Lviv National Opera

Lviv National Opera is one of the most important landmarks in Lviv. It was opened in 1900 and today there are shows multiple times a week. I’ve been to the opera 3 times and it was wonderful each time. The first opera I saw was Don Giovanni, the second one was Carmen, and the third one was a Ukrainian operetta, Natalka Poltavka [translated: Natalka from Poltava]. Natalka Poltavka has a long, 200+ years history, including being the last scheduled performance at the National Opera House of Ukraine, Kyiv, before the 2022 full-scale russian invasion.
I enjoyed the operetta very much, it has gorgeous costumes, beautiful folkloric songs, and it has a happy ending.

This was the first picture I took in Lviv when I arrived. The Opera is iconic and familiar.

The exterior is stunning with lots of beautiful details.

The interior is stunning too, luxurious and beautiful.

The Mirror Room, on the first floor, is used for chamber music.

On the first floor there is a timeline of Solomiya Krushelnytska’s life and career, the Ukrainian opera singer after whom the Lviv Opera is named. She died in Lviv in 1952, aged 80.

On the back, near the orchestra is the Franz Josef Balcony. The Austrian Empire Franz Josef visited Lviv five times and this is the balcony he used while in Lviv.

During wartime the performances are different. After the “please turn off your mobile phones” there is a short “what to do in case of air alert” message. It also mentions that if the air alert is under 1 hour, the performance will resume after the guests turn back to their places.

The first song the orchestra is playing is the Ukrainian national anthem, lovely and patriotic. The anthem is followed by someone shouting “Slava Ukraini” [Glory to Ukraine] and everybody replies “Heroyam Slava” [Glory to heroes]

Natalka Poltavka was fantastic. The conductor was a woman, which was a first for me.

Until the end of the month there are the following shows:
11 September – Bach, Brahms, Poulenc – chamber music

13 September – Прем’єра «Діалоги кармеліток» [Premiere of “Dialogues of Carmelites”] – opera

14 September – Прем’єра «Діалоги кармеліток» [Premiere of “Dialogues of Carmelites”] – opera

15 September – Giselle – Ballet

18 September – Французький романс [French music] – chamber music

19 September – Giselle – Ballet

20 September – Nabucco – Opera

21 September – Zaporozhets za Dunaiem [Cossacks in Exile] – Opera

22 September – Fox Mykyta [written specially for Lviv National Opera, suitable for children] – Opera

22 September – Premiere “La fille mal gardée” – Balet

29 September – Snow White and Seven Dwarfs – Balet

29 September – Carmen – Opera

During blackouts the opera is dark, but performances go on even on blackouts, as they have generators. In front of the opera each weekend and during the summer daily people listen to live music, play chess or backgammon, children play, dogs are taken for walks. It is a vibrant place both inside and outside. I am privileged to be able to experience this.