The Solomiya Krushelnitska State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre was built in 1897-1900 by Z. Gorgolevsky. The opening of the theatre, on 4 October 1900, brought together the entire cultural elite of the time - artists, writers, composers, as well as delegations from a variety of European theatres. The theatre bore its first name, the Great City Theatre, until 1939.
The opera house was built in the classical tradition, using forms and details from architectural styles such as Renaissance and Baroque, as well as Viennese Neo-Renaissance. The façade of the theatre is decorated with three sculptures: Drama, Genius and Music. Below them in the tympanum is the composition "The Joy and Suffering of Life", and above the cornice are statues of the eight muses.
The interior of the theatre is striking in its richness and beauty. The foyer, corridor, and staircase are so designed that by day they are beautifully illuminated through the windows and glass roof by the light from the windows, and at night by the light of lanterns. The most interesting is the magnificent Hall of Mirrors, located on the first floor. The ceiling plafonds depict images of Poetry, Dance, Music, Love, Hate, Wisdom and Justice. The amphitheatre is built in the shape of a lyre and seats a thousand spectators. In the centre is a sculptural composition of Genius and Angel with the coat of arms of Lviv.
