In 2009, the unique and elegant British Club took Ukraine by storm. Nestled in the center of “Austrian Lviv” at 18 Nalyvayka Street, the club has become a choice venue for local and international business meetings, banquets, concerts and exhibits. Lviv, conveniently built on the crossroads of the medieval trade routes between Europe and Asia, offers the ultimate intersection of commerce and culture.

Englishman, Gary Bowman, established The British Club and gallery in the heart of Lviv as an expression of his love for his Ukrainian heritage, his love of Great Britain, and his enduring appreciation and patronage of the arts. In creating this facility, Mr. Bowman realized his vision of linking Ukraine and Great Britain economically, culturally, socially and educationally by offering a destination within the historic city of Lviv for commerce and tourism. Over the past three years, the British Club’s art gallery, one of Mr. Bowman’s most inspired ideas, has provided an ideal forum for Ukrainian and British cultures to interact.

This year, the historic stone house that houses the British Club will be honored in a centennial jubilee. Mr. Bowman, the owner of the treasured landmark, demanded meticulous renovation to preserve the integrity and atmosphere of the building and conserve as much authentic decorative detail as possible, including the gratings, staircase enclosure, tiles, and ornamental features of the walls and ceilings. Any unsalvageable original detail was replicated faithfully. The building’s rich history inspired the design of the club, where influences of nineteenth and twentieth-century Galych dwellings and traditional British architecture are beautifully merged.

The British Club provides comfortable meeting spaces and a modern, well- equipped conference hall for business meetings. The interiors are furnished with antiques, refined tableware, trompe l’oeil ceiling frescoes and exquisite decor. The drawing room and reception hall are decorated with the British flag and portraits depicting British Royalty: Queen Elizabeth ІІ and Prince Phillip, Princess Diana. A life-size replica of a Queen’s guardsman in the classic red tunic and famous bear hat welcomes visitors. Attendees of VIP-meetings, charitable balls and auctions, seminars, lectures, concerts, and youth gatherings are transported to a world of classic British culture. A whimsical and amusing collection of cat figurines, collected from all over the world, is displayed in a richly-carved credenza.

The British Club’s self-contained apartments, located on the upper floors, are tastefully furnished to provide maximum privacy and comfort where business partners of the Club, representatives of British aristocracy, diplomats, academics and artists are frequent guests. The prime location in the city’s center, not to mention the romantic views of the towers and roofs of old Lviv, makes them an especially desirable venue. While the apartments offer kitchens, all guests of the British Club are welcome to partake of breakfast in the Club, featuring traditional English and Galych cuisine.