Waręż near Lviv – A Time-Traveling Gem at the Edge of the European Union Recently, we visited Variazh, also known as Waręż in Polish, during our family history research trip. This quaint town lies right on the border between Ukraine and Poland. Unfortunately, the old road that once connected it to Poland is blocked by a locked border gate since 1951 when Waręż became part of the Soviet Union. However, there are plans to open a border crossing in the future, which could potentially reconnect the town to Poland and the European Union. One of the main attractions in Waręż is the ruins of the St. Mark Roman Catholic Church, dating back to the 17th century. After the town joined the Soviet Union, many valuable church items were moved to churches on the Polish side of the fence, leading to the permanent closure of St. Mark Church due to the declining Polish community. With time, the church fell into disrepair, and its roof collapsed in 1983. Despite this, the church still holds remarkable frescoes from the 19th century. However, please be careful when exploring the church as the building’s structure may be unstable. A captivating sight is the view of St. Mark Church from the Polish side of the border, with the locked gate in the foreground and the ruined church surrounded by houses in the background. This image symbolizes the town’s history and the influence of political borders on its cultural heritage.