The Sens bookstore-café has opened in Lviv at 11 Bohdana Khmelnytskoho Street. The space occupies a former cinema that had been unused for more than 15 years. Lviv has become the third city where the chain operates, after Kyiv and Ivano-Frankivsk, while the new location is Sens’s first franchise outlet.

The premises cover 550.2 sq m. The building is a local architectural heritage site located within Lviv’s historic area.

Sens’s concept combines a bookstore, café and cultural events space. The Lviv location has around 50 seats. It will host book launches, public talks, discussions, art events and gatherings of the literary community.

The renovation preserved the building’s historic features. In particular, a monumental mural from the 1960s by Lviv artist Volodymyr Patyk was restored.It has been preserved as part of the new interior and remains visible to visitors.

Elements associated with the building’s former function as a cinema were also retained. The area where the cinema screen once stood now features a stage and a new screen for presentations and cultural events.

The renovation also included accessibility upgrades. The floors were levelled, thresholds were removed, and a ramp and lift between levels were installed. An accessible restroom was also added.

The history of the new space dates back to 2019. At the time, the Lviv City Council planned to develop the former cinema as an investment project involving the restoration of the building and the creation of a cultural and entertainment cinema space.

The project was not implemented under the original model. The city subsequently decided to sell the property through an open auction with specific conditions.

In June 2023, the premises were sold through the ProZorro system for UAH 25 million. The winning bidder was Butsi Best Price PE. One of the conditions of the sale was to preserve the property’s cultural or educational purpose.

Sens founder Oleksii Erinсhak said the preparation of the Lviv location took place amid the full-scale war and supply chain disruptions.

“These events are very important to us because they bring together a community of people who work in culture and other fields. Because this is what keeps us together. And places like ‘Sens’ work to ensure that all of us have the opportunity to gather in a formal setting, when there is a presentation, and in an informal setting. You know for sure that whenever you come here, you will always see wonderful people who are creating contemporary Ukrainian culture and developing it. Over the past few weeks, we have been doing everything to make this opening happen. It was not easy because, as you know, the Russians are burning book warehouses, so some of the publishers we had counted on are not represented here. Some of the work is still unfinished because our contractors’ production facilities were set on fire and logistics hubs were destroyed,” said Sens founder Oleksii Erinсhak.

Lviv City Mayor Andriy Sadovyy also attended the opening. He congratulated the bookstore’s founder, toured the space and presented commemorative Lviv stamps to the project’s sponsors.

“You know, when you have a debate — whether to read or not to read, there is no time, we are tired — it is important to choose reading. We are friends with ‘Khartiia,’ and there is a rule there that every day soldiers and officers must reserve an hour for reading books. Because the brain needs drive. So read and have meaning. You are cool,” said Lviv City Mayor Andriy Sadovyy.

The new Lviv location expands Sens’s presence beyond Kyiv and Ivano-Frankivsk. At the same time, the project demonstrates how a disused municipal property with historical value can be given a new purpose through private investment while retaining its cultural function.

Photo: Open sources