Images: Taras Chuiko; Eduard Kiiko / Unsplash

Lviv: A regional perspective

The war has revealed the variation in levels of crisis preparedness across the country. Western Ukraine, particularly the Lviv region, did not face an immediate ground offensive, which meant that residents had more time to prepare. However, the persistent shelling of energy, transport, and civilian and industrial facilities proves that even cities far from the frontlines are under constant threat. Lviv is now a key international aid distribution centre and accommodates thousands of internally displaced persons (IDP).

Regional characteristics

Founded in 1256, Lviv is among Ukraine’s oldest cities and a historical centre in Eastern Europe. Its location at the crossroads of major trade routes has made the city part of various state formations over the centuries: the Principality of Galicia-Volhynia, the Kingdom of Poland, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and interwar Poland. Each historical period has left its mark on the city’s architecture, culture and systems of governance, creating a distinctive blend of Western European and Eastern Slavic traditions. Lviv is a centre for politics and culture, where ideas of national revival, independence and community solidarity have always flourished. In a broader sense, the Lviv Region functioned as a strategic border, inextricably linked to defence against external threats, and a gateway between Central and Eastern Europe. This long history of preserving different identities, cultures and traditions has shaped the city’s modern civil resilience and self-organisation.

Before Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, the city’s population was approximately 720,000. Recent estimates suggest that figure is now 723,403 (10). Lviv region had an estimated population of 2.48 million as of 2022 (11). Since the onset of the war, Lviv has accommodated a significant influx of internally displaced persons (IDPs). According to analysis from aid groups, the city has taken in over 200,000 IDPs (12). This increase suggests that Lviv’s current population probably exceeds 900,000 to 1,000,000, which places substantial demographic pressure on housing, services and infrastructure.

Situated 70 km from the Polish border, Lviv serves as a gateway between Ukraine and the EU. Its railway station, airport (currently closed for civilian flights) and major motorways are crucial for transporting humanitarian aid, refugees and essential supplies. The region’s topography is diverse: the southern Carpathian Mountains provide natural protection and tourism opportunities, while the northern plains and valleys support agriculture, infrastructure and urban development. This varied terrain poses specific challenges in relation to civil preparedness, including the logistics of evacuating mountainous regions, providing urban shelters and healthcare services.

Due to its prominent location, Lviv has served as a logistical and humanitarian hub since the start of the war. It has become a relocation centre for government agencies, universities, cultural organisations and businesses fleeing conflict zones. This influx has increased pressure on housing, education, healthcare and energy systems. Lviv maintains strong relationships with EU municipalities, NGOs and international agencies. These partnerships provide humanitarian assistance, technical expertise and crisis-management support, reinforcing the city’s crucial role in Ukraine’s civil preparedness network. Lviv has a long industrial heritage, including bus manufacturing at the historic Lviv Bus Factory (LAZ) (13) and food processing and energy equipment production (10,14). The region is also home to the Drohobych Salt Plant, founded in 1250, which is the oldest continuously operating industry in Ukraine. Over the past decade, Lviv has emerged as a thriving IT and innovation hub, with a tech cluster that generates over $2 billion in annual turnover – up from around $1.4 billion in 2020 to $1.8 billion in 2021 and surpassing $2 billion in 2022, despite the war-related disruptions (138).

Lviv Region’s strategic location and robust rail and road corridors have facilitated its transformation into a humanitarian and business relocation hub. Investments in manufacturing, such as those from multinational companies like the Kingspan Group, have highlighted the region’s resilience and potential for industrial growth, despite the ongoing conflict (15).

Civil preparedness is critical for ensuring societal stability amid armed aggression and hybrid threats. Lviv has evolved a unique, multi-layered civil security system, albeit one that still faces many challenges.

Several programmes aimed at enhancing civil preparedness have been introduced in the Lviv Region. One particularly notable example is the Programme for Preparing the Lviv Community for National Resistance, which promotes greater co-operation between the authorities, the commercial sector and the public (16). The Lviv Regional Council has approved several specific civil protection programmes, overseen by the Lviv Regional Military Council (LRMA), in partnership with local communities. The city of Lviv has implemented a number of local initiatives, including a network of shelters, evacuation plans and novel digital tools for informing and updating the population.

Lviv as a testing ground for civil preparedness

The Lviv region and its community are a testing ground for civil preparedness, which combines efforts by the state, local government, educational institutions, businesses and civil society.

As part of its public policy, the Ukrainian government has created a regulatory framework to provide social support for IDPs. The resolution On Certain Issues of Social Support for Internally Displaced Persons and Other Vulnerable Groups (17) specifies measures intended to help displaced and vulnerable groups, and provide housing and social benefits. In the Lviv region, these initiatives are integrated into local programmes designed to support the people who have sought refuge there. The public agencies provide essential infrastructure for survival and social adaptation, in line with broader resilience-building concepts.

The IDP Centre at Lviv Polytechnic National University, under the leadership of Assoc. Prof. Mykola Brych PhD, is an important focal point for civil preparedness. Several international partners, including the International Organization for Migration, support the Centre’s activities. During an official visit to the facility in 2022, the US Ambassador to Ukraine spoke with displaced persons living there and highlighted the importance of partnership in the field of humanitarian aid (18). The Centre houses hundreds of displaced people, and provides them with a range of services, assisted by student volunteers. It is a positive example of educational institutions functioning as an integral part of the civil preparedness system.

The coordination of activity between local authorities and international humanitarian organisations also plays a vital role. A conference at the Polytechnic convened by the Norwegian Refugee Council in January 2023 highlighted the active involvement of Scandinavian partners in Ukrainian civil preparedness (19). Encouraging co-operation between various agencies and groups resembles the Nordic model, where state institutions and NGOs work together within a unified system.

The civic community in Lviv has taken steps to integrate IDPs into local society. The training programme Instruments of Local Democracy for IDPs enables displaced students to participate in public forums, form self-organised groups, start petitions and hold public hearings (20, 21). This promotes integration and fosters a broader democratic culture, which is also a key pillar of civic stability in the Nordic countries.

In addition to state and public initiatives, many businesses have played an important role in civil preparedness. The Rinat Akhmetov Foundation, for example, provides humanitarian packages, medical assistance and support to displaced persons. Across Ukraine, the private sector has borne part of the financial costs, easing the burden on local budgets. This public-private partnership is similar to the Scandinavian model, in which private entities are involved as strategic partners in crisis-response plans.

Civil society, particularly volunteer groups, continues to be the most active component of Ukrainian civil preparedness. Volunteers coordinate the collection of belongings, provide transport to civilians fleeing threatened areas and assist IDPs with registration and relocation. These activities are also coordinated via institutional structures, as at Lviv Polytechnic, where students work with the administration to provide assistance. As in the Nordic countries, volunteer networks are a key resource in emergencies.

Experience from the Lviv region and community shows that civil preparedness in Ukraine is a multi-layered system. The government sets legal and financial frameworks, local authorities oversee implementation, businesses supply resources and civil society contributes mobility and flexibility. Universities and international partners act as hubs for adopting and sharing innovative practices that support survival in times of crisis and reinforce social cohesion, which are defining features of the Nordic model of civil resilience.

Thanks to these combined efforts and approaches, the Lviv region is today a positive example of regional civil preparedness. This experience shows that collaboration between public entities, the private sector and civil society can build a sustainable security system capable of withstanding wartime challenges while also fostering democratic practices.