Pryvit, Lviv! Portland Welcomes New Sister City

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City Council officially declared Lviv, Ukraine, as Portland's newest sister city, hailing Lviv as "an appropriate and compelling match" for Portland, because of their shared "vibrant arts and literary life, strong culinary and coffee traditions, world-class universities, and active and diverse civic societies."

"This is a profound and meaningful milestone," said Council President Jamie Dunphy. "Today is a day to celebrate."

Located in the western part of Ukraine, Lviv has much in common with Portland, including:

• Size. Lviv's population is 723,000, Portland's is 635,000.
• Bike hub. Like Portland, Lviv has a thriving bike culture, such as bike lanes, bike sharing, and group bike rides.
• Literary magnet. Book Forum Lviv is a major literary festival, one of the biggest in Eastern Europe, with awards, readings, and poetry slams.

The Council's declaration cited the strength of the Ukrainian-American community in Portland, along with longstanding ties between the two cities. (Learn more at the Portland-Lviv Sister City Association.)

"This is a partnership rooted in solidarity, shared values, and a people-to-people connection." said Chido Dhliwayo, international relations director of the City's Office of Government Relations.

Portland musicians Darka Dusty and Miri Stebivka, both first-generation Ukrainian-Americans, celebrated the new sisterhood by performing "Echoes of your Footsteps" by Ukrainian composer Volodymyr Ivasiuk in the atrium of City Hall.

"Our cities have much to offer each other," said Tatiana Terdal, president of the Portland-Lviv Sister City Association, highlighting Lviv's historic city center (recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site) plus its artsy, creative, and musical traditions.

Unfortunately, Lviv has come under attack from Russian missiles and drones since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.

"Thank you for supporting Ukraine. Thank you for supporting the city of Lviv," Andriy Sadovyi, mayor of Liviv, said in a video statement. "This is an important moment and an important step. We must build very strong bridge between United States and Ukraine."

Sister City Program

President Dwight Eisenhower introduced the U.S. Sister City Program in 1956, calling it the "people-to-people program." The premise of this program was that cities that shared similarities in population, industry, and the arts, would find ways to form partnerships to foster an international atmosphere of understanding and respect.

Today, Portland has 10 sister cities spread across the continents of Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Each relationship is uniquely defined, from trade and business development projects, to public events, educational and cultural exchange programs and more.

• Ashkelon, Israel
• Bologna, Italy
• Guadalajara, Mexico
• Kaohsiung, Taiwan
• Khabarovsk, Russia
• Mutare, Zimbabwe
• Sapporo, Japan
• Suzhou, People's Republic of China
• Ulsan, South Korea
• Lviv, Ukraine

Local community members are the driving force behind each sister city. While the City of Portland formally recognizes each sister city relationship declaration and manages the sister city program, association volunteers carry out initiatives that sustain ties with each respective sister city. Portland's sister city associations receive no direct funds from the City of Portland.

The impact of Portland's sister city associations can be seen in numerous ways, including the annual Cinco de Mayo Festival, the Rose Festival Dragon Boat Races, the Portland Japanese Garden, and the Lan Su Chinese Garden.