FOREIGNERS IN LVIV
Whenever I have moved to a foreign country, one of my first tasks has been to book a private tour or two of my new local area and then, in the longer term, of other regions - rural, suburban or urban. When I landed in Lviv, I hired a private Lviv tour guide the next day.
This is always the best first step once documents have been arranged and language learning materials acquired.
In my case, this has been in Italy (Villa Claudia, Ariccia, Rome), Greece (Athens), Poland (Przemyśl, Tarnów) and Ukraine (Lviv). Dozens of short stays in other countries haven't really qualified. Monthly stints here and there are by the by.
Six months or more in a new country, however, typically means residency and plans for the future centred upon a fixed location. The difference between a few weeks or months and over six months matters.
Foreigners in Lviv were quite the exception pre-war (2022). I met only a handful of Italians and no Greeks. Even Poles were rather thin on the ground bar weekend drinkers. As for my British compatriots, next to none between 2013-2022. One, famously, from Blackpool.
I don't know everyone in Lviv, but it is said that everyone in Lviv knows me, or has at least heard of me. Foreigners (excluding foreign students) in Lviv before 2022 numbered not greater than a few thousand in a population of over 700,000.
Since 2022, many foreigners have moved to Lviv or transited through Lviv for obvious reasons. How many of those will stay in Lviv long term is anyone's guess. Relationships happen, ideas become projects and businesses take shape, idem NGOs.
A walk through Lviv old town in 2026 will mean being within earshot of Brits, Europeans, Americans, and some citizens of other countries. All of them are most likely here to help Ukraine in some way.
Given that many foreign NGOs in our wartime are here to profiteer, not all of them will have good intentions. Catch them and their bullshitometers in our more central pubs and bars. Or not.
Back in the day, the only foreigners in Lviv were me and a couple of Swedes who came to fight with Azov Battalion. And maybe a Canadian.
Itinerants in Lviv aside, other foreigner demographics are in evidence.
Lviv is the most expensive city in Ukraine. The cost of renting or buying property has increased by +/- 40% since 2022, even before. Unlicensed realtors making a lot of money for themselves in wartime...
Daily provisions, meaning food, drink, toiletries and basic everyday needs are becoming more expensive month on month. Manpower, supply chains and transport logistics change in wartime. Despite this, Lviv is still cheaper than almost anywhere else in Europe, the UK and the USA.
For this reason, there has been a slow but steady increase in foreign nationals moving to Lviv. I am talking about a few hundred, no more, but that will absolutely change in post-war Ukraine.
Those here now have gravitated towards Lviv for personal reasons, economic reasons, to experience a seismic cultural shift, or perhaps develop a relationship that "blossomed" online (never do that). Wonderful Galician cuisine and world-class beer has likely impacted upon the decision-making process at some point too.
Full-length mirrors are a relatively new entry on the streets of Lviv old town, meaning the people of Lviv are physically attractive. It may also have something to do with the fact that we have rather a lot of Instagrammable streets in our old town.
There's a Lviv Instagram tour for those of you who like to be seen in beautiful places.
Many people in Lviv are justifiably concerned about what will happen post-war, particularly as regards migrant workers, or, to be blunt, population replacement.
Ukraine has lost over 500,000 men since russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Millions more have left Ukraine and will not return for fear of forced mobilization now or in the future.
Mass migration of males from Muslim nations to the UK and Europe has been the norm for longer than I care to remember. The ethnic demographic of many countries north and west of Ukraine, Poland apart, has changed beyond recognition because of this and not in a good way.
In some isolated cases, said migrants were forced to move by war, but most just upped sticks for a better life. Woe betide this happening to Ukraine, but it most probably will happen one way or another.
There are already demonstrations in many Ukrainian cities against Indian migrant workers amidst claims they are paid more than Ukrainians. India has been supporting russia directly for years as an energy partner and Indian money has been used to kill Ukrainians.
The reality is that Indian nationals represent a pro-russian country, therefore they should not be in Ukraine and laws must be passed to that effect.
Moving to Lviv is challenging and it takes a long time to settle in and become part of the Lviv community. Many people in Lviv speak English, but just a few words of Ukrainian on your part will go a long way.
We call Lviv a village, everyone knows everybody either directly or indirectly, and it's true. Having done all that - 2026 is year 14 for me in Lviv - all I can say is try it. No guarantees, no regrets, but book a Lviv tour when you get here to get a handle on the city.
✍ May 28th, 2026.