The monumental St. George's Cathedral in Lviv dates from the 18th century and was the main Greek Catholic church in Ukraine. The oldest church bell in Ukraine can be admired in the adjacent park.
St. George's Cathedral in the historic old town of Lviv was built between 1744 and 1760. From its hill, it majestically looks down on the picturesque historical capital of western Ukraine, whose old town, by the way, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Since the 13th century, St. George's Cathedral has been the third sacred building to be erected on St. George's Hill. Its magnificent appearance often made it the target of vandals and looters and so the cathedral has been destroyed and rebuilt several times. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the monumental St. George's Cathedral functioned as the main church of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic community. In August 2005, the main church was moved to Kiev, but St. George's Cathedral remains one of the most important sacred buildings in Ukraine.
During the Second World War, the Greek Catholics were persecuted by the Soviets and their leaders were taken prisoner. St. George's Cathedral became the Russian Orthodox "Saint Yuris Cathedral", the main church of the Lviv-Ternopil diocese. It was only in 1989 that the Greek Catholic community was recognised by the Soviets and they were able to reclaim their cathedral after occupying it in 1990.
The magnificent façade of the cathedral is designed in an impressive mix of Baroque and Rococo and also features elements of Western church architecture. The entrance gate is flanked by statues of Pope Leo I and Saint Anastasius. At the very top of the portal is an imposing equestrian statue of St George slaying the dragon. All these figures are masterpieces by the German sculptor Johann Georg Pinzel.
The interior of the Greek Catholic cathedral shines in late Baroque style. One of the church's greatest treasures is a miraculous icon of the Mother of God, which was brought to Lviv as a precious relic in 1674 by Bishop Iosyf Shumliansky of Terebovlya. The crypt contains the final resting places of several famous Ukain cardinals and bishops, as well as the two metropolitans Sheptyzky and Slipy, who fought for the enforcement of human rights during their lifetime.
In the small park behind St. George's Cathedral, a picturesque bell tower houses Ukraine 's oldest church bell from 1341.
For the 400th anniversary of the Church Union of Brest in 1996, St. George's Cathedral was generously renovated and thus represents a symbol of cohesion between the Greek Catholic and Roman Catholic Churches.
