A City Of Churches

By Walter Kish

I have spent the last couple of weeks in Lviv and have had time to wander around the historic core a fair bit. What strikes me the most about this ancient city is the number of churches that grace this capital of western Ukraine.

You literally can’t go more than a couple of hundred yards anywhere in the centre of the city without running across a church of some kind.  What’s more, these are not your run-of-the mill ordinary neighbourhood churches – most of them are architectural wonders of awe-inspiring size and exhibit incredible ornamentation within their hallowed, ancient walls. 

Perhaps the most impressive is the Roman Catholic cathedral, better known as the Latin Cathedral, which is a stone’s throw from the verdant heart of the city, the Prospect Svoboda, as well as from the nearby Town Hall Square.  The Polish king Casimir the Great laid the cornerstone of this monumental structure in 1349 and, after several renovations and reconstructions, this imposing Gothic structure dominates the skyline of central Lviv.  Architectural purists will note both Renaissance and Baroque influences but, by whatever label, it is a magnificent structure.  Inside it is typical of most Roman Catholic cathedrals of its age, with sharp soaring arches, austere stone carvings and statues and numerous side chapels, nooks and crannies. 

In contrast, the Greek Catholic Cathedral of St. George is most definitely Byzantine and anything but austere.  There have been churches on St. George’s hill from the earliest times of Christianity in Ukraine, but the current structure is relatively recent, dating back to the 18th century.  Its Rococo interior is a feast for the eyes, with colourful icons and artistic treasures wherever one looks.  The church, its outbuildings and significant grounds are surrounded by a wall that testifies to the fact that defensive considerations were once also as important as ecclesiastical ones.  Buried in the cathedral tombs are the giants of Ukrainian Catholicism – Cardinal Lubachivskiy, Metropolitan Sheptytsky, and Patriarch Slipyj.

One of the smallest, but perhaps the most interesting of Lviv’s historic churches, is the Armenian Cathedral, whose origins go back to the mid-14th century.  By the 20th century, most of the city’s Armenian population had disappeared, and during Communist times the church fell into a sad state of disrepair. In the early nineties it was in danger of collapse, but recent renovations have brought it back to life. It was restored as a working church in 2001, though it is obvious that it has more tourists as visitors than parishioners by a good margin.

There are numerous other churches of note, many of them grand enough to rival the Roman and Greek Catholic cathedrals in both size and “wow” power.  One such example is the Jesuit church just off Prospect Svobody. One of the earliest examples of Baroque architecture in Lviv it was built between 1610 and 1630. It is a massive building, though to me it lacks the grace and artistry of other churches in Lviv. 

The Dominican Cathedral near the Arsenal is another church worth seeing.  It was constructed during the 18th century by the noted architect Jan de Witte in classical Baroque style, replacing a previous Gothic structure.  It is topped by a large elliptical cupola supported by eight internal paired columns.  Inside the church can be found 18 wooden statues of the leading figures of the Dominican order throughout history.  It has superb acoustics and is a popular venue for liturgical and choral performances.

The church that I visit most often when I am in Lviv, though, is the modest but interesting church of the former Benedictine monastery near the Stariy Rynok or Old Market.  The monastery was built in the late 16th century, and the church on its grounds, completed in 1627 in early Renaissance style, is a solid structure notable more for its historically well preserved exterior than the more modern recently renovated interior.  I am a frequent visitor because this former monastery now houses a cloister of Studite nuns, one of whom happens to be a favourite cousin of mine.  Within the walls of this church, monastery and surrounding grounds, I find a tranquility that is rare in this busy world of ours.