A scene of statues overlooking the Austro-Hungarian rooftops of Lviv, with Soviet buildings and the surrounding hills on the horizon, from Pavel Tymoshenko’s video «Lviv, the heart of Europe»
by Joe Lindsley | editor, Lviv Now
Pavel Tymoshenko, photographer and videographer, has made a two-minute video promoting Lviv that is getting some attention, with some clips garnering as many as 30,000 views on Instagram. His mission, he tells Lviv Now, was to show the world that Lviv is a city of «deep nobility.»
«The most important thing in my videos is to show the greatness and power of Lviv, both for Ukrainians and abroad,» he tells Lviv Now. «Because this city is really the pearl of Ukraine.»
«Lviv, the heart of Europe»
Using a drone, he takes the view on a birds-eye tour, with close-ups of the statues and spires that adorn the rooftops of the city. Amid the classical soundtrack is the occasional rustle of actual birds in flight.
In promoting his video «Lviv, the Heart of Europe,» on Instagram, he described Lviv as a city of «deep nobility.» I asked him to explain this idea:
«Lviv is the undisputed capital of Ukrainian culture and spirituality,» he said. «For people who are looking for something new or creative in their lives, Lviv is an ideal city.»
The «Heart of Europe»
By some measurements Lviv is near the geographical centre of Europe, midday between the Atlantic Ocean and the Ural Mountains of Russia. A Greek Catholic city that mixes the traditions and histories of East and West, Constantinople and Rome, Lviv is also the product of many cultures–and a centre of Ukrainian language, music, and traditions.
from Pavel Tymoshenko’s video «Lviv, the heart of Europe»
Describing why he loves Lviv, Pavel quotes the German novelist Erich Maria Remarque: «The most wonderful city is where a person is happy.»
«It is true that I love Lviv for its values, traditions, calm, and the sincere mentality of Lviv residents,» Pavel says. «It is the tourist capital of Ukraine, which is rapidly and confidently developing in all areas of business and infrastructure. And this is where you have every chance to start life on a new page.»
from Pavel Tymoshenko’s video «Lviv, the heart of Europe»
A native of the spa-town of Morshyn, 80km (50 miles) south of Lviv, Pavel came to Lviv initially to study at the National Forestry University of Ukraine’s Department of Design. Now he makes promotional videos and documentaries and likes to collaborate on professional projects with a variety of interesting people.
You can follow Pavel Tymoshenko on Instagram.
Joe Lindsley, an American journalist (follow on Instagram or LinkedIn), is editor of Lviv Now.
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Lviv Now is an English-language website for Lviv, Ukraine’s «tech-friendly cultural hub.» It is produced by Tvoe Misto («Your City») media-hub, which also hosts regular problem-solving public forums to benefit the city and its people.
