I swapped Lancashire for war torn Ukraine and I see someone wearing a PNE shirt on almost a daily basis

Pete Griffin runs In Lviv Tours, based in the fifth-largest city in Ukraine, around 70 kilometres from the border with Poland.

It’s more than 500 km from the capital, Kyiv, and although relatively peaceful compared to other parts of the country, life there for Pete has not, over the three years of the war, been without its reminders that the conflict is still ongoing.

“While missile and drone strikes are a daily occurrence in Kyiv, in Odessa in our south, and hourly in our east, in Kharkiv, our second biggest city, for example, September 4, 2024 was the last time we were hit by missiles and drones,” said Pete.

“We do get air alarms but they sound when a MIG-31K simply takes off from west russia - it's cautionary, not a serious warning.

"September 4th, 2024 was a very long night, with three big explosions a few miles north of here near the railway station, with several homes destroyed and sleeping people killed - no military targets.”

Seven people died in Lviv that night, including three children, prompting a message of deepest condolences from Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“We all use Telegram as our messenger over here. It's like FB Messenger and WhatsApp,” explained Pete.

“On the app are groups managed by people who are in direct contact with soldiers working in our air defence, so they get info in real time about Russian bomber manoeuvres, missile launches and combat drone activity over Ukrainian territory. We all joined these groups as they warn us of air alarms a few minutes before the real air alarm sounds outside.

“For a very long time, even in Lviv, these warnings came in between 11pm and 5am. No sleep. Stress. Russia has bombed critical infrastructure around Lviv 40 or 50 times since war began proper in February, 2022, and our residential suburbs have been bombed by both cruise and ballistic missiles two dozen times.

"Hypersonic Kinzhal "Dagger" missiles, 'Kalibr" cruise missiles and Shahed-136 combat drones from Iran have caused death and destruction here.

“Russian drones and missiles are controlled remotely from Russia by Russians. The Telegram warnings are often about aerial threats changing direction, and this is scary: one minute a missle is moving away from Lviv, then the next minute it's flying to Lviv and quickly.

"Shahed drones are unmanned loitering munitions so they hover, awaiting instructions about a target location. Dagger missiles take just six minutes to reach Lviv from Russia, being hypersonic.

“On September 4th. 2024 I heard one of the Russian missiles in the video flying above me at about 5.20am. There was some strange clicking or ‘adjustment sound’ inside the noise of the jet engine, possibly last second calibrations before the strike.

"By that point I was in the basement as I knew Russia was targeting residential areas and it was a dangerous moment.

"These missiles were not bypassing the city to strike infrastructure objects such as the electricity sub-stations and gas pipelines 30km from Lviv, they were going to kill people, and they did.

"A family man lost his wife and three daughters. Part of a missile destroyed the entrance to his home and obliterated seven houses nearby. He only survived because he went back to their apartment to get a bottle of water.”

Proud of Lancashire roots

Pete, now 57, grew up in Lancashire after his mum Jean and dad Brian, originally from Birmingham, moved initially to Forton, then Catterall and then Garstang, where Pete attended SS Mary and Michael's School on Bonds Lane.

He was later a pupil at St Mary's Hall preparatory school then Stonyhurst College until age 17, followed by sixth form at Newman College in Preston.

After a period of time in bands in Leeds, he ended up at North London Polytechnic then Central London Polytechnic, both now universities.

He left England in 2003 to live in Rome, where he founded a tour company, and since 2013 has been based in Ukraine, where he added the In Lviv Tours company to his portfolio.

“I am very lucky to have grown up in such a beautiful part of Lancashire beside the River Wyre and close to Nikky Nook,” he said.

"Where I live in south Lviv is quite the opposite - massed grey post-Soviet blocks in all directions. Perfect if you like brutalist architecture, which I actually do.

“I Ieft England as my girlfriend at that time, and since 1995, was Italian, from Rome. I manage two tour companies, one in Rome called Eternal Tours Rome, and In Lviv Tours here in Ukraine.

“I still have a few friends from my youth in Garstang and other place, all settled down with families. I moved to Lviv from Rome in 2013, on Christmas Day, needing a change of scenery. About a month later Russia invaded and occupied Crimea, then much of east Ukriane - that's when the war really began.

“Since I arrived in Ukraine, I've developed a Holocaust education project as the Holocaust actually began here, as well as In Lviv Tours.

"The tour company was happening before 2022 but I changed it in 2023 when a friend was killed in Bakhmut axis.

"Now, In Lviv Tours is a rehabilitation initiative - veteran soldiers are my tour guides and a percentage of what is paid for tours goes towards the advancement of combat and reconnaissance drone technology.

"I have many friends who are soldiers, on the frontline or here in Lviv after surgery and in recovery.

"I believe that tourism can be used as a vehicle to help them fully recover by way of open communication – about their experiences with foreigners who come to Lviv to see our beautiful UNESCO World Heritage historic centre and learn more about the impact of war here.

“Most Ukrainian soldiers speak some English, and more than a few are fluent.

"They are all incredibly respectful of the UK as regards the support, equipment and training we provide.

"All the people who go to the places I frequent in Lviv have learned how to speak English with a North Western inflection, rather than with an American English accent, which was the case some years ago. They all know about Preston, Blackpool and Garstang from me.”

‘I see someone wearing a PNE shirt almost every day’

Pete says that a lot of clothes continue come to Ukraine from the UK to help displaced persons who have lost their homes.

Some of what is sent ends up in thrift shops supplied by war relief agencies where low-income people can clothe themselves from head to toe for about £10.

"Near where I live we have one called ‘Second Hand’, where one can find hundreds of t-shirts, jackets and hoodies etc. with logos and brands of sports clubs and businesses in Lancashire, Hull, Leeds and the like.

"I see someone wearing a PNE shirt almost every day.”

Major tourist potential

Lviv was Polish and Austro-Hungarian before Ukrainian and in the city German, Armenian and Italian architectural styles are ubiquitous, says Pete.

"The city has a UNESCO World Heritage old town, not unlike Prague or Vilnius,” he says. “It's also ridiculously cheap here, a beer costs 80p or less and hotel rooms can be booked for £12 per night or less if you know where to look.

"Lviv is much safer now and once peace returns to Ukraine, the city will become a major tourist destination in Europe.”

Pete asks if anyone is interested in visiting Lviv as a tourist or to volunteer to get in touch through the website – inlvivtours.com – or WhatsApp +380 68 4499 494.

He can arrange everything in Lviv and elsewhere in Ukraine as regards transportation, accommodation, and work schedules (for volunteers).

British passport holders can enter Ukraine for up to 90 days without a visa.

He is also in contact with many veteran groups, youth associations and sports clubs, all of which have expressed an interest in partnering with similar organisations in the North West of England.

"If you are involved in managing or coordinating such activities and would like to help us develop what we still have during war and post-war, let me know," he said.