Zhovkva is a town in western Ukraine, north of Lviv. Nothing special but when examined more carefully, this town reveals itself as one of the most beautiful in the region that has experienced a vivid and rich history. So what is hidden behind this name - Zhovkva...

In 1594, the Polish military commander Stanislaw Zolkiewski fortified the settlement on the site of modern Zhovkva and built Zolkiew Castle. Due to its strategic location at the intersection of important trade routes, the town prospered.

In the 17th century, it became the royal residence for King John III Sobieski of Poland, and a hub of religious life, arts and commerce. From its earliest days, the population was a mix of Poles, Ukrainians and Jews. Landmark buildings include a fortress-like synagogue, churches and monasteries.

Before World War II, the town's 4,500 Jews accounted for nearly half the population, but few survived the Holocaust. The synagogue was blown up by the Nazis in 1941, leaving only the outside walls. In 2000, the building was declared one of the world's most endangered sites by the World Monuments Fund.

In 1951, while under Soviet occupation, Zhovkva was renamed Nesterov after the World War ІI aviator Piotr Nesterov who became the first to perform a suicide plane crash in the history of aviation near Zhovkva. The name Zhovkva was restored in 1992 after Ukraine got independence.