The Armenian Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary (; ; ) in

Lviv Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...

, Ukraine is located in the city's

Old Town In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins. In some cases, newer developments on t ...

, north of the market square. Until 1945 it was the cathedral of the Armenian Catholic Archdiocese of Lviv. Since 2000 it has served as the

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

of the Armenian Diocese of Ukraine.

History

1363–1945

A small

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

church was built between 1363 and 1370, founded by an Armenian merchant from

Caffa Feodosia (, ''Feodosiia, Teodosiia''; , ''Feodosiya''), also called in English Theodosia (from ), is a city on the Crimean coast of the Black Sea. Feodosia serves as the administrative center of Feodosia Municipality, one of the regions into ...

. Established as the mother church of an

eparchy Eparchy ( ''eparchía'' "overlordship") is an Ecclesiology, ecclesiastical unit in Eastern Christianity that is equivalent to a diocese in Western Christianity. An eparchy is governed by an ''eparch'', who is a bishop. Depending on the administra ...

, it was modelled on the

Cathedral of Ani The Cathedral of Ani (, ''Anii mayr tačar''; ) is the largest standing building in Ani, the capital city of medieval Bagratid Armenia, located in present-day eastern Turkey, on the border with modern Armenia. Its construction was completed in t ...

, the ancient Armenian capital. In 1437, the cathedral was surrounded with an

arcade Arcade most often refers to: * Arcade game, a coin-operated video, pinball, electro-mechanical, redemption, etc., game ** Arcade video game, a coin-operated video game ** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade video game's hardware ** Arcad ...

gallery; the southern part is preserved, and the northern portion has been rebuilt into a

sacristy A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christianity, Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records. The sacristy is us ...

. In 1527, the cathedral was damaged by fire. A a new stone

bell tower A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell to ...

was erected in 1571. In 1630 the main

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

; it was extended when it was rebuilt in 1723. From the 17th century until 1945, the cathedral belonged to the

Armenian Catholic Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

archdiocese of Lviv, when bishop Mikołaj (Nicolas) Torosowicz in 1630 and his successor Vartan Hunanyan (1681) united the Armenian and Roman Catholic Churches, over a century before the official birth (1742) of the

Armenian Catholic Church The Armenian Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern Catholic particular church ''sui iuris'' of the Catholic Church. It accepts the papal supremacy, leadership of the bishop of Rome, and is therefore in full communion with ...

. The cathedral underwent a restoration between 1908 and 1927.

1945–present

Lviv was a city in the

Second Polish Republic The Second Polish Republic, at the time officially known as the Republic of Poland, was a country in Central and Eastern Europe that existed between 7 October 1918 and 6 October 1939. The state was established in the final stage of World War I ...

from 1920 until after the Second World War, when it was annexed by the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

. In 1945, the new Soviet authorities abolished the Armenian Catholic Archdiocese of Lviv, and arrested its administrator, Dionizy Kajetanowicz. Almost all the city's Polish Armenians were expelled to modern-day Poland. The cathedral was closed, and its building was used for storing plundered sacred art. Officially, the Armenian Catholic Archdiocese of Lviv still exists, but it has remained vacant since 1938. After the collapse of the Soviet Union,

families attempted to re-establish the parish. Armenians belonging to the

Armenian Apostolic Church The Armenian Apostolic Church () is the Autocephaly, autocephalous national church of Armenia. Part of Oriental Orthodoxy, it is one of the most ancient Christianity, Christian churches. The Armenian Apostolic Church, like the Armenian Catholic ...

who came to Lviv during the Soviet times also sought to acquire the cathedral. Shortly before the visit of

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

to Lviv, the local Ukrainian authorities granted the cathedral to the Armenian Apostolic Church, with the condition that the Armenian Catholic and Armenian Apostolic communities could both use it. An Armenian Apostolic eparchy was established in Lviv in 1997. On 18 May 2003, the cathedral was re-

consecrate Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects ( ...

d by the

Catholicos of All Armenians The Catholicos of All Armenians () is the chief bishop and spiritual leader of Armenia's national church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, and the worldwide Armenian diaspora. The Armenian Catholicos (plural Catholicoi) is also known as the Armenian ...

