Diana is an amazing tour guide/interpreter/translator!! She carried myself and my 2 brothers all over Lviv, and to the villages where our grandparents came from in Ternopil Oblast. She recommended the appropriate day and time to visit these villages (Burkaniv & Zolotnyky) where she then made local contacts and ultimately got us in contact with distant relatives who we never knew!
Her multi language and interpretive skills were invaluable as we did not know the language and could not communicate or read signage. She made this trip unforgettable.
Also, she was essential in helping us get Jazz Fest tickets, hotel rooms, entry to some restaurants, and entry into a long time Lviv resident’s home for a traditional Galician Cuisine luncheon.
She also arranged for a Pysanka Master Class with Halyna Syrotuk…awesome! Diana knows the history, has the connections, and has the transportation to get you where you want to go!
She has my 100% recommendation..
Ten Stars would be closer to describing what Diana brings to the table. She is extremely knowledgeable and determined to get you results one way or another.
Myself and two of my brothers witnessed her in action using strategies that produced amazing results in our quest to find living relatives on my fathers side of the family. Needless to say, Three brothers were crying that night. We had located our great great grandfather’s gravesite in an old abandoned graveyard. Generations of our family are NOW and FOREVER grateful to her.
Thank You Diana!
This year (2019) was my third trip in a row to Lviv – this time accompanied by two of my brothers – each tour expertly guided by Diana who arranged for everything: transportation including airport greetings; hotel reservations; access to local attractions and historical sites; scheduling archival document research; excursions to the local crafts markets for souvenir shopping; Pysanka painting masterclasses; fine dining at some of Lviv’s best restaurants; and travel to Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast and to our ancestral villages located in Ternopil where because of her extraordinary communication skills we were able to both meet and interact with living relatives.
The result was an indescribable emotional experience and one that we will never forget. You absolutely cannot go wrong booking her services and in fact could risk losing out on one of the most rewarding experiences of your visit. Diana is a great guide and frankly a very special person. Five Stars are just not high enough.
Diana is a very friendly, knowledgable, educated, and helpful guide with a beautiful smile on her face….Everyone knows Diana in Lviv because of her professionalism……. not to mention all the top-rated awards she has received as a tour guide…..I really advise anyone who wants to enjoy Lviv to contact Diana…….and if I got another chance to again go to Lviv……I will contact you Diana….you deserve the best.
My wife, her mother and I went to Ukraine on a roots-finding expedition, my ancestors having originated in the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s province of Galicia, of which Lemberg, now called Lviv, was the capital. Not speaking the language I knew we’d need an interpreter, and having researched the state of the rural roads, knew we’d also need a local driver.
We found a fantastic combination in the multilingual, extremely knowledgeable and convivial Diana Borysenko. Lviv born, she speaks several languages, drives extremely well, and seems completely indefatigable. She’s quite at home researching in the archives, and even more importantly, she can converse very pleasantly with the locals in any small town and find out pretty much anything needed.
We went on two excursions with her seeking my forbearers’ little villages. Trip One took in Zolochiv and Pomorzany, and the next day, Trip Two included Stary Sambor and Dobromyl, plus a quick walking tour of central Lviv.
For those eccentrics among you who like archaic clothing, at my request Diana did some research and found a costumier who made my wife a Victorian ballgown and me a suit from the Regency (Mr. d’Arcy) period. Diana also found a shoemaker who fitted me for a pair of appropriately styled bespoke Hessian boots to complete the outfit. Superb craftsmanship
All in all she’s an absolute treasure with the bonus of very reasonable rates. We cannot recommend her highly enough.
Diana, thank you again for taking care of the Zolkiewski Family coming from Detroit, Michigan to visit the fabulous Lviv.
My family enjoyed your expertise and professionalism as our tour guide and now even more so we consider you a family friend.
This indeed was a Heritage Tour for our family back in October 2019 and we were astonished that you handled just about everything for us, from transport, restaurant suggestions, and the walking tour taking in all of the sites and sounds of historic Lviv.
Your English was perfect since we speak no Ukrainian and we were amazed that you know so many other languages – including Polish and German.
The most memorable impression my family had in exploring Galicia was to find the town where my father came from and the Greek Catholic church where my grandfather was priest, plus even setting up a special church service for us.
Your knowledge and “get-it-done” attitude is so amazing. I would highly recommend anyone visiting Western Ukraine to contact Diana for a flawless and worry free visit.
I had a wonderful tour of Lviv thanks to Diana. She is super friendly, organized and gave great explanations of the sights I saw and of course the local culture. I highly recommend her tours if you decide to visit Lviv and the surrounding region.
My husband and I both have Ukrainian heritage. I have Jewish ancestors from Uhniv and Krystynopol (Chervonograd). His mother and aunt were born in Stari Bohorodchany and had not been back since 1943, so we took them to see their birthplace and the towns of my great grandparents. We simply could not have done it without Diana. She navigated Lviv traffic, bumpy rural roads, village priests, and long lost cousins all with enthusiasm, encouragement, and expertise. Her knowledge of and pride in her country are inspiring. And her English is impeccable. Her van is very comfortable, and she will play traditional Ukrainian music if desired! She also took us to the Lviv archive and Golden Rose Synagogue nearby. And, she recommended delicious restaurants in Lviv and Ivano Frankivsk. Highly recommended.
Diana was my tour guide on two trips to western Ukraine, one a 3-day trek from Lviv to Ternopil, Vinnytsia, and Uman, and the other involving a full-day tour of Lviv. On both occasions, I found her highly professional, very responsive to my requests and concerns, extraordinarily knowledgeable, and an invaluable asset – which is why I literally jumped at the chance to use her services a second time.
Not only did Diana show me the major cultural and historical sites and provide in-depth explanations, she also revealed several obscure and inaccessible hidden gems of interest, which added tremendous value.
What’s more, she tirelessly assisted me in researching the family history of a friend (prior to and during my trips), and on short notice spearheaded project planning for a business seminar that I led, which resulted in great success primarily due to her efforts. Honestly, I would have been lost without her.
Diana’s outgoing personality, subtle sense of humor, and zest for life was constantly evident and made my tours that much more amazing. No doubt it will be a treat for anyone who has the good fortune of having Diana for a guide.
I strongly recommend her and urge you to secure her services at the earliest opportunity.
Diana was exceptional.
I needed a driver and translator to visit a village outside of Lviv to try and find my great aunt’s home who had passed away.
I went into the experience thinking I may not find much but came out of it, thanks to Diana, not only having visited the village itself but actually meeting many wonderful locals who knew my aunt and who shared their stories, then finding living relatives I had no idea existed and ultimately even had a lunch with the head of the village!
It was an amazing and truly life changing experience.
Diana is a great driver, great translator, and made everything go better than I could have ever imagined. I will definitely be reaching out to her in the future for her help with additional trips.
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