“Ghosts of the Shtetls” – A Jewish Cultural Heritage Route
The Association of Coal Communities of Ukraine has signed a memorandum on strategic partnership with the municipalities of Zhovkva, Sokal, Sheptytskyi, and Velyki Mosty in Lviv region. The agreement aims to jointly develop an intermunicipal tourist route dedicated to Jewish cultural heritage titled “Ghosts of the Shtetls.”
The route is envisioned as a two-day circular journey through northern Lviv region, covering approximately 200 km: Lviv – Zhovkva – Velyki Mosty – Sheptytskyi – Sokal – Belz – Lviv. It will connect towns where Jewish communities shaped local life for centuries — from religious centers of Hasidism to historic trading shtetls.
The program will include visits to key historical and cultural sites. Among them are the historic center of Zhovkva, its synagogue and castle; in Velyki Mosty — the ruins of a modernist synagogue where matzevot (Jewish tombstones) from a destroyed cemetery are preserved; in Sheptytskyi — the branch of the Lviv Museum of the History of Religion located in the Potocki Palace and the local Jewish cemetery; in Sokal — the remains of the old and new synagogues in the city park on the site of the former ghetto; and in Belz — a Jewish cemetery dating from the 17th to the 20th centuries and a synagogue. Some of the locations are planned to be enhanced with interactive elements.
The partnership foresees a joint inventory of Jewish heritage sites, the creation of a route brand, the development of tourism infrastructure, training for guides, and the attraction of investments and grants. The goal is not only to preserve cultural memory but also to create new economic opportunities for the communities.
“The industrial past is only one part of the story of coal communities, while their historical and cultural heritage is far deeper and richer. The ‘Ghosts of the Shtetls’ route has the potential to return towns and small cities — where different cultures coexisted for centuries — to the tourist map. It is not only a way to preserve and promote the region’s history, but also an opportunity to transform memory into a resource for tourism and for the development of communities that are now searching for new economic foundations,” stated Andriy Tabinskyy, CEO of the Association of Coal Communities of Ukraine.
