City Theatre (other names: Opera, Grand <br />

Theatre, Opera House, Ivan Franko State Academic Opera and Ballet <br />

Theatre in Lviv, Solomia Krushelnytska State Academic Opera and Ballet <br />

Theatre in Lviv) has been the pride and one of the crucial visual points<br />

of downtown Lviv for over a century. For a long time the Skarbek <br />

Theatre provided for the needs of the viewers. The Skarbek Theatre was <br />

constructed in 1839-1842. The period specfied by Stanisław Skarbek's <br />

foundational deed ran out in 1892. The city council of the provincial <br />

capital city of Lviv passed a resolution in 1896 to build a new theatre,<br />

one that would correspond to the city's status, as well as to the <br />

ambitions of the city's residents. After many options were considered, <br />

it was decided to construct the theatre in Gołuchowskis Square. This led<br />

to a search for a solution to the issue of underground plumbing. The <br />

project was elaborated by the architect Zygmunt Gorgolewski, a professor<br />

and head of the Industry School, as well as winner of 2nd prize in the <br />

competition of construction projects of the Berlin Reichstag. <br />

Construction of the new theatre was undertaken by the company of <br />

architect Ivan Levynskyi in 1897-1900. The main, southern, façade faces <br />

the axis of the Hetman Bulwarks. It is richly decorated and crowned by a<br />

triangular fronton with bas-reliefs by Antoni Poppel. Above the fronton<br />

bronze winged allegoric figures by sculptor Petro Viytovych have been <br />

placed. The central figure is Glory with a gilded palm branch, to the <br />

left is Drama (with a mask), to the right – Music (with a lyre). A <br />

gallery with an arc covering, creates the rhythm of the second level. On<br />

either side of the gallery are allegoric sculptures of Tragedy (with a <br />

sword in hand) by A. Poppel, and Comedy by Tadeusz Barącz.