City Arsenal is a defensive building of the XVI century, constructed as part of a unified defensive system of Lviv. In ancient times, anyone who aimed to acquire Lviv citizenship had not just to take oath but also to donate weapons or money for the defense of the city.
By orders of the Polish kings, masters who taught local specialists to make cannons were brought to Lviv. The outer walls of the arsenal were decorated with coats of arms of the state and city. The building was extra protected by a moat filled with water and defensive walls; also a tower for one of Lviv executioners was added to the building.
Besides weapons, in premises of the arsenal, the food was kept in the event of epidemics or natural disasters. In the 18th century, the building was transformed into prison.
And only in 1981 it was agreed to create the first Ukrainian museum of weapons in the building of the arsenal.
Author Ihor Lylo
Translated by A. Kushch
