Cemetery of the Defenders of Lwów, War graves cemetery in Lychakiv district, Lviv, Ukraine
The Cemetery of the Defenders of Lwów is a war graves site in the Lychakiv district of Lviv, Ukraine, with three thousand graves arranged around a central chapel. Catacombs beneath the chapel hold the remains of seventy-two Polish fighters from conflicts between 1918 and 1920.
The site was created after World War I to honor Polish soldiers who died in several successive conflicts. Soviet authorities damaged many monuments after 1945, and restoration only began when the grounds reopened in 2005.
The site takes its name from Polish soldiers who fell defending the city during World War I and its aftermath. Gravestones display a mix of Polish and Ukrainian design traditions, creating a shared memorial space.
Guided tours explain the events of the Polish-Ukrainian and Polish-Soviet conflicts between 1918 and 1920. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes and allow enough time to explore the different sections.
Separate sections honor American pilots of the Kościuszko Squadron and French volunteers who aided Poland. These international burial areas show how far support for Polish forces extended in the years following World War I.
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