In March 2022, Lviv was one of the key rear cities in Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. Its location near the border with Poland made it an important transit and logistics hub: waves of people evacuated from other regions passed through the city, and reception points, humanitarian aid warehouses and volunteer networks were operating there. At the same time, security procedures were in place: air raid alarms, shelters, restrictions during alarms and checks in public spaces.
Part of the civilian mobilisation was the production of camouflage nets for the army. Work stations were organised in schools, halls and parish rooms: fabrics were collected, cut into strips, woven into nets and sent for transport to units fighting in the east and south of the country.
Lviv, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, also carried out protective measures for monuments and works of art. Sculptures and architectural details in public spaces were secured (with wooden covers, panels and sandbags), the exposure of the most vulnerable objects was limited, and part of the museum collections were prepared for evacuation or moved to safer storage facilities.
At the same time, funerals were held for fallen soldiers: the ceremonies were often public, with processions in the streets and residents paying their respects.