This 1971 Soviet postcard features a view of St. George’s Cathedral in Lviv, one of the city’s key Greek Catholic shrines.
What is shown on the postcard
The postcard captures a view of the Baroque St. George’s Cathedral from the south-east. The scene includes part of the two-story Metropolitan Palace with a hipped tiled roof, decorative gates with a balustrade and sculptural finishes. In the background, the main dome of the cathedral stands tall with its lantern and cross, alongside elements of the facade decor. The foreground is partially framed by green tree branches.
Historical note
The architectural ensemble of St. George’s Cathedral was erected in the 18th century on the hill of the same name. Construction based on the design of architect Bernard Meretyn began in 1744 and was completed in 1762, followed by decoration works supervised by Klemens Fesinger. During the Soviet period, starting in 1946 after the Synod of Lviv, the temple was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church, which operated it when this postcard was published in 1971.
Present day
In 1990, St. George’s Cathedral was returned to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and once again became its primary cathedral (prior to the transfer of the major archbishopric’s see to Kyiv in 2005). As part of Lviv’s historic center, the cathedral complex is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Today, it is open to worshipers and tourists as an outstanding monument of Ukrainian Baroque architecture.
Location (map)
Address: St. George’s Square, 5, Lviv, Ukraine
Coordinates: 49.835800, 24.013100
(Google Maps)
Coordinate source: Coordinates of St. George’s Cathedral in Lviv.
Questions and answers
- What building is partially visible in the foreground? Part of the two-story Metropolitan Palace with a tiled roof is visible in the foreground.
- Who owned the cathedral in 1971? In 1971, the cathedral was under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church, following its transfer in 1946.
- Who was the architect of the cathedral? The design of St. George’s Cathedral was created by the architect Bernard Meretyn in the 18th century.
See also
The «Old Postcards» archive includes other views of Lviv from 1971.
