As another action-packed year in Ukraine’s cultural capital draws to a close, we present you with our annual awards for the people, places and events which have helped make the past twelve months in Lviv memorable. Wishing all Leopolitans a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

In May, Lviv marked its 755th Anniversary by reviving the ancient trumpets of Rynok Square. The renowned composer, Yuri Lanuk has created a series of versions of the Lviv ‘City Melody’, the unofficial anthem of the Lion’s City, to cater for many different civic occasions. A jazz version was particularly well received by the audience at Alfa Jazz Festival!

Flush with the relative success of their Euro 2012 preparations and no doubt goaded by the bragging of neighbouring Russia with its 2018 World Cup and 2014 Winter Olympics, Ukraine’s officials have recently begun talking up the chances of an Olympic Games of their own. The good news for Leopolitans is that Lviv is the designated venue for this ambitious Ukrainian bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics. Such lofty ambitions may seem a touch farfetched to many readers familiar with everyday life in the West Ukrainian capital, but a Leopolitan Olympics is not actually as much of a stretch as it might appear at first glance. After all, the massive infrastructure works currently underway ahead of Euro 2012 will bring the city’s transport connections more or less up to scratch, providing Lviv’s bid with everything it needs in terms of communications to host a Winter Olympic Games.

The best of the past year in Ukrain’es cultural capital