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Armenian Cathedral of Lviv, Ukraine. Photo By Aschroet –

Top 10 Unknown Facts about the Armenian Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary

Armenian Cathedral of The Assumption of Mary is located in the North of Lviv market square in Ukraine. It has served as a cathedral of the Eparchy of Ukraine of the Armenian Apostolic Church since 2000. It was known as the Armenian Catholic Archdiocese of Lviv from the 17^th century until 1945.

The Armenians were first spotted in Ukraine during Kievan Rus and a majority of them settled in southeastern Ukraine in the 11^th century. This was after the fall of the Armenian Capital of Ani to Seljuks. Today, the Armenians of Ukraine make up the 5^th largest Armenian diaspora community in the world.

The Armenia Cathedral church is over 600 years old. It has been under renovation since 2009 under financial aid from the Foundation of Culture and Heritage of Polish Armenians and the Polish government.  

1. The Armenian Cathedral Began As A Small Church Modeled After The Largest Standing Building In Ani

Between 1363 to 1370, an Armenian Merchant from Caffa built a small catholic church named St. Miriam. The church was established as a mother of the orthodox church and mimicked the Ani Cathedral of the ancient Armenian Capital.

The Cathedral of Ani completed its construction in 1001/1010. It served as a religious and secular centre of Armenia. 

2. The Early Armenian Church Burnt Down In The Wildfire That Paradoxically Recreated Lviv

Armenian Cathedral in Lviv. Photo By Lestat (Jan Mehlich) –

In 1527, the St. Miriam church was burnt to the ground after a great fire broke out in Lviv. The wildfire that happened during the dry spring season left the city in ashes as most of the buildings were wooden structures. It was the worst fire recorded in Lviv’s history.

13 years after the fire, the government banned wooden construction. During the renovation, structures put up were entirely stone and incorporated renaissance elements in their facades. The new church was built in 1571.

3. It Was Remodeled By The Last Armenian Catholic Archbishop Of Lviv

Jozef Teodorowiz was a respected Archbishop in Lviv because of his social work and religious beliefs. He initiated the renovation of the Armenian Cathedral in 1908-1930. He commissioned the beautification of the Armenian Cathedral with wall paintings by Jan Henryk Rosen and ceiling mosaics by Jozef Mehoffer.

The Armenian bishop had his family in Poland but came to pursue his education studies at Chernivtsi University in Bukovina, Ukraine. He enrolled himself in the Roman Catholic Seminary in Lviv to strengthen his belief and in 1887 he became an archbishop.

He succeeded Izaak Mikolaj Isakowicz as Archbishop of Lviv after his death in 1901.

4. Armenian Cathedral Was The First Religious Building To Be Painted By Jan Henryk Rosen

Painting in the Armenian Cathedral of Lviv Photo By Aschroet –

Jan Henryk Rosen was a famous Polish artist of murals and mosaics. Aside from painting, he was a captain in the Polish army and served as a diplomat in Poland. Rosen’s father, Jan Rosen, was a well-known Polish historical and genre painter.

Rosen had his first major exhibition in 1921 after studying painting in Warsaw. Jozef Teodorowiz spotted his work in 1925 during another exhibition at Zacheta gallery in Warsaw. He was impressed by his paintings and asked him to do the murals inside the Cathedral.

The Armenian Cathedral was the first religious building that Rosen worked on. He completed his work in 1929. He, later on, painted Kahlenberg’s chapel of Saint Joseph near Vienna.

5. Armenian Cathedral Is Located In The ‘Spiritual Capital’ Of Ukraine

A Panorama of Lviv, Ukraine. Photo By Bo&Ko –

Lviv serves as the eparchial see for Catholic and apostolic churches in Ukraine. It is the headquarters of dioceses of the Armenian Apostolic Church and Armenian Catholic. After World War II, they stopped using the Armenian Catholic Archeparchy of Lviv even though Armenian Catholics still worship there.

6. One Of Its Administrators Was Murdered In The Soviet Gulag

The Armenian Cathedral was under the Armenian Catholic archdiocese of Lviv from the 17^th century until 1945. After World War II, Lviv became part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic after Poland lost its rights to the territory.

The USSR authorities utterly destroyed the Armenian Catholic Archdiocese and apprehended its last serving administrator, Rev. Dionizy Kajetanowicz after he refused to become an Orthodox Priest. In 1954, the Reverend was murdered by the Soviet government agency in charge of forced labor camps.

7. It Was A Form of Identity of The Armenians From The People of Poland

The Armenians maintained their distinct identity from the Polish through the Armenian Catholic Church. After the attack by the USSR, Armenian Catholics were forcefully evacuated to Poland. The Catholic archdiocese became vacant since then.

It became custody of the Eparchy of Ukraine 2000 but allowed the Armenian Catholics to use it for their religious services.

8. It Was Said That The Former Owners Of The Cathedral Were Not Invited During Its Re-Consecration

After the visit of Pope John Paul II, the Armenian Apostolic eparchy was established. The chief bishop and spiritual leader of Armenia’s National church and 3 other Armenian Apostolic bishops re- consecrated the Armenian Cathedral in a national ceremony in 2003.

The event left out the Polish Armenians and the clergymen from the Armenian Catholic church. The reasons are still unknown

9. The Icon Of St. Gregory The Illuminator At The Armenian Cathedral Is A Representation Of The Armenians Conversion From Paganism To Christianity

St. George The Illuminator. Photo By Aschroet –

Gregory was the first person to convert Armenia from paganism to Christianity. His father, Anak, was a Prince from the ruling Arsacid Dynasty. Anak was charged with assassination and this led Gregory to flee.

Gregory escaped execution with the help of his then caretakers. He became a Christian after he was put under the care of Father Phirmilianos. He returned to Armenia in c.285 hoping to convert the people into Christianity and make amends for the crime of his father.

He was welcomed with hostility. He was imprisoned for 12 years before he was released to restore sanity by spreading Christianity. George was given full rights to convert the entire Armenian nation.

10. The Statue of Jesus Christ In The Armenian Cathedral Was Taken Down For Safe Keeping

In May 2022, an image of the statue of Christ being moved from the Cathedral went viral on social media. The picture showed men lowering the statue through a wall. This generated a lot of concern since the last time the statue was taken down was World War II.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Lviv became the western capital after Kyiv came under attack. It was said that the statute would be put in a bunker for protection.

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