Arsenal Arms Museum, Lviv

The Arsenal Historical Arms Museum is located on one of Lviv's central streets. It first opened its doors to visitors on May 18, 1981. The museum is located in the former City Arsenal, which is a 16th-century architectural monument.

History of the City Arsenal

Once upon a time, an inscription above the entrance to the arsenal read: "A happy city that worries about future security in times of peace." Lviv lay at the intersection of trade routes from the West and the East. In addition, the city was a good prey for invaders. Therefore, after the construction of two castles and city walls, there was a need to build an arsenal where weapons could not only be stored but also manufactured.

A hangman lived in the tower attached to the arsenal. People were often tortured behind its walls, and in 1768-1770 the City Arsenal housed the Haidamaks. When Lviv became part of Austria in 1772, the arsenal was turned into a prison.

Museum exposition

The Arsenal Historical Weapons Museum in Lviv has a huge collection without exaggeration. We can list the exhibits for a very long time, but, as they say, it is better to see it once.

The museum houses weapons from more than 30 countries. The chronological boundaries of the exhibits are the 11th and early 20th centuries.

Here you can see all types of weapons (edged, firearms, throwing, and defensive weapons) and trace their evolution. The most complete display is of edged weapons: daggers, knives, yatagans, swords, sabers, etc. An interesting exhibit is a 14th-century sword with a hilt decorated with the image of the Teutonic Order.

The Old Russian maces of the 11th-12th centuries are also noteworthy. Since the 16th century, the mace has become a symbol of hetman's power in the Sich.

The collection of helmets, knightly armor, and shields is also interesting. The Tatar shield of the 12th century is unique, made of wooden vines and intertwined with colorful ribbons.

But Arsenal is not famous for its weapons alone. The museum has an exhibition of holograms of various orders, such as the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, the Legion of Honor, the Golden Fleece, and many others.

The museum also houses a monument of Lviv foundry, St. Michael Killing Satan, which once adorned the defensive walls of Lviv. Its author is Caspar Franke.

Getting to the Arsenal

The Arsenal Historical Weapons Museum is located at 5 Pidvalna Street. You can get there on foot from Rynok Square along Ruska Street. There are tram stops nearby (Pidvalna Street, Ruska Street) and minibuses (Pidvalna Street).

Opening hours: from 10:00 to 18:00 (except Wednesday). There is a souvenir shop in the museum.