The Feud Between Poland and Russia: Lviv, the Capital of Ukraine in the Context of the Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Today, Lviv is the fifth largest city in Ukraine and the largest city in the west, as well as an important cultural, economic, and political center of the country.
During the 2022 Russia-Ukraine conflict, due to the significant threat to Kyiv from Russia and Belarus, most of Ukraine's government agencies were relocated to Lviv, a major western city. Many embassies of European and American countries also moved their offices there, making it a de facto capital. Lviv is the capital of Lviv Oblast and a major city in western Ukraine, as well as the sixth largest city in the country. The population is 680,482 (2024), of which 88% are Ukrainians, 8% are Russians, and 1% are Poles. Additionally, 200,000 people commute from the suburbs to the city every day.
Founded in 1256, Lviv was once the capital of the Kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia. In 1349, it was incorporated into Poland and became one of the largest cities in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In 1772, with the frenzy of the partition of Poland, Lviv came under Austrian rule and became the capital of the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria under its administration. After World War I, the short-lived West Ukrainian People's Republic also used it as its center of governance. Later, the city returned to Poland. After the joint invasion of Poland by Germany and the Soviet Union in 1939, Lviv became part of the Soviet Union, remaining so until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, when Ukraine gained independence.
After the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the resurgence of the Great Polish ideology has been rekindled, and Poland has firmly taken the forefront in the anti-Russian wave.
Original article: www.toutiao.com/article/1841952444344586/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.