Polish city Lwow

[Zbyszek]

Originally Posted by bm-21Lemko

This is the Ukraine I want to live under.

Vasyl, the problem was and still is that your vision of Ukraine conflicts with the Eastern vision which used to be more related to Russia. The possible state you reference, with Lviv as a capital is practically nearly impossible to implement because these regions offer nice landscapes but they are deprived of powerful industry and resources. I think similar arguments were in use ninety years ago. Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR) under the presidency of Hrushevski and under Petliura's command was more friendly to Poles [or rather tactically more flexible] and this concept was more practical in my opinion (also because UPR was more willing to negotiate with unpredictible Soviet state next door). UPR earned more recognition in Europe, too. Makhno's anarchic rebels made the landscape even more turbulent. Finally though, Ukrainians in Kyiv had fight enough.

[bm-21Lemko]

no, I understand that it will never happen. I feel the problems in the east will never end and will always have those ties with Russia.

[Zbyszek]

Hello Kathy, hello my ukraine.com partners! I have just returned from my domestic summer holidays. I toured the west of my country this time and I had an emotional comeback to my early childhood in Wroclaw (its German name was Breslau, its Czech name was Vretsav) after more than four decades. How nice to stroll the same old streets, to be at the railway station remembering powerful steam locomotives rolling in loudly in clouds of steam, to cross the same bridges of Odra River.
Wroclaw is a kind of Lviv’s parallel – its fate was completely turned upside down after WWII. Wroclaw’s stones cry German but this city has a new glamour as well. It has been impressively restored and it looks bright. However, there are places resembling the Liszt street in Lviv. And I had a good or bad luck to be there as well. I’m going to describe my four nights and days in Wroclaw in spite of the fact it seems off topic.
It is not quite off topic. I will try to draw general conclusions as to behaviour of people who got a piece of material past for free. How did they handle it? Do they think of old times a little? How did communist systems explain this situation? And how it is perceived now?

[benda]

Yes, Lviv was a Polish city (though founded by Danylo Halyckyi). Now it is not. Is it fair? Can't really say. As a Ukrainian I am surely happy about it. If I were a Pole maybe I would think of it like Lwow_pl does. There's only one thing I know for sure: if Poland officially claims Lviv for herself, it will do no good for Ukrainian-Polish relations (moreover, Germany will certainly want Silesia back). Please note Ukraine doesn't claim Chelm, Jaroslaw and Przemysl.