Lychakiv Cemetery is a small melancholical travel in time not far away from a Lviv city center. I was lucky enough to visit it in the end of november overlapping with a fairly cold weather. It’s something special to have a walk at the cemetery when your body feels totally frozen. Who would have thought that grey sky and pieces of granite under it could not only be bringing on gloom but as well warming up from inside and cheer up.
The cemetery itself is superbly beautiful and would especially appeal to people who are fond of gothic style.
The must condition of visiting it is going with a guide. But don’t pick a guide that does is as a work, pick the person who loves Lviv and knows its history as a story of his own life. I was lucky to come across a such guide through a lady at whose shop I purchased few ukrainian national shirts. Thanks to that guide’s absolutely crazy attention to details I found out about a lot of interesting stories as well a specifications that I wouldn’t notice for life and wouldn’t guessed their symbolism.
Putting it shortly – it’s worth to visit it. What’s exactly I’m planning in future one more time.
Story about Maria Konopnicka – polish writer and poetess – got a special place in my heart. Her monument is not far away from the entrance to cemetery and I was visiting it on the way out when the excursion was ending. The monument itself is not something really of a food to an eye, as you can see below, but the words on it got into my mind (I was especially attentive to life after 3 hours of walking in -15).
I don’t remember that exact phrase that the guide translated from polish but the main point was following:
Visiting a grave shouldn’t be causing tears, but should gift with inspiration and remind that one should create since our effort and what we bring into the world – are the only things left after us.
This is all what Lychakiv Cemetery is about. Melancholic inspiration that reminds of life.
So who’s going with me next time? )