I took this photo near L’viv’s city center. On the right is a bank, a center of commerce, and on the left is a vacant, fenced-off lot.

I’m told that after the bank was built, a big legal battle ensued in which some city officials wanted the structure torn town because it didn’t match their vision of “historical.” On a completely, 100%, totally, positively unrelated note, no one can figure out why no entrepreneurs are willing to build in the lot on the left side of the photo.

The attempts at having the bank torn down could easily be another typical Ukrainian shakedown of business by government officials, but let’s take it at face value.

This is historically NOT approved:

This is historically approved:

Any questions?

Many people say that the level of petty corruption in L’viv is the worst in all Ukraine. On the other hand, however, there are many more small entrepreneurs here than in Kyiv or eastern cities.