Karekin II Catholicos Garegin II (, also spelled Karekin; born 21 August 1951) is the Catholicos of All Armenians, the supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, since 1999. In 2013 he was unanimously elected the Oriental Orthodox head of the World Cou ...

and three other Armenian Apostolic bishops. Among the guests who attended the ceremony were the Speaker of the Armenian parliament Armen Khachatryan, former President of Ukraine

Leonid Kravchuk Leonid Makarovych Kravchuk (, ; 10 January 1934 – 10 May 2022) was a Ukrainian politician and the first president of Ukraine, serving from 5 December 1991 until 19 July 1994. In 1992, he signed the Lisbon Protocol, undertaking to give up Ukrai ...

, the president of the Union of Armenians in Ukraine, the French-Armenian singer

Charles Aznavour Charles Aznavour ( ; ; ; born Shahnur Vaghinak Aznavourian; 22 May 1924 – 1 October 2018) was a Armenians in France, French singer and songwriter of Armenian descent. Aznavour was known for his distinctive vibrato tenor voice: clear and ringi ...

with his son, Armenian actor

Armen Dzhigarkhanyan Armen Borisi Dzhigarkhanyan (3 October 193514 November 2020) was a Soviet Union, Soviet, Armenian, and Russian actor. Born and raised in Yerevan, Dzhigarkhanyan started acting in the academic and Russian theaters of the city, before moving to Mos ...

and the Armenian ambassador to Ukraine, Hrachya Silvanyan. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate was represented by bishop Augustin. The

Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) is a Major archiepiscopal church, major archiepiscopal ''sui iuris'' ("autonomous") Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern Catholic church that is based in Ukraine. As a particular church of the Cathol ...

was represented by Mikhail Dymyd. The head of the Religions State Agency Victor Bondarenko represented the Ukrainian government. Neither Polish Armenians nor any Armenian Catholic clergymen were invited. In 2009, the cathedral began a renovation process, fully financed by the Polish Ministry of Culture in cooperation with the Foundation of Culture and Heritage of Polish Armenians seated in

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

. The works are being conducted jointly by Polish and Ukrainian specialists.

Interior and surroundings

Just north of the cathedral lies a small convent of Armenian

Benedictines The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly Christian mysticism, contemplative Christian monasticism, monastic Religious order (Catholic), order of the Catholic Church for men and f ...

, and to the south, adjoining the bell tower, the palace of the Armenian archbishops, both built in the late 17th century. The present-day interior is largely the work of Jan Henryk Rosen and

Józef Mehoffer Józef Mehoffer (19 March 1869 – 8 July 1946) was a Polish painter and decorative artist, one of the leading artists of the Young Poland movement and one of the most revered Polish artists of his time. Life Mehoffer was born in Ropczyce ...

. The cathedral holds two wonder-working icons of St. Gregory the Illuminator and the

Mother of God ''Theotokos'' (Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are or (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations are "Mother of God" or "God-bearer ...

, brought in the 17th century from

Yazlovets Yazlovets (; ) is a village in Chortkiv Raion, Ternopil Oblast, Ukraine. It is a Roman Catholic pilgrimage centre of local significance. The village belongs to the hromada, Buchach urban hromada. It lies on the Vilchivchik river, a tributary of t ...

Notes

References

External links

Photo gallery of Armenian Cathedral of Lviv
from Viktor Prysyazhnyuk's website {{Navboxes , title=Articles and topics related to the Armenian Cathedral of Lviv , state=collapsed , list1= {{Lviv {{Armenian Churches {{Dioceses of the Armenian Apostolic Church {{Cathedrals of Ukraine, state=collapsed 14th-century churches in Ukraine Churches completed in 1571 Armenian Apostolic churches in Ukraine Cathedrals in Lviv Former Armenian Catholic churches Church buildings converted to a different denomination Armenian Apostolic cathedrals Oriental Orthodox cathedrals in Europe Dioceses established in the 14th century 1571 establishments in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth