Church of St. Olha and Elizabeth, Lviv
Encyclopedia
The Church of St. Olha and Elizabeth in Lviv
, Ukraine
is located between the city's main rail station
and the Old Town
. It was originally built as the Roman Catholic Church
of St. Elizabeth and today serves as the Greek Catholic Church
of Sts. Olha and Elizabeth.
The church was built by the Latin Archbishop of Lviv Saint Joseph Bilczewski in the years 1903-1911 as a parish church for the city's dynamically developing western suburb. It was designed by Polish architect Teodor Talowski
, in the neo-Gothic style, similar to that of the Votive Church
in Vienna
. St. Elisabeth's, placed on a hill which is the watershed of the Baltic
and Black Sea
, with its facade flanked by two tall towers and an 85 m belfry on the north side with imposing spires was envisioned as Lviv's first landmark to greet visitors arriving in the city by train.
In 1939 the church was damaged in a bombing raid but remained open until 1946. After the war, the building was used as warehouse and fell further into ruin, until it was returned to faithful with the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 1991 a Ukrainian Greek Catholic was established and the church was reconsecrated as the Greek Catholic church of Sts. Olha and Elizabeth.
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
is located between the city's main rail station
Lviv train station
The Main Train Station in Lviv, Ukraine, is one of the most notable pieces of Art Nouveau architecture in former Galicia. It was opened to the public in 1904, and celebrated its centennial anniversary March 26, 2004...
and the Old Town
Old Town (Lviv)
Lviv's Old Town is the historic centre of the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, in the Lviv Oblast , recognized as the State Historic-Architectural Sanctuary in 1975.-UNESCO:...
. It was originally built as the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
of St. Elizabeth and today serves as the Greek Catholic Church
Greek Catholic Church
The Greek Catholic Church consists of the Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine liturgical tradition and are thus in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, the Pope.-List of Greek Catholic Churches:...
of Sts. Olha and Elizabeth.
The church was built by the Latin Archbishop of Lviv Saint Joseph Bilczewski in the years 1903-1911 as a parish church for the city's dynamically developing western suburb. It was designed by Polish architect Teodor Talowski
Teodor Talowski
Teodor Marian Talowski was a Polish architect and painter. Because of his style, which combined late Historicism with Art Nouveau and Modernist influences, he has been described as "the Polish Gaudi"...
, in the neo-Gothic style, similar to that of the Votive Church
Votivkirche
The Votive Church in Vienna, Austria, is one of the most important neo-Gothic religious architectural sites in the world.- Origin :Located on Ringstraße in the Alsergrund district near the University of Vienna, the origin of the church derives from a knife-attack on Emperor Franz Joseph by...
in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. St. Elisabeth's, placed on a hill which is the watershed of the Baltic
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
and Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
, with its facade flanked by two tall towers and an 85 m belfry on the north side with imposing spires was envisioned as Lviv's first landmark to greet visitors arriving in the city by train.
In 1939 the church was damaged in a bombing raid but remained open until 1946. After the war, the building was used as warehouse and fell further into ruin, until it was returned to faithful with the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 1991 a Ukrainian Greek Catholic was established and the church was reconsecrated as the Greek Catholic church of Sts. Olha and Elizabeth.