On 1 September 2026, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv held a formal welcome ceremony for its first-year students. Marking the beginning of the 2026–2027 academic year, the event brought together first-year students and their parents in the University’s Assembly Hall, alongside members of the Academic Council, representatives of student organisations, city and regional authorities, and invited guests.
The ceremony opened with the University Banner entering the Assembly Hall as The Eternal Revolutionary, the University anthem, was played. The gathering then paid tribute to Lviv University students, alumni, postgraduate students, faculty and staff who had fallen defending Ukraine’s freedom and independence. Their names were read aloud before those present observed a minute of silence in honour of the University community members killed in the Russo-Ukrainian War.
The programme continued with My Wings, a dance performance by students of Lviv University’s Choreography programme and members of the Aquerias Contemporary Dance School and Studio.
Lviv University Rector Roman Gladyshevskii, Professor and Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, welcomed the first-year students and congratulated them on beginning a new chapter in their lives. He stressed that becoming a student at Lviv University is about more than earning a degree: it also means becoming part of a centuries-old academic tradition built on freedom of thought, responsibility and service to society.
“Dear first-year students, we are proud that you have chosen Lviv University as the place to grow both professionally and personally. Universities shape the intellectual and civic leaders who will define the future of Ukraine, Europe and the world. Lviv University proudly bears the name of Ivan Franko, a figure who embodies the idea of an intellectual and European Ukraine – a country we are called upon to build every day through our knowledge, dedicated work and continuous growth,” Roman Gladyshevskii said.
The Rector also spoke about the responsibility of the academic community in wartime. He emphasised that Ukrainians owe the opportunity to study, work and create to those defending the country, and that everyone has a role to play in strengthening Ukraine and building its future. Concluding his address, Gladyshevskii reminded the first-year students of the words inscribed on the façade of the University’s main building: “Educated citizens are the pride of their homeland.” He expressed confidence that the new generation of students would carry forward the University’s legacy and contribute to the future of both Ukrainian society and the country. “May the years ahead bring you the joy of new knowledge and discoveries, new friendships and wise mentors, confidence in your abilities, and the courage to make your own decisions,” the Rector said.
The first-year students were also welcomed by Yurii Kholod, Acting Chair of the Lviv Regional Council. He thanked the Ukrainian service members whose defence of the country allows young people to study, make plans for the future and begin a new chapter in their lives. He wished the students inspiration, perseverance and passion for their chosen fields, encouraging them to think from the outset about the part they can play in Ukraine’s future. “I would like us to make a commitment today: wherever your paths take you, work together to develop Ukraine and the Lviv region in particular. We need skilled professionals, but above all, people who genuinely care about Ukraine,” Yurii Kholod said. Finally, he encouraged the students to build their careers in Ukraine and use their knowledge and skills to help the country grow: “Stay in Ukraine. Build the country, advance Ukrainian science, grow Ukrainian businesses and strengthen Ukrainian education – contribute to everything that makes Ukraine stronger. Because Ukraine is the best thing we have.”
Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi then took the floor, reflecting on how quickly today’s generation of young people has had to grow up. Their final years at school, university entrance exams and the beginning of student life have all unfolded against the backdrop of the full-scale war.
“You have had to grow up far too quickly. You finished school during the war, took your exams and prepared for university while the war continued, and now you are beginning your student lives in wartime. We live in a world where the future is impossible to predict. Yet being a student is still something special. I want you to make the most of these years: don’t be afraid to make mistakes, discover Ukraine and the world, and cherish every day of your student life.”
Olena Vovk, Chair of the Lviv University Supervisory Board, was the next to address the audience. A graduate of the Faculty of Foreign Languages and co-owner of the biotechnology companies Enzym Group, she recalled entering the University shortly after Ukraine regained its independence, at a time of profound change across the country. Vovk spoke about the need for the University to preserve its history and traditions while remaining open to change and moving forward together with younger generations. She stressed that students themselves have an important part to play in this process through their initiative, courage and openness to new ideas. She wished the first-year students every success in finding their own path during their time at the University. For Vovk, being part of the University community also means becoming part of a place where friendships are formed, professional connections and partnerships develop, and new ideas emerge.
Turning to the importance of historical memory and national symbols, Olena Vovk spoke about the blue-and-yellow flag carried into the Verkhovna Rada chamber on 24 August 1991 by a group of MPs led by Viacheslav Chornovil. To mark the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence, 1,000 individually numbered replicas of the historic flag were produced, one of which Enzym Group presented to Lviv University. “We are giving this flag to the University not as a souvenir, but as a living symbol. I hope to see it displayed on the University façade on Independence Day, at student events and during commemorations. This flag can say far more than any speech.”
Third-year Applied Mathematics and Computer Science student Ilona Kenyo, a winner of numerous international competitions, shared her own experience of starting university and offered the newcomers three pieces of advice for making the most of their student years. First, she urged them not to be afraid of making mistakes. Her second piece of advice was to stay open to new opportunities, people and initiatives. University life, she explained, extends far beyond the classroom, offering everything from student government and academic mobility to creative groups, cultural events and opportunities to launch projects of their own. Above all, she wanted the new students to have the confidence to stand out, embrace their ambitions and seize the opportunities that come their way. “Be bold, be visible and let yourselves shine. Don’t be afraid to apply for that programme you have always dreamed of, join an initiative or bring your own project to life. Be a little ‘crazy’ – in the best possible way – about your dreams and ambitions. Create, and make this world a better place. You are in the right place, at the right time and among the right people to do just that.”
She closed with a reminder that Lviv University is a place where centuries of academic tradition meet new ideas – and that for this year’s first-year students, their own University story is only just beginning.
At the heart of the ceremony was the matriculation – the formal admission of first-year students into Lviv University’s academic community. Taking part on behalf of their faculties and the University college were students who had achieved some of the highest scores in this year’s admissions.
Rector Roman Gladyshevskii presented the first-year students with the text of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv Student Oath. The students then recited the oath together, formally joining the University community and pledging to uphold its academic traditions.
Matriculation is a centuries-old tradition rooted in the history of European universities. Lviv University revived the practice in 2011 as part of its 350th anniversary celebrations. The Student Oath being recited in Ukrainian holds particular significance: it honours the memory of Ukrainian students who, in the early 20th century, fought for the right to take the oath at the University in their native language. Today, the matriculation ceremony symbolises the continuity of the University’s academic history, the connection between generations, and the shared values that unite Lviv University students past and present.
After the oath, the Assembly Hall filled with the sound of Gaudeamus, the traditional student anthem that has been part of university life around the world for centuries.
The ceremony drew to a close as two first-year students – Nadiia Kosmeda from the Faculty of Foreign Languages and Andrii Sniadanko from the Faculty of Economics – laid flowers at the monument to Ivan Franko, the University’s patron. The celebrations concluded with the combined choir of the Lviv University Centre of Culture and Leisure performing Ivan Franko’s poem Ne pora (It Is Not the Time).
For this year’s first-year students, 1 September marked more than the beginning of a new academic year. It was also the day they formally became part of an academic community with more than three centuries of history – and a tradition they will now carry forward themselves.
