Contemporary Lviv: From Post-Revolution Recovery to a City in a State of Emergency : Interview with the Mayor of Lviv Andriy Sadovyi

Abstract

Andriy Sadovyi has served as the mayor of Lviv since March 2006. During his tenure, he has spearheaded numerous reforms aimed at modernising the city’s infrastructure, streamlining administrative processes, and advancing urban planning. However, the challenges he and the city have faced reached unprecedented levels following the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Lviv swiftly became a critical hub for hundreds of thousands of people fleeing the war-torn regions of eastern Ukraine – some using it as a transit point, others choosing to stay. As a ‘back-up city’ in western Ukraine, Lviv has been tasked with mitigating the immediate impacts of the war while simultaneously developing resilient structures to sustain this role in the short, medium, and long term. The following conversation with Mayor Andriy Sadovyi offers a glimpse into the day-to-day reality of governing a city under extraordinary circumstances and reflects on life in Lviv before the war.