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 new Experience

Posted on May 14, 2018 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues

Today, a new journey to Jewish heritage sites has begun and it is different from all others before. I’m going to guide a group of 16 Germans through Galicia, Bukovina and Bessarabia in Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. We started with day trips from Lviv – while one part of the group went to Drohobych and was guided there by the wonderful Tanya Firman, the other part went north to Zhovkva, Uhniv, Belz and Velyki Mosty.

Zhovkva – trace of a mezuzah

Zhovkva synagogue

Uhniv – beit midrash and synagogue

At Uhniv synagogue

Catholic church in Uhniv

In Uhniv

Belz Jewish cemetery

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A last Galician excursion

Posted on August 27, 2016 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues

Since today I’m back home, but I have still to report on our last excursion, which led us into the Ukrainian borderlands with Poland, to Velyki Mosty, Belz and Uhniv.

Velyki Mosty synagogue

Velyki Mosty – mass grave site

Belz Jewish cemetery

Belz – farmers on the way home

Belz – prayer room

Belz – Catholic church

Uhniv – Catholic church

A curious goat next to Uhniv’s Catholic church

Uhniv – beit midrash and synagogue

Uhniv synagogue

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Uhniv, Buchach and Hrymailiv in black and white

Posted on August 29, 2014 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues

The black and white films and scans from my recent trip to Ukraine are back from the photo lab. The synagogue and the Beit Midrash (House of Study) in Uhniv, the Jewish cemetery in Buchach and the imposing synagogue in Hrymailiv are among the subjects. Here is a first selection.

Uhniv – Synagogue and Beit Midrash (House of Study)

Buchach – Jewish cemetery

Hrymailiv – synagogue

In the Borderland

Posted on August 3, 2014 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia, Synagogues

My destination today is called Uhniv, with just about 2,000 inhabitants, the smallest town with the status of a city in Ukraine. From Lviv (Lemberg, Lwow), there are rarely direct buses to Uhniv. I decide to go first to Rava Ruska and to change the bus there.