Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi.

Photo by ZAXID.NET from the hub's opening

The project's designer, Oksana Shumedla, emphasizes that during the restoration of the interior, the most important task was to preserve history, culture, and heritage. This multifunctional space has entrances from both the main entrance and Nyzhankivskyi Street, featuring inclusive access and an elevator.

“It was a significant responsibility to restore the neglected building and bring it back to life. We worked here as if on an archaeological dig. The ceiling was hidden under Armstrong tiles [suspended ceiling tiles – editor], the walls were covered with drywall, everything was painted over. We started removing layers and discovered these wonderful ceilings and columns. The floor was destroyed, so we recreated it based on a sample found on the upper floors of the building,” Oksana Shumedla told ZAXID.NET.

The Neo-Gothic building at 6 Knyazya Romana Street was constructed in 1912. By the 1930s, when a radio station began operating here, the premises were remodeled. Restorer Iryna Hirna explained that it features a mix of three styles – Neo-Gothic, Art Deco, and Secession. The walls were adorned with stucco – an imitation of marble in ivory color, but in very poor condition. Therefore, only the authentic color was restored, and the walls and moldings were renovated. The original Neo-Gothic ceiling, marble panels on the walls with gilded floral ornamentation, as well as the windows, doors, gates, and radiators are all original.

Photo by ZAXID.NET of the restored interior

“Each fragment was meticulously cleaned and correctly restored. There were many additions, drywall that caused significant damage. In some rooms, there were three layers of oil paint that we removed to avoid damaging the authentic painting and moldings. The restorers repaired emergency wall fragments, and it was crucial to preserve the original color,” Iryna Hirna shared with ZAXID.NET.

On the first floor, specialists discovered several interesting Neo-Gothic paintings. In the early 20th century, there were small shops there, each with painted walls. The entrance also featured interesting décor – noble plasters typical of the early 20th century, and a stained-glass window with a lion. The interior retained everything that was present before the Soviet period.

Віднайдені під побілками неоготичні розписи (фото ЛМР)

As a reminder, Spanish donors allocated 1.7 million euros for the restoration of the premises on the first and second floors of the building at 6 Knyazya Romana Street.