In Lviv’s Frankivskyi district, the Street of Academician Ihor Yukhnovskyi and a refurbished square with a memorial stele in honour of the outstanding Ukrainian physicist, statesman and Hero of Ukraine Ihor Yukhnovskyi have been formally opened. The event was timed to his birthday — on 1 September 2026 he would have turned 101.
In the square near the terminus of tram No. 2, next to Konovaltsia Street, a memorial stele with information about Ihor Yukhnovskyi has been installed, and the public space has been upgraded: new pavements, modern lighting, a children’s playground, recreation areas and landscaping have been provided.
The refurbishment of the square was financed by Best Properties LLC. The investor put UAH 5.5 million into the works. As part of the project, hard surfacing was laid on the paths, elements of the children’s playground were renewed, and the street lighting was replaced, with more than 20 new lamp posts installed. New benches and bins, a drinking fountain, tidied lawns, newly planted trees and two flowerbeds have also appeared.
Separately, a path for therapeutic walking was laid out in the square, an information sign with directions to the surrounding streets was installed, as well as a memorial stele dedicated to Ihor Yukhnovskyi. During the opening, a bird cherry tree was planted in his honour, and other trees were dedicated to residents of the district who died defending Ukraine.
Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi stressed the significance of Ihor Yukhnovskyi’s contribution to the city and the country during the ceremony.
“There is a certain symbolism: I look at this stone in the middle of the square — Ihor too was a stone, a pillar, a foundation for a great many undertakings. It is a great honour for me that this space, where he walked and strolled, and this street are named after him. It is pleasing to realise that he is there, in heaven, while good deeds are being done in his name. We will be putting his ideas and thoughts into practice every day,” said Andriy Sadovyi
The scientist’s daughter, Nataliia Hurska, attended the opening. She thanked everyone involved in the refurbishment of the square and the renaming of the street, noting that this place has special significance for the family, as she walks here every day. Nataliia Hurska also emphasised the importance of the trees planted in honour of the fallen residents of the district and stressed that the memory of fallen male and female defenders must be visible in the urban space.
In parallel, the Street of Academician Ihor Yukhnovskyi itself was repaired using funds from the city budget. A total of UAH 4.4 million was allocated for the works. On the section from Zhytomyrska Street to building No. 64, 1,500 m² of carriageway were renewed, the paving stones within the parking spaces were relaid, and 250 m² of pavement surfacing and 400 metres of kerbs were replaced.
At the junction of Zhytomyrska Street and Academician Yukhnovskyi Street, three pedestrian crossings were installed: two cycle-and-pedestrian crossings and one raised crossing on the opposite side of Academician Yukhnovskyi Street, which is intended to improve road safety.
In December 2025, the former Hypsova Street was renamed in honour of Academician Ihor Yukhnovskyi. The street is located in Lviv’s Frankivskyi district between Kulparkivska Street and Maksym Zalizniak Street. Ihor Yukhnovskyi had close ties to this district and lived nearby.
Background
Ihor Yukhnovskyi (1925–2024) was a Ukrainian theoretical physicist, academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, statesman and public figure, Hero of Ukraine. He founded the Lviv scientific school of statistical physics and authored hundreds of academic works.
In 1990, Ihor Yukhnovskyi became a People’s Deputy and headed the democratic opposition in the Verkhovna Rada — the “People’s Council”. He was one of the co-authors of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine and an initiator of the nationwide referendum of 1 December 1991, at which Ukrainians confirmed the Act of Declaration of Independence. In total, he served as a People’s Deputy of Ukraine for four convocations.
Ihor Yukhnovskyi also became the first head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance. He died on 26 March 2024 in Lviv at the age of 98.