In Lviv, a new socio-cultural project “The City Heals” was launched, within the framework of which servicemen who are being treated or undergoing rehabilitation in medical institutions are invited to free tours of the city.
A pilot walk has already taken place, in which 5 defenders of Ukraine joined. Petro Radkovets, a well-known Lviv tour guide, introduced them to the city.
“I once again met with our defenders at the NEZLAMNA Rehabilitation Center, where guys from all over Ukraine are being treated, and I asked them: “Have you seen Lviv at all?”. And they answer that it was from the car window when they were being taken to the hospital.
They have a great desire to see Lviv, that’s why we came up with such a program in the city,” said Andrii Sadovy, the mayor of Lviv.
Information about this project will be distributed directly in medical institutions through special information booklets. The leaflets contain a complete list of services that the military can receive for free. There are also contacts of the tourist information center (+38 (067) 673-91-94), through which you can find out all the details and sign up for the excursion that interests you.
“We want them to be able to get away from hospital wards and get fresh emotions that also contribute to rehabilitation. Before that, we conducted a survey on what exactly the military would like to see, so we are compiling a route according to their wishes,” said Khrystyna Lebed, head of the Lviv Tourism Department.
The first tour was attended by 5 military personnel. The excursion took place in the central part of Lviv. During the walk, the defenders were told about ancient Lviv and were introduced to the mayor in the walls of the City Hall.
“Excursions for the military today are absolutely necessary. In the first days of the war, I consulted with a psychologist about the need for excursions as such. And she answered that they are necessary for the adapted, and the non-adapted need to be adapted. People who are under a lot of psychological pressure want to relax sometimes, and this kind of activity allows them to be in a more comfortable environment.
I looked into the eyes of the boys who were with me on the excursion today, I saw that they were smiling more, talking more. I always say – smile, because it annoys the enemy. If Ukrainians will live a full life, go to theaters, attend excursions, then we will be invincible,” said Petro Radkovets, tour guide in Lviv.
The project “The City Heals” will last the whole year and will be supplemented not only with city tours, but also with visits to various museums, theaters, and institutions. All events will be adapted according to the requests of military personnel who are being treated in medical facilities located on the territory of the Lviv City Territorial Community. The project is implemented by the Lviv Tourist Office together with the Department of Health Protection and the Department of Culture of the Lviv City Council.