Lviv

9.10

Ivona Olofsson

One of the participants is Ivona. She has participated in two previous tours to Ukraine. I am sitting next to her, and she tells about the book she recently wrote.

Ivona grew up in Poland during the communist time. Her mother was active in the freedom movement. Grandfather screamed in his sleep, haunted by memories of the Second World War. She herself was driven by nightmares of being chased by the security police in a black Volga. At school, she was forced to participate in patriotic songs and marches and was told that it was an honor to fight and die for her homeland. She learned compassion for those who were imprisoned, deported, or simply disappeared.

At 19, she managed to get to Sweden and the freedom. She changed to a Swedish passport as soon as she could and studied to become a trauma therapist. Forty years later she writes an exceptionally well-written book where she blends memories and feelings from her childhood and compares them with what is now happening in Ukraine. Also to give a voice to Ukranian people, voices that seldom reach western media.

The uprising at Maidan 2014 reminded her of her own struggle for freedom. She wrote 470 pages in half a year. All memories and feelings easily turned into pages with stories. One month after publication, it was also released in English. Coming spring she is traveling to the USA to receive the New York City Big Book Award for her book The soul of war (Krigets själ). Now, on this tour, she will gather more impressions for a second book.

Lviv

The train to Lviv was full. No seats in second class. Had to go 1st class for once. Tourleader

Irina Propokyshin gave a warm welcome at the platform in Lviv.

Iryna Prokopyshin on the platform

Tram no 1 to the hotel. Lunch at City Buffet where you have a choice of 100 dishes and pay according to wight. Suits me perfectly.

Met with city guide Halia who took as around the historical centre. A UNESCO heritage site. The city has had a very turbulent history, indeed. It belonged to 10 different nations during the last 500 years. It is a place of unbelievable massacres. Still in memories of many people is the Holodomor less than 100 years ago when some five million people were starved to death in the country by order of Stalin, the deportation of 200 000 people in 1939 and the massacres of jews and Poles when the city was under Nazi occupation.

Halyna spoke for all young Ukranians

We are standing in the central square. If it had been the 18th century, the city would have been surrounded by a high wall, square with sides 600 meters long. In the west lived Ukrainian speakers, in the north Poles, in the south Tatars, and in the east were the Jewish quarters. Greeks, Ottomans, and Ruthenians came here to trade.

It is touching indeed to visit to S:t Peters and Pauls Greek Ortodox Church. It is now used mainly for military puposes. Here the sermons for soldiers killed in action are held. Long walls are filled with pictures of fallen heroes.

Chuch used by the military Fallen heroes from Lviv Praying for hiss fallen friend

Lviv is known for it´s streets covered by cobble stones. Now with many invalides, men on crutches, in weelchairs it is hard for them to move around. Problem to solve! Now the city council has decided to take out the cobble stones, grind one side flat and put them back. This work has already started.

Smooth cobble stones

Tilman 24 was the youngest in our group of more or less elderly people. Her he found a good shot.

Walking back to our hotel we stopped at a small shop with a que outside. They sold the local cherrywine. You got it in big papermugs, hot or cold and buy the full bottle, of course.

At the end of the day we went to see the latest extentions of the military graveyard. Every week new grave was opened.