In 1867, the Polish Sokół (Falcon) gymnastic society was founded in Lviv. In 1892, the Sokółs (Falcons) held their first mass event on the occasion of their 25th anniversary, which was attended by guests from Czechia and made a huge impression on Ukrainians. In 1894, the second rally took place, with 1,500 participants, and from that time on regular, purely Sokół's celebrations were held.
The 1907 rally was not an ordinary event in the province — it was an anniversary. That is why it lasted three days, one day longer than usual, with a larger number of participants involved.
Brochure published to mark Sokół's 40th anniversary
Preparation for the event and arrival of participants
The participants arrived in Lviv on Friday, June 28, 1907, and in the morning on Saturday. The windows of the buildings near the main railway station were decorated with special stickers, and the balconies had small flags on them. Delegates from the province were greeted with music and then solemnly escorted along the alley from the station to ul. Gródecka (now vul. Horodotska). It was the same at the Pidzamche station.
According to the Polish press, the arrival of the Sokółs from Krakow and guests from Hungary, as well as "peasants", caused particular joy. Probably, the point here was to deprive the Ukrainians of their main trump card and to show that the "province" (i.e. the village), and not just cities and towns, are also inhabited by the Poles. So these Poles, in uniforms and divided into separate units, like a "quasi army", arrived in Lviv, where the Poles of the city greeted them with the traditional Sokół greeting: "czołem." After that, the guests were accommodated in schools, societies, and private homes, and on Friday evening they relaxed in the City Theatre, at the Strzelnica, and in coffee houses.
Gymnastic exercises and a march through the city
In the early morning of Saturday, 29 June 1907, rehearsals for gymnastic performances began at the stadium on ul. Łyczakowska (now vul. Lychakivska). At 10 a.m., the celebration started with a speech by the head of the Sokół, Kazimierz Czarnik. He spoke, among other things, about the difficult situation of the Polish gymnastics movement in Russia and Germany; in other words, the role of Galicia as the "freest part of Poland" was once again articulated. At 11:30 a.m., a field mass was celebrated with the participation of Bishop Władysław Bandurski, the Sokół choir sang "Boże coś Polskę", and a parade in front of the Sokół flag followed.
Although the entrance to the stadium was not free of charge, there were not enough seats for all ticket holders, so spectators were forced to either stand or sit on the grass.
From the stadium, the Sokół members marched down ul. Łyczakowska and ul. Czarnieckiego, through pl. Bernardyński and pl. Galicki, ul. Kilińskiego and ul. Karola Ludwika to the Mickiewicz monument. Here, the parade was held again, this time in front of "representatives of the city and the province", with the president of Lviv and the marshal at the head.
The press described the march as a triumphant procession amidst flowers and cheers. This is in stark contrast to the description of the Ukrainian demonstration held in 1911. The cavalrymen ("national cavalry") with the white eagle, as well as the "Sokół veterans", children, volunteer firefighters, guests from Poznań and Silesia, and village departments, were met with particular enthusiasm. Again, in contrast to the description of Ukrainians, Polish peasants were not criticized for the lack of uniforms; on the contrary, "rural costumes with Sokół hats" seemed to add to their charm. In general, the demonstration stretched along the entire ul. Łyczakowska, with several bands traditionally marching in the column.
Consecration of the expanded main building of the Mother-Sokół
At 12 p.m., the consecration of the new main building of the Mother-Sokół, which was then extended towards ul. Sokoła (now vul. Kovzhuna), began. Although the building remained unfinished, an altar and a platform were installed, where the "seniors" with the standards of local Sokół organizations, clergy, and the elite of the city and province gathered. The series of speeches began with Archbishop Józef Bilczewski. Next, Kazimierz Czarnik spoke about the important qualitative transition of the national movement from the traditions of the uprisings of 1831, 1848 and 1863 to organic labour, which resulted in the Sokół movement. The Provincial Marshal, Stanisław Badeni, and the President of Lviv, Stanisław Ciuchciński, spoke about their support, the traditions of the city, the traditions of loyalty to the fatherland, and the fact that Sokół could not develop as well in other parts of Poland as it does in Galicia. Guests from Krakow and Hungary also spoke.
Unfinished extension to the main building of the Sokół, from the present-day Kovzhuna Street
t 5 p.m., the stadium hosted the main program: gymnastic exercises with 1200 athletes participating, a performance by the women's team, and a performance by the "only cavalry unit in Poland." There were reports of 30,000 spectators and many flags of the "Sokółs' nests of the province" and white and red flags, with no mention of other flags at the stadium though. In the decoration of the houses, national white and red flags were mostly used, less often those "in the city colors, "and there were no mentions of the imperial or provincial flags at all.
In the evening, guests were entertained in the City Theatre (from 10:30 p.m. till 1 a.m.) and at a party in the city hall that lasted until the morning.
The second day of the celebration
Sunday, 30 June 1907, began with rehearsals at the stadium. At 8 a.m., there was a gathering at the cross in honour of the 1863 rebels at the Lychakivsky Cemetery: this was the way the organizers emphasized the continuity of history, and it was obvious that this continuity was not about gymnastics or sports.
At 9 a.m., the cornerstone of the building for Sokół-II on ul. Szeptyckich (now vul. Fedkovycha 30-32) was consecrated. The ceremony was conducted by Armenian Archbishop Józef Teodorowicz and was attended by the Sejm Marshal, Stanisław Badeni, the city's president Stanisław Ciuchciński, participants of the 1863 uprising, and members of patriotic societies and organizations. After a series of speeches, the signing of the foundation deed and the actual consecration of the future building, the deed was put into a capsule, which was then embedded in the foundation.
At 5 p.m., performances began at the stadium. There were even more people than on the previous day, there were reports of more than 30,000 spectators. The only drawback was that the cavalry performance was late in the program, and it was difficult to appreciate it at dusk.
In the evening, the City Theatre again hosted a festive concert, and a meeting for Sokół members was held in the post-exhibition area.
On Monday evening, 1 July 1907, another performance took place at the stadium. This time, as it was a working day, the total number of spectators was smaller. However, there were relatively many schoolchildren because it was a vacation season. In addition to the Sokół members, there were also members of Lviv's Physical Activities Society (pol. Towarzystwo Zabaw Ruchowych). At 8 p.m., a party was held in the Sokół premises.
Interestingly, on the eve of the events described above, a well-known scientist and sobriety advocate, Professor Benedykt Dybowski, called for a ban on alcohol consumption during the Sokół gathering. In his opinion, this could be the beginning of a new era in the history of Polish societies and would allow them to earn gratitude from posterity. The Polish Sokół would definitely have taken the lead among the "Sokółs" of other Slavic nations. However, it did not work out, as the initiative remained just a proposal.
