Lviv: A City of "Controlled Rebellion" transforming cultural heritage into action
Lviv is no stranger to reinvention. As the European Youth Capital 2025, the city is showing the rest of Europe how tradition and innovation can fuel each other and how young people are turning their cultural heritage into the heartbeat of change.
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Through its youth strategy’s guiding vision: "Lviv 2035 — a space of controlled rebellion," the city is aiming to preserve its roots while allowing itself to experiment in the fields of culture, urban development, education and entrepreneurship. Their goal is for traditions to not merely be preserved, but activated, and young people are the ones transforming these traditions into tools for change, and collective memory into action.
Culture as daily action
In Lviv, culture is a part of everyday life. It can be found essentially everywhere, from courtyard celebrations and school workshops, to music playing in the squares. It fosters a sense of "us," teaches teamwork and opens the doors of participation. Through this commitment to culture, young people in Lviv have learnt to organise events, engage with different communities and represent Ukraine in Europe, confidently and in equal terms.
To better comprehend this, we invite you to take a look at the stories of some of the European Youth Capital ambassadors:
Take Anna Tyshchenko, for example, who’s originally from Zaporizhzhia and Lviv opened up a completely new dimension of Ukrainian traditions for her. “Since moving to Lviv, I have discovered new customs and holidays, researched their history, and always bring them home with me. It's important for me to strengthen my connection to my own national identity, so I've started celebrating more folk holidays. Since childhood, I’ve been doing paper cutting and Petrykivka painting. A few years ago, I organised an Easter egg painting workshop for my family, and now I’m slowly getting into macrame,” says Anna, who goes on to add that “culture is the driving force because it’s inspiration. Here, it works both ways: youth initiatives move culture forward, and culture moves them."
Likewise, Nelia Barhilevych, mentions that, "Lviv is a great example of combining tradition and modernity because here I see the most vibrant respect for heritage and its implementation into daily life. To fully feel this, visit Shevchenkivsky Hai for a celebration. For me, it's a place of power in terms of culture and traditions. I feel a responsibility for being born and raised in an independent Ukraine, so I consider it my duty to cherish traditions and develop our culture. It's great when European youth know our writers, artists, and composers, but there’s still work to be done. Our strength is that, despite everything, we are proud to be Ukrainians—and European youth understand that."
Culture made visible: Wearing, Singing, Collaborating
Think of the vyshyvanka, Ukraine’s traditional embroidered shirt. In Lviv, it’s not just for ceremonies. It has become part of everyday wear. Additionally, it is often preferred by young Ukrainians attending Youth Capital events both within Ukraine and abroad. For them it has become more than a cultural badge, as it’s now a conversation starter across Europe as Youth Capital Ambassadors choose to wear it at festivals and exchanges. For young Ukrainians it sends a very clear message: we know who we are.
"The vyshyvanka makes me feel like I’m in 'armor': it feels like I have not only my own strength with me, but also the strength of everyone who has fought and is fighting for my right to wear it," says Anna.
While Nelia adds that, "I try to add elements of traditional jewelry to my clothes or wear a vyshyvanka. People on exchanges often notice this. I also share my playlists of Ukrainian music with exchange participants. It’s very nice to then see their [instagram] stories with music by Tember Blanche or Ptashnyk."
Similar to the vyshyvanka, music often facilitates intercultural communication, as Nelia points out. The youth ambassadors have observed that when a song plays, tension disappears: some people sing along, some just listen, but everyone becomes present. After this, it’s much easier to ask difficult questions and answer honestly, share stories, talk about the war, as well as collective memory and why it's important for young Ukrainians to remain themselves.
Recently, the youth ambassadors were in Lublin as part of an Erasmus+ youth exchange, where participants from Poland, Spain, Italy, Greece, and Germany—along with many Ukrainians now living abroad—gathered to discuss how European youth can support Ukraine. During the event, Lviv’s team ran activities and brainstorming sessions, presented the European Youth Capital and their flagship events, and closed with an acoustic evening of Ukrainian music. According to Anna that’s how culture becomes a simple bridge between people, without any unnecessary explanations or long speeches.
She then went on to add that: "We prepared songs that resonate with the experience of Ukrainian youth in the war. That evening, I felt like I opened my heart and invited everyone who was willing to listen. There were many young people from Italy, Greece, France, and Poland, but also many Ukrainians who now live in Lublin—and it was important for me to bring them a piece of home."
Memory as identity
In Lviv, remembrance is also visible in urban spaces, public rituals and small, yet powerful gestures: candles in windows, portraits of heroes scattered in the public space, moments of silence. For young Ukrainians, keeping memory alive is not about the past, it’s about hope for the future.
Today's Ukrainian youth are calm, confident and open. They cherish their culture: they listen to and create music, read and recommend books, support local crafts and wear vyshyvankas.
As Nelia puts it: "Our strength is that, despite everything, we are proud to be Ukrainians. And European youth understand that. They certainly have a lot to learn from us, and we from them. Spreading Ukrainian culture and history in Europe is our duty, and I am very proud of the young people who take this responsibility seriously."
Looking ahead
Young people in Lviv are singing, creating events, launching initiatives, learning and teaching others. The real legacy of Lviv as the European Youth Capital will keep the city’s doors open for new ideas, new spaces, and for youth voices that want to shape the city and its culture. This is how Lviv will remain a city where young people want to live, learn and return to.
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