Lychakiv Cemetery, Historic cemetery in Lviv, Ukraine.
Lychakiv Cemetery covers 42 hectares in eastern Lviv, divided into 86 burial fields crossed by alleys. It holds about 300,000 graves, including some 2,000 stone tombs and 24 chapels, with around 500 sculptures and reliefs. Near the main entrance stand a red-brick chapel with a circular window, a white stone chapel with a sculpted figure in a niche, and a monument with a seated figure on a stepped plinth.
Founded in 1786 after Habsburg decree banned burials around city churches, the cemetery began on plots now numbered 6, 7, 9, 10 and 14. It was enlarged in 1790, 1804, 1808 and 1856, when botanist Karl Bauer and administrator Tytus Tchórzewski laid out alleys and park-like grounds. A neo-Gothic gate by Juliusz Hochberger, carved by Leopold Schimser and Józef Szydłowski in 1875–76, stands at the entrance.
The name comes from the nearby Lychakiv district and today marks a place where city residents regularly visit graves and light candles. The paths between graves are lined with tall trees that scatter golden leaves over the stone slabs in autumn.
The main entrance is on Mechnikova Street and can be reached on foot from the city center in about 30 minutes. Paved paths allow access to most areas even in wet weather and lead to the major monuments.
Some graves carry inscriptions in five or more languages reflecting the changing rulers of the city. Several sections have been restored in recent years with volunteers repairing weathered stonework and toppled monuments.
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