LIS art space – shop of Transcarpathian makers, Uzhhorod

The LIS art space (“Lis” means “forest”) is a shop of handmade souvenirs and gifts and at the same time a cultural venue in the very heart of Uzhhorod, at 37 Fedyntsia Street. The entrance is easy to miss: a door with a LIS sign framed by dry branches leads down steep stairs into a basement where a real “forest” of crafts opens up. The space has been running since 2023; its founder Yuliia Dub has said in an interview that she wanted to create a place where local makers could show and sell their work and visitors could discover contemporary Transcarpathian craft.

Why visit LIS

According to the space itself, it stocks work by more than 80 Ukrainian makers, 45+ of them from Transcarpathia. This is not a mass-market souvenir shop but a carefully chosen collection of unusual things “with character”. Visitors call LIS a fantastic, even mystical place where art shows in everything: you can browse each shelf, read a book from the space’s own library, have a coffee and catch an exhibition or a workshop. The Google Maps rating is 5.0 from over 70 reviews.

What to buy

• Ceramics — little house candle-holders, lighthouses, figurines and tableware by Transcarpathian ceramicists.
• Beeswax candles in all kinds of shapes — from angels to Christmas stars.
• Handmade jewellery, which can also be commissioned to your own design.
• Textiles and interior décor, postcards with verse wishes and “spirits of the Carpathian mountains” — charming figurines for the home.
• Gift sets for families and corporate gifts with your logo.

Workshops and events

LIS is more than a shop. It regularly hosts workshops for adults and children (from floristry and candle-making to succulents), exhibitions, creative evenings and trainings; part of the proceeds has gone to support the Ukrainian armed forces. Workshops can be booked for groups, companies and schools, and a hall for up to 50 people with projector and sound plus a cosy room called “The Cave” can be rented by the hour for lectures, meetings or birthdays. Announcements are posted on the space’s Instagram.

Transcarpathian craft today

Transcarpathia is a land where Ukrainian, Hungarian, Romanian and Slovak traditions live side by side, and you can see it in local crafts: pottery, weaving, woodwork and wax. The contemporary makers sold at LIS reinterpret this heritage, combining traditional materials with modern design. Buying a gift here supports real people — artists who live and work in Uzhhorod and the surrounding villages.

How to choose a gift

If you are not sure what to bring back from Uzhhorod, ask the staff for help: they know the story of every maker and will suggest what would suit your loved ones. Beeswax candles and small ceramic houses travel well, and jewellery can be commissioned to an individual design and collected later or sent by post. For friends or colleagues the space puts together gift sets in a single style, and for children there are plenty of charming figurines and creative kits.

Practical information

• Address: 37 Fedyntsia St, Uzhhorod — the entrance is next to a hardware shop, down a high flight of stairs (difficult with a pram).
• Hours: daily 10:00–20:00.
• Phone: +380 66 866 6283; Instagram artprostirlis (also for workshop bookings).
• Getting there: 5–7 minutes on foot from Petőfi Square and Theatre Square in the historic centre; about 20 minutes’ walk or a short taxi ride from the railway station.

At a glance

• Address: Uzhhorod
• Opening hours: Daily 10:00–20:00
• Season: All year round
• Prices: Souvenirs from a few hundred hryvnias; workshops as announced (e.g. a floristry class UAH 2,500 incl. materials)
• Phone: +380668666283

Website and social media: instagram.com

Photos: lh3.googleusercontent.com.