Archcathedral Cathedral of St. George XVIII century

The Greek Catholic Archcathedral Cathedral of St. George – a majestic Rococo architectural ensemble of the XVIII century (it includes a cathedral, bell tower, metropolitan chambers and chapter houses) dominates the high hill above Lviv, perfectly combining with the urban landscape. Here is a miraculous icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary, dating from the seventeenth century. The Greek Catholic church is almost seven hundred years old and is made in the Baroque style.

The founder of St. George’s Cathedral in Lviv was Metropolitan Athanasius (Anthony) Sheptytsky, whose sarcophagus is now in the underground part of the cathedral – the crypt.

Passing through the gate, decorated with allegorical figures of the Roman and Greek churches, you come to a large courtyard of the temple. To the left rises the main facade of the cathedral with a powerful portal and figures of Saints Athanasius and Leo Sheptytsky – bishops. The attic above the portal is crowned by the sculptural group “Yuri Zmieborets”. This is a brilliant work of the artist Ioann Pinzel, the best example of Lviv sculpture of the XVIII century, which stands in line with the masterpieces of world sculpture.

Opposite the cathedral is the Palace of the Metropolitans, the palace apartments are richly decorated. On the other side of the church stands a bell tower, on which hangs the oldest bell in all of Ukraine. The inscription on it dates back to 1341 and testifies to the military troubles of ancient times. The east terrace of the temple courtyard offers a magnificent view of the city.

Since 1998, Mount St. George and St. George’s Cathedral have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.