How Ukraine's Lviv became wartime destination for Hollywood stars
How Lviv became the city where global stars come for more than movies (Photo: Getty Images)
Lviv has become a destination for Hollywood actors, members of the royal family, world-renowned artists, and philanthropists. But they aren't coming to film movies or attend glamorous events. Instead, they share a common mission - to support Ukrainians living through war. The latest example is the visit of American actor Jesse Eisenberg.
RBC-Ukraine explores how Lviv became the city where global celebrities come to experience Ukraine during wartime.
The story began with Angelina Jolie's unexpected visit
In the spring of 2022, something happened in Lviv that had seemed almost unimaginable just a few months earlier.
Visitors at one of the city's cafés spotted Angelina Jolie. There were no official meetings, no large security detail, and no advance announcements. She simply enjoyed a cup of coffee, smiled at locals, and posed for photos with children.
Angelina Jolie visited Lviv in 2022 (Screenshot)
The news quickly made headlines across Ukraine and around the world. But the most meaningful part of her visit was still to come.
Later that day, Jolie traveled to Lviv's central railway station, where she met people who had been evacuated from regions affected by the fighting.
She spoke with volunteers, doctors, and displaced families, and also visited children receiving treatment after Russian missile attacks.
It was one of the first times a global celebrity of her stature had come to Ukraine not for an official visit or a charity concert, but to witness the consequences of the war firsthand.
Angelina Jolie visited Lviv in 2022 (Photo: facebook.com/Ukrzaliznytsia)
It soon became clear that her visit would not be a one-off.
More global celebrities followed Jolie to Lviv
A few months later, Ben Stiller visited Ukraine. In his role as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, he met Ukrainians who had been forced to flee their homes because of the war and saw firsthand how humanitarian aid centers were operating.
In April 2025, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, traveled to Lviv to visit the Superhumans Center, where Ukrainian soldiers and civilians who lost limbs as a result of Russia's invasion receive treatment and rehabilitation.
Prince Harry visits Ukraine (Photo: telegraph.co.uk)
For the founder of the Invictus Games, the visit was an opportunity to meet Ukrainian veterans in person and show his support for them.
Prince Harry visits Ukraine (Photo: telegraph.co.uk)
For the founder of the Invictus Games, the visit was an opportunity to meet Ukrainian veterans in person and show his support.
American actor Liev Schreiber has also been a steadfast supporter of Ukraine.
He has visited the country multiple times, taken part in charitable initiatives, helped raise funds, and used his public platform to keep the world's attention focused on Russia's war against Ukraine.
Liev Schreiber visited Lviv (Photo: instagram.com/lievschreiber)
In late July 2026, Jesse Eisenberg became the latest global celebrity to visit the city.
Jesse Eisenberg came not as a guest, but as a volunteer
The American actor joined The Campfire Project, an international humanitarian and educational initiative run in partnership with the Polish-Ukrainian Folkowisko Foundation.
The program brings together psychologists, educators, artists, and volunteers who work with children affected by war, including those who have experienced displacement, occupation, shelling, or evacuation.
Through creative activities, shared experiences, and recreation, the project helps children gradually regain a sense of normalcy.
Eisenberg worked alongside the project's team and spent time with the children and other participants without seeking publicity.
Jesse Eisenberg in Ukraine (Photo: instagram.com/the.campfire.project)
At the same time, locals began spotting the actor walking through the streets of Lviv, casually taking photos with anyone who asked.
That understated approach has become a defining feature of many celebrity visits to the city.
No red carpets. No large-scale press conferences. No attempts to draw attention to themselves.
Why Lviv?
Over the course of the full-scale war, Lviv has become much more than Ukraine's cultural capital.
From the very beginning of the invasion, the city welcomed evacuation trains, hosted some of the country's largest volunteer hubs, opened offices for international organizations, and launched major humanitarian initiatives.
It has become a place where international charities, diplomats, and volunteers can immediately take part in meaningful work - from supporting children to helping rehabilitate wounded service members.
That is why many international humanitarian missions either begin in or pass through Lviv.
While tourists still know Lviv for its coffee, historic architecture, and cobblestone streets, many global celebrities now see it as a symbol of a different Ukraine - a country that, even in the midst of war, continues to help, heal, educate, and preserve its humanity.
That is what brings some of the world's most recognizable people to Lviv today.
