In Lviv, the renovation of the square named after Leonid Stein on Knyazya Romana Street in the central part of the city is under way. Three new chess tables, modern lighting and a commemorative stele in honour of the renowned grandmaster are to be installed here. The location was chosen next to the Lviv chess school.
The progress of the works was reported by Lviv’s First Deputy Mayor, Andriy Moskalenko. According to him, new pedestrian paths and a hard-surface area have already been laid in the square, and municipal workers are preparing the site for the installation of new public amenities.
“Together with benefactors, we are arranging eco-paths, lighting, greenery, furniture with chess tables and a commemorative stele here. The chess tables will become a venue for training and for nurturing new generations of champions,” said Andriy Moskalenko.
Three sets of chess tables will be installed in the square, and another two tables are planned to be placed at the St Leo the Great Mental Health Centre. More than 50% of the cost of the work is being covered by off-budget funds. The project is being implemented thanks to the initiative of Maris Jenn Cook and her Lviv Chess Commons: Move by Move project.
The main landscaping works in the square are scheduled to be completed in early August.
Leonid Zakharovych Stein (1934–1973) was an outstanding Ukrainian chess player and international grandmaster whose life and sporting career were closely connected with Lviv. He was born in Kamianets-Podilskyi, but after the Second World War his family moved to Lviv. At the age of 13, the future grandmaster enrolled in Lviv’s first chess school, and later graduated from the Faculty of Journalism at the Ivan Franko Lviv University.
It was in Lviv that Stein developed his trademark lightning-fast and sharp style of play, which brought him worldwide recognition. In the 1960s he ranked among the strongest chess players in the world, captained the Ukrainian team for many years, and his successes sparked a genuine chess boom in the city and the emergence of a new generation of top players.
The master’s life was cut short at the age of 38. The public space that was named after Leonid Stein in 2022 is located next to the building at 6 Fredra Street, where he lived. Nearby, at 1 Fredra Street, the Debyut chess school is still operating today.