10 days in Ukraine

Posted on February 9, 2023 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia

Is it possible to travel to Ukraine under the conditions of the Russian war of aggression? Whatever, at some point in autumn I decided to go. From 20 to 30 December 2022 I was in Lviv, Ternopil and the surrounding area. I wanted to know how my friends were doing – my long-time travelling companions and the activists who care for the Jewish heritage in Galicia. And also Anna, who fled the war and has been living with me since March, wanted to see her boyfriend and her mother again. But beyond that, there was also a very simple reason for this trip: I was homesick for Lviv.

Ternopil - Sandbags in front of a public building

Lviv - View from the balcony of the Hotel George

Ternopil - Ruin at the grounds of the Great Synagogue

Zbarazh - House of the Regenbogen Family

Velyki Mosty - Ruins of the Great Synagogue

Uhniv - Beit Midrash and Great Synagogue

Rava Ruska - Monument to the destroyed Jewish cemetery

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A Time Of Gifts: Calendar For Free Download

Posted on December 1, 2015 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia, Jewish Cemeteries, Media, Northern Bukovina, Podolia, Synagogues, Volhynia (Volyn)

Hanukkah and Christmas are coming closer – a time of gifts in which I would like to give a present to all who accompanied my trips to Eastern Europe’s Jewish past and present via Facebook and my Vanished World blog: a calendar for 2016, which can be downloaded for free and be produced on your own printer or at an on-line print shop.

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Into Podolia

Posted on June 9, 2015 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia, Jewish Cemeteries, Podolia

Vasyl, our great driver, brought Sylvia and me to Vinnytsia in Podolia today. On the way we have taken a look on the Jewish cemetery of Ternopil and have visited Medzhybizh – the place where the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Hasidism, was buried. A magic place.

Ternopil Jewish cemetery

Medzhybizh Castle

Medzhybizh – reconstructed Beit Midrash of the Baal Shem Tov

Medzhybizh – Jewish cemetery – tomb of the Baal Shem Tov

Medzhybizh – Jewish cemetery

Medzhybizh – Jewish cemetery – tomb of the Baal Shem Tov

Medzhybizh – Jewish cemetery

Medzhybizh – Jewish cemetery – tomb of the Baal Shem Tov

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A Journey in Black and White

Posted on March 23, 2014 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia, Jewish Cemeteries, Northern Bukovina, Podolia, Synagogues

My journey in February through Western Ukraine – through Galicia, Bukovina and Podolia – was another opportunity to take more photos for two exhibitions in autumn. Here is a first selection, including images from Lviv (Lemberg, Lwow), Sokal, Velyki Mosty, Zhovkva, Staryi Sambir, Ternopil, Sataniv and Chernivtsi (Czernowitz). What are your favorites?

Sokal, synagogue

Velyki Mosty, synagogue

Sokal, remains of the Jewish cemetery

Staryi Sambir, Jewish cemetery

Staryi Sambir, synagogue

Zhovkva, trace of a mezuzah

Lviv (Lemberg, Lwow), remains of the Jewish cemetery

Ternopil (Tarnopol), Jewish cemetery

Sataniv, Jewish cemetery

Chernivtsi (Czernowitz), Jewish cemetery

A first trip to Podolia

Posted on February 19, 2014 by Christian Herrmann under Jewish Cemeteries, Podolia, Synagogues

Writing is difficult for me today. More than 20 people have been killed in Kiev yesterday, the special police forces continue to besiege Maidan, the center of protests. It is impossible to ignore. Unfortunately I can not do more than express my solidarity with the brave Ukrainians, who are fighting against a corrupt and criminal government, and to report on what I see and experience. That’s why I hold on to my travel plans. Today I was in Sataniv.

My marshrutka to Sataniv

Sataniv – synagogue

Sataniv – Jewish cemetery

Ternopil – local Maidan

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In Ternopil

Posted on February 18, 2014 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia, Jewish Cemeteries

From Lviv (Lemberg, Lwow) I continue to Ternopil, have a look at the town and buy me a ticket to go to Sataniv tomorrow. After I returne from the Jewish cemetery, I learn what happened in Kyiv today. Again, people have been shot to death.