Lviv is a regional centre in Ukraine, one of its largest, oldest, and most beautiful cities.
The old part of the city was founded at the High Castle in the middle of the 13th century (1256). The founder of L'viv, Danilo Galitsky, built the castle-fortress and named it after his son Leo. The city played a great role in defending the western borders. For more than five centuries the Western Ukrainian region including ancient L'viv, remained under Polish and Austro-Hungarian rule.
In 1648 the troops of B. Khmelnitsky who led the liberation movement of Ukrainian people, together with Maxim Krivonis, liberated the city. The Polish nobility was unable to destroy the national culture of the Ukrainian people and a lot of the people remained true to their native language.
L'viv is a city of longstanding cultural traditions. Many famous writers, artists and public, and political figures such as M. Shashkevich, I. Franko, S. Tudor lived and worked there at different times.
Nowadays L'viv is a great intellectual centre in the western part of Ukraine. There are many institutes, the university, and secondary, and technical school in it: about 40 research and design institutes, 11 higher educational institutes, and 26 secondary and special education establishments.
L'viv is also a cultural centre. There are many theatres, cinemas, and museums there. Tourists from many countries come to our city to go sightseeing... Among the sights are High Castle, Rynok Square, Boims Chapel, many cathedrals, and the monument to Mitskevich.
L'viv has many beautiful parks and gardens. Stryisky park is one of the best, not only in L'viv, but in Europe, as well.
Now L'viv is a large industrial centre. The products of Lviv plants and factories are known all over the world.
We are proud of our city. L'viv, the administrative centre of the western region of Ukraine, is situated in the picturesque foothills of the Carpathian Mountains that form a natural division between the Bug and the Dnister Rivers.
L'viv is an ancient town. We find the earliest records of its existence in the Galitsk-Volynsky chronicle of 1256. It was founded by Danilo Galytiky, an outstanding figure of ancient Rus. Galytsky named the city after his son. Thanks to its favourable position on one of the busiest trade routes connecting the Baltic and the Black Seas, L'viv soon became an important commercial centre, a tempting prize for foreign invaders. In its long history it has survived forty fires and thirty wars.
L'viv has now become a big industrial, scientific and cultural centre of Ukraine. Goods bearing the trademark of L'viv enterprises are well known in many countries of the world.
Very popular are the local television sets, automatic loaders, and agricultural machines. L'viv is still proud of its skillful brewers, confectioners, and glass blowers.
L'viv is not only an industrial city. It is also called the student capital of Ukraine. The Polytechnical Institute and the Ivan Franko State University are the town's oldest institutions of higher learning.
L'viv is a city of theatres and museums, such famous singers as Enrico Caruso and Tito Ruffo sang in its Opera and Ballet Theatre.
L'viv's museums are real treasure. One can find much of interest in the local Historical Museum, dedicated to the struggle of the Ukrainian people for social liberation and national independence, and in the Ivan Franko Memorial Literary Museum, which familiariges visitors with the life and activities of this writer.
L'viv's Art Gallery is one of the best in the country. It contains masterpieces by Rubens, Titian, and Goya, as well as works by Ukrainian and Russian artists.
The old centre of the city, Rynok (Market) Square, boasts many buildings from the 16th to the 18th centuries. Outstanding among them are the 16th century black shale building Chorna Kamyanytsya, a 16th century Renaissance palace, and the town hall.
The St. Nicolas Church built in 1292 and the Armenian Cathedral, the oldest part of which built of stone in 1363-1370, are particularly interesting, as well.
Lviv is a city of gardens, of which the oldest Striysky Park, known for its rare trees, is the largest and most picturesque.
Ex 1
1. Deborah took Willy home eight years ago.
2. Deborah has lived with Willy for eight years.
3. Deborah wrote a book five years ago.
4. Willy became a star since the book was written.
5. Willy has had his wheels for six years.
Ex 2
1. People have used dogs for protection and as friends since 10,000 BC.
2. People have had cats for killing rats for 9,000 years.
3. Scientists say people have ridden horses since 4,000 BC.
4. People have liked watching hamsters running on their wheels since they have had them as pets.
5. Bugs Bunny has been a famous rabbit since he was created.
6. The Chinese have kept goldfish in their homes for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years.
