On 18 October, the first immersive event is planned at Svirzh Castle in Lviv region as part of the new cultural and social project Le Galop, which will create similar formats in castles, palaces and other historic spaces across Ukraine.
Svirzh Castle is included in the tourist guide “Lviv region. 25 tourist magnets”. It is a Renaissance fortification with a griffin on the façade of one of its towers, set among hills, a lake and old trees. The castle is designated an architectural monument of national importance and is currently used as a tourist attraction and a venue for cultural events.
The organisers of Le Galop explain that they work with the concept of living heritage — heritage that continues to live and acquire new meanings. Instead of a traditional event against the backdrop of a historic building, the team constructs a coherent narrative world in which architecture, characters, music, gastronomy, contemporary culture, partners and guests are woven into a single story.
Roman Khimyak, Director of the Department of Sport, Youth and Tourism of the Lviv Regional State Administration, stresses that such initiatives make it possible to engage people with cultural heritage in new ways, as historic spaces become platforms for contemporary art and fresh experiences, while popularisation goes hand in hand with the preservation of sites.
The event at Svirzh Castle will also have a charitable dimension: part of the funds raised during the first Le Galop event will be directed towards the restoration of the castle.