UGCC cleric’s petition to ban intimate salons in Lviv reaches city council
An initiative by UGCC hieromonk Justin Boiko to remove the sex industry from the city’s historic center has gathered the required number of votes.
On May 8, 2026, an electronic petition by UGCC cleric Justin (Yuriy) Boiko calling for a ban on intimate salons in central Lviv collected more than the required 500 signatures. The author needed two days to reach the threshold.
Under the law, the appeal to move such establishments outside the city center will now be submitted for discussion by the city council. If the municipal authorities support the initiative, the relevant department will prepare a “roadmap” for removing such venues from the historic part of the city.
Justin Boiko called the presence of intimate salons near Rynok Square unacceptable. In his view, such activity is especially offensive against the backdrop of regular funeral processions for fallen servicemen passing through the city center. In his appeal, the petition’s author called not simply for the closure of the establishments, but also for new rules for the industry that would take ethical and social criteria into account.
Justin Boiko is a public media figure and often speaks on behalf of the Uniate community on sensitive issues of urban life. He previously took part in interfaith actions, including a visit to a Lviv mosque after an attempted arson attack, where he and representatives of the OCU spoke of the need for “cultural dialogue.”
