Ilko Lemko: Lviv during my grandfather's time as emperor.
There is no doubt that Lviv's strongest connection to Europe was established during the rule of the Austrian and later Austro-Hungarian Empire (1772-1918). This historical affiliation with one of the most developed European nations over 146 years significantly influenced its cultural development. The buildings in the styles of historicism and Art Nouveau possess such remarkable urban resilience that even the clumsy hands of barbarians, whether from the depths of Eurasia or nearby rustic Galician corners, could not completely destroy them. Despite being partially ravaged and battered, and covered with layers of the ignorance of their new inhabitants, they continue to shine with noble beauty.
The civilizational achievements of Lviv during the Austrian era are numerous, but we will briefly highlight a few:
1776 – The first permanent city theater in Ukraine was established in Lviv, and the first newspaper in Ukraine was published.
1785 – The oldest hotel in Ukraine, "Under the Roman Caesar," was founded.
1786 – The first music academy in Ukraine was established.
At the beginning of the 19th century, Lviv University was one of the largest in Europe: in 1822, it had 1,304 students, while, for example, the University of Berlin had 910 students in 1820, and the university in Halle had 795 students.
1844 – The founding of the Imperial-Royal Technical Academy, the oldest technical university in Ukraine.
1845 – Lviv established the first specialized children's clinical hospital in Europe, St. Sophia's Hospital.
1848 – The first Ukrainian political organization, the Main Ruthenian Council, was created.
1861 – The first railway in Ukraine, Lviv-Peremyshl, was built.
1864 – The first Ukrainian professional theater was founded.
1873 – The establishment of one of the oldest Natural History Museums in Europe.
In the 1880s, Lviv surpassed Kyiv, Moscow, and Vilnius in the number of local newspapers and magazines, though it lagged behind Warsaw and St. Petersburg.
1890 – The creation of the Ruthenian-Ukrainian Radical Party (RURP) – the first legal Ukrainian political party of European type.
1894 – The first football match in Ukrainian history took place between the teams of Lviv and Krakow.
1905 – The establishment of the first Ukrainian National Museum.
The golden age of "Grandmother Austria" is inevitably linked to the activities of "Grandfather" the Emperor, whose figure was adored by Ukrainian singers of fine literature. In particular, Omelyan Popovych, in a fit of sincere loyal love, proclaimed:
May the Emperor be guarded
By the hand of God, today we pray.
We shout, as if from one breast
Soundly, loudly to the whole world:
Our Emperor Franz Joseph!
May he reign for many years!
And I would take the Emperor's hand
And kiss it gratefully
And say: "Greetings to you
My dear homeland with all my heart."
68 years on the throne (1848-1916) - at that time, it was a record in Europe; historians joked that thanks to Franz Joseph I, the 19th century lasted 116 years.
To briefly outline the most extravagant moments of the life of the most illustrious emperor, he, calling himself "the last monarch of the old school," throughout his life could not overcome his aversion to the technical innovations of his era: the elevator, fan, telephone, typewriter, electric lighting, and military camouflage uniforms. Reluctantly agreeing to have electricity installed in his palace, he never had a telephone line set up. Only after several years did he get accustomed to using a water closet, that is, a toilet with plumbing for flushing.
The Emperor mastered the profession of a bookbinder perfectly because after the execution of Queen Marie Antoinette during the French Revolution, the Habsburgs decreed that all members of this royal family should learn some craft in case they lost the throne.
The illustrious Emperor visited Lviv five times. The first was in 1851 when grateful subjects erected a triumphal arch in Ferdinand Square (now Mickiewicz Square) to greet their monarch. In 1855, while sipping coffee in the evening on the terrace of a café at High Castle, the Emperor witnessed a phenomenal illumination with thousands of lights arranged in his honor by the city. The castle hill was named Franz Joseph Hill by the residents of Lviv, but this name did not last long.
At nine o'clock in the morning on September 11, 1880, a cannon shot from the Citadel announced the arrival of the Emperor in Lviv by train. The city had properly prepared for this visit, and all beggars and vagrants were removed from the city to a distance that would prevent them from returning on foot during the four days of the Emperor's stay in Lviv. At the train station on modern Chernivtsi Street, a triumphal arch was erected. When the monarch's carriage passed through the arch, the crowd of Lviv residents broke through the security ring and almost overturned the carriage in an outburst of loyal enthusiasm. The city guard quickly dealt with the crowd, dispersing it with clubs. Along the entire route of the imperial procession, black-yellow Austrian and blue-yellow Ukrainian flags waved from windows and the crowd. The newspaper "Dilo" urged Ukrainians to wear national attire during the Emperor's visit, "because we still live in Austria, not in Poland."
The windows of buildings adjacent to the route were lavishly decorated with flowers, portraits of the Emperor and Empress, and banners. In order to avoid repetition of slogans on the banners, their text had to be pre-approved by the relevant committee. Several platforms were set up for viewing the imperial procession.
That evening, on the Governor's Ramparts near the Governor's Office, a reception took place, where a choir of 450 singers performed two cantatas in honor of the Emperor in Polish and Ukrainian.
The meal in honor of the high guest was prepared by the Emperor's personal chef, Count Kinski, according to a list of products sent in advance from Vienna. The table featured a menu in French, a music program in German, and cards with the names of table neighbors. All guests were warned that during the meal, it was not allowed to speak loudly or propose toasts. However, after the meal, the Emperor engaged in conversations with the guests, not skipping any of those present. Two guests were served by one footman, and dishes were changed so quickly that the guests hardly had time to taste them properly.
The next day, a ball was held at the Lviv City Hall, inviting 1,700 people. The Emperor attended accompanied by the wife of the Galician governor, Countess Potocka. After the Austrian anthem, the musicians played a polonaise, followed by a mazurka, and only 32 pairs were allowed to dance from all the invited guests. After the dances, the Emperor conversed with the guests.
During his visit, the Emperor also visited the newly built Galician Sejm, the Latin Cathedral, St. George's Cathedral, the Armenian Church, the Orthodox and Reformed synagogues, the Forestry School, a festive performance at the Skarbkiv Theater, and a ball at the Merchant's Casino on Akademichna Street.
At the Ukrainian People's House, the cornerstone of which the Emperor laid back in 1851, he was welcomed by Ukrainian beauties. With one of them, Justyna Sheparievich, the Emperor engaged in conversation and said "thank you" in Ukrainian. Later, the Emperor sent the girl a gift.
All four days of the Emperor's stay in Lviv in 1880 were declared holidays, with singing and dancing echoing through the streets at night, illuminations lighting up the city, and fireworks being launched.
In 1894, Franz Joseph I, on his fourth visit to Lviv, attended the Regional Exhibition, a cultural and business event, the grandest in the city's history, which was attended by approximately one and a half million guests. The Emperor stayed in Lviv for six days. He began his days with services in various Lviv churches, then spent several hours viewing the exhibition, and in the evenings held audiences at the Galician Governor's Office, receiving ambassadors from the city's communities. While receiving Ukrainian