St. George's Cathedral in Lviv, Ukraine
St George's Cathedral in Lviv, Ukraine is representing the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and is located on
St. George Hill, over-looking the city of Lviv. The baroque-rococo cathedral was constructed between 1744-1760 but
in the past it was a target for invaders and vandals and at least two versions of the St. George Cathedral were built
before the final construction.
The first church of St George's Cathedral was first constructed from wood around year 1280 and was destroyed by King
Casimir III of Poland in year 1340. The construction of present St George's Cathedral began in 1746 by Metropolitan
Athanasius Sheptytsky and was finished in 1762 when it became the heart of the Greek Catholic religion in the Ukraine.
After the World War II the St George's Cathedral hosted the Synod of Lviv and was forced to renounce the union with Rome.
The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church was enjoined with Russian Orthodox Church until August 12, 1990, when members of the
nationalistic People's Movement of Ukraine party occupied the St George's Cathedral. Two days later, the governing council
of the Lviv Oblast recognized the claim of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church of the St Georges Cathedral.
On the eve of 400th anniversary of the Union of Brest began the restoration of the St Georges Cathedral.
In the tombs of the St George's Cathedral are buried prominent figures of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church:
cardinal Sylvester Sembra-tovych, metropolitan Andrei Sheptyts'kyi, patriarchy Joseph Slipyi, metropolitan
Volodymyr Sterniuk and Myroslav-Ivan Cardinal Liubachivs'kyi.
