The issue of constructing a new, modern theater building arose around <br />

1892, when Skarbek's lease timed out. This meant that from now on the <br />

old-fashioned thatre builiding was the charge of the city authorities. <br />

After many discussions, a competition was announced for the best project<br />

of a new building for the theater. A competent panel of judges selected<br />

the winner, architect Zygmunt Gorgolewski, winner of 2nd prize in the <br />

competition of projects for the Berlin Reichstag. Finally the <br />

foundation-laying began in 1896. For this purpose the river-bed of the <br />

Poltva was diverted. Construction was undertaken by the company of Ivan <br />

Levynskyi, electrical equipment was installed by Siemens. The completion<br />

of the new theater building in Lviv opened a new era in the history of <br />

performing arts in the city. The City Theater (also known in various <br />

times as the Opera Theater, the Grand Theater, the Ivan Franko Opera and<br />

Ballet Theater, and now finally as the Solomiya Krushelnytska State <br />

Academic Theater for Opera and Ballet) had its festive opening ceremony <br />

on October 4, 1900. Tadeusz Pawlikowski, the first director of the new <br />

theater, presented a speech. Pawlikowski was invited from Cracow and <br />

offered to form and head a theatrical group. He held the post for six <br />

years, during which time 43 operas, 46 operettas and hundreds of drama <br />

performances were staged. The first show to play at the new premises was<br />

the opera Janek by W. Żełeński with Oleksandr Myshuha and Janina Korolewicz performing the main parts. The opera was directed by Ludwik Solski.