Armenian Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin

In 2013, the 650th anniversary of the Armenian Cathedral of the Assumption of the Most Holy Virgin in Lviv is celebrated. The cathedral was built in 1363 by the architect Dorhi from Silesia at the expense of wealthy Armenian merchants and is one of the most interesting monuments of Armenian architecture in Ukraine. In the architecture of the cathedral, the features of the Romano-Gothic style are harmoniously combined with the rich traditions of Armenian temple construction.

Over time, the cathedral was repeatedly completed. In the XV century, an arcade in the spirit of the Renaissance was added to it, in the XVI century, according to the project of Pavel Krasovsky, a bell tower was erected. As a result, a unique architectural ensemble formed around the cathedral, uniting the Benedictine convent, an Armenian bank, the archbishops’ palace and the Armenian court building into a single space with the temple.

Modern interior decoration of the Armenian Cathedral was created during reconstruction in the early XX century. When painting the cathedral, the artist Jan Heinrich Rosen sought inspiration in traditional Armenian and Oriental ornaments. Of particular interest are the frescoes of his work “Crucifixion” and “Last Supper”.