City Heraldry

The seal of princes of Halychyna was taken as a basis for the L’viv heraldry: golden stone gates with three towers and a marching lion against a blue background. The gates are a symbol of L’viv’s defensive power and the lion guards the city against intruders. L’viv also has a modern symbol.

On July 5, 1990, the session of the L’viv City Council adopted a new coat of arms as based on the seal of Halychyna princes: golden stone gates with three towers, the middle one being higher than the rest, against a blue background.

Three merlons, each with one arrow-loop, are at the top of the towers. The golden lion is marching rightwards inside the gates. The gates together with the towers signify defensive power of L’viv and the lion guards the city from intruders.

The flag of Lviv is a square blue canvas 1 to 1 ratio with a yellow marching lion inside a yellow gate with three towers in the center of the canvas depicted on it with strapping consisting of blue and yellow equilateral triangles on the edges.

The shield of L’viv with the silver city crown on the top of it with three towers as a symbol of district centre is the big coat of arms of L’viv. The lion and an Old Rus’ warrior are holding the shield. It was designed on the ground of the old coat of arms by A. Hrechylo, V. Turets’kiy, I. Turets’kiy and I. Svarnyk.
The big emblem of L’viv was adopted on July 5, 1990, at the session of the L’viv City Council.

In 2006 L’viv acquired a new logo dedicated to 750th anniversary with most prominent towers of the city depicted on it. The following year it was ratified as a promotional logo of the city by the decision # 105 of the Executive Committee outstanding of March 9, 2007.

The logo has a symbolic bearing particularly the Statehouse (in the centre) signifies the city power. Indeed, the Statehouse alongside with the bell house of the Armenian Cathedral (coloured green), the bell house of the Assumption of the Virgin Cathedral (red), the tower of Polish (Latin) Cathedral (blue) and the bell tower the Bernardine’s Monastery (violet) symbolize the rich architectural heritage of the city, the diversity of cultures, nationalities, affiliations that existed in the city since its foundation.

On ancient pictures of L’viv the towers have always been a key element of urban view – a tradition which is preserved in the modern emblem of L’viv. These five towers also symbolise architectural epochs and historical periods: the towers of the Assumption of the Virgin and Armenian Cathedrals (Byzantine Renaissance, XV-XVI centuries), the tower of Bernardine’s Monastery (Italian-Dutch mannerism, XVII century), the tower of Polish Cathedral (European baroque, XVIII century) and the Statehouse (Austrian classicism, XIX century).

The author of the logo is Yuriy Krukevych.