Lviv St. George Cathedral

Lviv St George Cathedral is the main Greco-Catholic cathedral in Lviv, which is the historical capital of western Ukraine. This Greek Catholic Cathedral was constructed between 1744 and 1761 and is considered as the best example of Rococo architecture. The cathedral holds dominant position in Ukrainian culture and religion. The cathedral is located on the St George Mountain. In 19th and 20th century, this museum served as the mother church of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

St George Cathedral is a classic example of Baroque architecture. The architect of the cathedral was Bogdan Meretin. After him construction work was headed by C. Fesinger till 1764.The name of the owners of this cathedral has changed since the time of construction.

The Architecture of Lviv St George Cathedral reflects both the western culture as well as the tradition of Ukrainian churches. St George Cathedral houses an expressive statue of St. George the dragon-slayer created by Pinsel. He also created the stone images of St. Leo the pop and St. Athanasius. The most precious and beautiful relic of the cathedral is the wonder working Icon of the Virgin Mary. This special icon was brought to Lviv from Terebovlia in 1674. The interior of the cathedral is decorated with awesome style by a local talent of Lviv. At first the cathedral was the property of Uniate Basilian Order; in 1816 it was under Greek Catholic archbishop. In 1946 the temple was shifted to the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1990 the cathedral was again returned back to Ukrainian Greek Catholic Churches. There are chambers of Greek Catholic metropolitan, structured in 1722 by the architect C.Fesinger. Surrounding this chamber, there are capital houses built in the XIX century. In 1865, a bell tower and garden was built in the courtyard of the church.

Located on the St George hill, Lviv St George Cathedral was the easy and perfect target of destruction in the medieval period. It can be said that at least two versions of the St George Cathedral were established before the final construction of the church as it is seen today. The data reveals that the first church was constructed by wood but King Casimir III of Poland was responsible for its destruction. Reconstruction of the church was done with four column designs to ensure that the structure of the building was strong enough to protect itself from invaders.

The Renovation of Lviv St George Cathedral took place in the 1996 to maintain and protect the ethical beauty of the cathedral. Tourists from all over the world throng in huge numbers every year to enjoy this unique architectural beauty.