The role of major cities has increased significantly after Ukraine gained its independence. Ukraine was recovering from the influence of the Soviet Union for a long time. Some kind of restoration of its identity has been going on for years. Nowadays, freedom, democracy, and Ukrainian historical identity have again become the core values of our country.
In addition to its exceptional cultural importance, Lviv continued to play a significant role in the process of state-building. The city hosted the second festival of
alternative culture and non-traditional genres of art «Vyvykh» in 1992. This festival gathered all active students and young people in Lviv.
The culture development and the state-building process in the`90s took place at the same time when people were queuing for food, were not paid their salaries and when protests and demonstrations were organized in the city center.
It was a rapid mixture of events that took place in Lviv. Thanks to special samples of the combination of architectural and artistic traditions and the unique urban architectural landscape, the medieval part of the city and the territory of St. George Cathedral were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998. (Lviv became a UNESCO City of Literature in 2015).
Subsequently, Lviv played the role of the «Сapital of Central and Eastern Europe», simultaneously receiving presidents of nine different countries during the VI Summit of the Presidents of Central Europe in 1999. They created the Presidential Garden, planting 9 apples in the territory of the Hrushevsky Museum.
The Ukrainian Catholic University was founded in 2002, and later the «Sheptytsky Center» - one of the best examples of modern city architecture was built on the campus of University.
As a result of the falsification of the 2004 presidential election, Lviv has become one of the epicenters of protest in the country. The struggle for the right to free speech grew into the Orange Revolution, which ended with the victory of democracy.
Lviv was granted the status of the cultural capital of Ukraine based on expert studies by The State Tourism and Resorts Service and the Tourism and Resort Department in April 2009.
Lviv was one of the cities that hosted the Euro 2012 football championship in 2012. That was a strong impetus to the development of tourism, business, and investment attractiveness. Within 10 days of the European Championship, nearly 150 thousand tourists from more than 30 countries have visited Lviv. (The number of tourists in Lviv in 2019 is about 2.5 million).
The next year, the festive mood of citizens is changing to a fundamental one. As a result of the onset of democracy, residents of Lviv have taken an active role in the events of the Revolution of Dignity 2013-2014. For the shortest time, volunteers have been able to organize volunteer centers that actively maintained contact with Kyiv.
Nowadays, Lviv remains an important transport hub. Roads and railways of European importance pass through our city. Danylo Halytskyi Lviv Airport annually opens new destinations and increases passenger traffic and is the largest airport in Western Ukraine.
Considering the industry area, Lviv continues to be one of the most recognizable city-brands in this country. It is here that the engineering corporation Electron creates electric transport for the whole country, and Lviv breweries and chocolate factories continue centuries-old traditions. The city`s IT industry is growing rapidly and is now an integral part of the economy.
The unique history and its reflection in the world heritage are precisely what attracts more and more tourists every year.
