Zhovkva is a special town, almost tiny, with an area of 7.6 km and a population of about 13 thousand, but with a rich architectural heritage. One of the smallest towns in Ukraine, it has 55 monuments of history and architecture.
Zhovkva. Lviv region. The Town Hall. 1932.
The Zholkevsky Castle, the monasteries, the Roman Catholic church, the synagogue, the wooden churches, the defensive towers, the historic buildings with arcades, the old lanes can all be seen from a bird's-eye view, if you climb to the observation deck of the town's Town Hall.
Zhovkva. Viche Square
The historic centre and most of the places of worship are seen as if in the palm of your hand. It feels as though you have landed in the Renaissance era, were it not for the cars and the signboards on the buildings.
Viche Square. The bell tower. 17th c.
Viche Square. The Zholkevsky Castle. 16th-17th c.
This unique town-planning complex has the status of a State Historical and Cultural Reserve and is a candidate for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Viche Square. The Roman Catholic church of St Lawrence. 1618.
The new Town Hall was built in 1932 on the Market Square (now Viche Square), and the building fitted beautifully into the medieval atmosphere of Zhovkva.
Viche Square. The Town Hall
In towns that received Magdeburg rights, town halls were raised at once. The Zhovkva magistrate can be considered a contemporary of the town, although for a time it stood in ruins and the town administration moved to other premises. It is believed that the first building was half-timbered, like most buildings of that time, when a wooden frame was filled with clay.
Its stone successor stood from 1637 to 1832, and written descriptions of it have survived. The town hall was square in plan, with double gates and a wicket, balconies and a clock with golden numerals, a weathervane and a bell. An obligatory attribute of the magistrate was a coat of arms with an image of King Jan III Sobieski. On the ground floor there was a hall for court sessions. A fireplace generated warmth in it, and the walls were adorned with portraits of crowned persons. Stairs led to the vaults for holding lawbreakers. On two sides the town hall was surrounded by shops. After a century and a half the state of the building proved dangerous and it was partly dismantled. And only a hundred years later, on the site of the royal-guard posts and casemates, to the design of Bronislav Viktor, the present two-storey building was raised, which now houses the town council.
The roof of red tiles is decorated with four dormers.
To recall the defensive significance of Zhovkva, which always lay in a frontier zone, embrasures were preserved on the rear side of the Town Hall. The entrance to the executive body of municipal self-government is made in the form of a portico with three arches, which matches the design of the medieval houses on the square.
The three-tier tower, crowned with a Baroque dome, lends grandeur to this architectural dominant of the historic centre. On the facade is set the coat of arms of Zhovkva with an image of its patron, John the Theologian. The two upper tiers of the tower are girdled on all four sides by balconies, from which a panorama of the town and its surroundings opens up.
The Town Hall. The observation deck
You will not have to climb the steps to the top wearily and tediously, because the stairs are surrounded on all sides by the exhibits of the historical and local-lore display, which reveals all the stages of Zhovkva's development.
The Town Hall. The stairs. The Museum of the Old Town
In the 'Museum of the Old Town' are presented household objects, paintings, postcards and documents, donated by the town's residents and by collectors. Examining the original and genuine testimonies of Zhovkva's historic past, one can learn much about the traditions and the cultural life of the townspeople, the national movement and modern events.
An exhibition of antiquities
The Museum of the Old Town
It was very pleasant to see that in the museum a place had been found for the model of the aeroplane in which Petro Nesterov, in 1914, near Zhovkva, carried out the first aerial ram in aviation.
Zhovkva. The Town Hall. The Museum of the Old Town
Sadly, the monument to the brave aviator and the aviation museum have been destroyed, about which one can read here.
It was pleasing that the tower clock shows the correct time.
The Town Hall. The tower clock
Entry to the tower is open from 10 to 18 o'clock; the day off is Monday. In the tourist season, from April to November, it is open without days off. A ticket for adults is 20 hryvnias, for children 10 hryvnias.
You can order a guided tour; for students and children there are discounts on the fee.
Address: the town of Zhovkva, Lviv region, Viche Square, 1.
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