According to the ancient chronicles Lviv was founded in 1256 by Danylo, the Prince of Galicia and Volyn’ and named after his son Leo. Since that time it became a multicultural city, where together with Ukrainians lived Jews, Poles, Armenians, Germans and other nationalities. City’s multicultural diversity explains by its crossroad location and due to this facts city grew very fast and soon became the center of trade and commerce for the whole region. In 1272 Prince Danylo relocated the capital of Galicia and Volyn’ from the city of Galych to Lviv. In the XIV century it was overtaken by Poland and during the XV-XVII centuries it became a leading trading center of Eastern Europe as well as the city of a great importance within the Polish-Lithuanian alliance. After the Polish-Lithuanian disintegration in 1569 Lviv passed under the ascendancy of Poland that carried out anti-Ukrainian policy. After the first partition of Poland in 1772 Lviv region again passed into the hands of other powerful empire. For this time it was Austro-Hungarian Empire that ruled in Lviv region right up to its collapse in the 1918. During the XVIII-XX centuries under the rule of the Austro-Hungarians Lviv became known as the city of technical innovations: here for the first time in the world was invented kerosene and kerosene lamp and a lot of other wholesome necessities. Except technical innovations Lviv also developed in cultural and academic respects: in the 1784 University of Lviv was reopened, Lviv Opera house was constructed between 1897 and 1900, Technical academy that now is National University “Lviv Polytechnic” was opened in 1844. Owing to Lviv’s location within the European cultural space over the V centuries the city turned into a true architectural gem, the center of publishing, crafts and arts. During 1914-1918 Lviv region ­­­­­participated in World War I as a part of Austro-Hungarian Empire.  

In 1918 the Western-Ukrainian People's Republic was proclaimed, but it wasn’t accepted by the most European countries. And again in 1919 the region was overtaken by Poland. Lviv was the third biggest city in Poland and became one of the most important centers of science, sports and culture. At this period Lviv flared up with grudges against the Polish rule. According to the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact Lviv was annexed to the Soviet Union in 1939. During 1941-1944 the city was occupied by Germans and almost entire Jews population that numbered about 110 000 was murdered. In 1944 Lviv went to the Soviet Union. Under the Soviet times Lviv became a part of Ukrainian SSR and finally on 24 August 1991 it was officially renamed Ukraine and proclaimed as a fully independent state.

Nowadays Lviv is the cultural capital of Ukraine that considers to be the young state that follows democratic development principles and keeps international relations and international interaction on a high level.