Vul. Virmenska, 7 – The Armenian Cathedral ID: 169

The monument is located within the old city center — a medieval walled city, on the territory of the Ensemble of the Historic Center, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Armenian Cathedral Ensemble features: the Cathedral itself, the bell tower, the palace of the Armenian archbishop, the Armenian bank, the monastery of the Armenian Benedictines, the memorial column of St. Christopher, and the Golgotha Altar. 

Story

The monument is located within the old city center — a medieval walled city, on the territory of the Ensemble of the Historic Center, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The architectural dominant of vul. Virmenska is a part of the Armenian Cathedral ensemble, which comprises several buildings. These include: the Armenian Cathedral, the bell tower, the palace of the Armenian archbishop, the Armenian bank, and the monastery of the Armenian Benedictine nuns. The ensemble also features the memorial column of St. Christopher (1726) in honor of Krzysztof Augustynowicz, head of the Armenian court and founder of the restoration of the shrine in 1723, and  the Golgotha Altar. 

There are three courtyards: the southern and northern (monastery) courtyards are paved with old Armenian tombstones, and the eastern courtyard (St. Christopher's) is paved with cobblestones. Baroque gates lead from the eastern courtyard to the southern and northern courtyards. From the eastern courtyard, a thoroughfare leads to vul. Lesi Ukrainky. The archway bears the date "1779" — the time of the restoration of the buildings after the fire of 1778.

The Armenian Cathedral was built between 1363 and 1527. The chronicle of its construction, which lasted more than a century, includes several main periods:

1356–1363 — construction of the oldest part of the temple according to the design by architect Doring (Dork or Dore), with the participation of Armenian craftsmen; 
15th century — erection of the side apses;
1437 — construction of the arcade galleries;
1630 — the central nave was built. Designed by architect  Wojciech (Albert) Kielar;
1671 — a sacristy was built on the site of the northern arcade;
1723–1726 — interior reconstruction;
1908 — a porch was added from ul. Krakowska ( today vul. Krakivska), designed by architect  Franciszek Mączyński;
1908–1920 and 1925 — restoration work was carried out;
1926–1929 — interior paintings by Jan Henryk de Rosen.

The cemetery features preserved khachkars (Armenian votive crosses) dating to the sixteenth—eighteenth centuries, as well as the eighteenth century wooden 'Golgotha' chapel; the gallery contains nineteenth century bas-reliefs.

The Armenian Cathedral, one of the oldest monuments in Lviv, was built in 1356–1363 and named the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Funded by Armenian merchants Jakub z Kafy and Fanos z Gajserajcu, the construction work was supervised by architect Doring (Dork or Dore). Taking the cathedral in Ani as a model, the architect constructed the building in the same way as Galician churches were built. It is a three-nave, four-pillar, cross-domed church of the Byzantine type.

During its existence, the cathedral has undergone many changes, additions, and reconstructions.

The first addition was an arcade in 1437, which has been preserved on the south side of the cathedral. Until the seventeenth century, the arcade surrounded it on three sides.

In 1630, the middle part of the church (nave) was completed, and in 1671, a sacristy was built on the site of the northern arcade.

Reconstruction work in 1723 gave the building a Baroque appearance. Previously exposed stone and brick walls with decorative carvings were plastered over.

In 1731, a sacristy was added to the north side. The last restoration, begun in 1908 according to a design by Franciszek Mączyński and continued in the 1920s, significantly changing the building. At that time, a room was added to the western façade from ul. Krakowska, and the interior was redecorated. The restoration work, interrupted by World War I, continued until the 1930s.

Architecture

The architectural monument is of national importance according to Resolution No. 970 of the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR dated August 24, 1963. Protection number 318/1.

The Armenian Cathedral is a brick, three-nave, four-pillar building with three semicircular apses and one dome. It is a twelve-sided drum topped with a tent roof at the intersection of the nave and transept. The building is constructed of broken stone faced with stone slabs. The roof was made of the same slabs, which is now covered with a tin. The dome, above which rises a twelve-sided drum, has ribs laid out of burnt clay pots.

The Armenian Cathedral consists of three parts built during different periods. The oldest is the altar part, which is actually a church erected in the 16th century, dating back to the 14th century. The central part was built in 1630 according to the design of architect Wojciech (Albert) Kielar. The newest part is the narthex, constructed on the west side according to a design by architect Franciszek Mączyński in 1908.

The oldest part of the cathedral is rectangular in plan, featuring three semicircular apses and is a four-pier, three-nave, cross-domed structure. A sacristy is attached to it from the north, and an open gallery with a rib vault from the south. The central part is also rectangular in plan, covered with wooden beams, featuring a choir loft in the western part. The western narthex, the newest part, is polygonal in plan.

The exterior of the church is decorated with stone carvings, especially the apse and the dome drum. The walls are smooth, pierced by windows framed with carved ornamentation.

The main dimensions of the building are: width 21.90 m, length — 51.70 m, height — 17.40 m.

The northern wall of the cathedral features two memorial plaques: Józef Żuliński (1841–1908) and Karol Mikuła (1819–1897).

The interior of the Armenian Church is richly decorated with mosaics and paintings on religious themes, as well as ornamental paintings based on motifs borrowed from old Armenian prints.

The oldest altar section stretches from the apse to the ambon. Small votive Armenian crosses, khachkars, dating from the fourteenth to fifteenth centuries, are carved in stone, marble, and alabaster on the arches and pillars of this section. The unique frescoes on the window frames of the south wall, executed in the Byzantine style, also date from this period.

The frescoes depict Christ within a heavenly mandorla, blessing the apostles flanking Him: St. John the Theologian with Prochorus and James of Compostela. At the latter's feet, a small kneeling figure of the donor (ktetor) is shown.

On one of the four pillars supporting the dome, two fifteenth-century frescoes have been preserved, under which is the tombstone of Krzysztof Augustynowicz's wife, Anna.

In 1912–1913, based on cartones by Józef Mehoffer (project of 1912), the dome of the cathedral was decorated with a modernist mosaic "Holy Trinity", and the arched niches of the vaults — with Venetian mosaics. The mosaic based on Józef Mehoffer's cartones was executed by the Gianese company from Venice. The concept of the Holy Trinity draws attention to a bold iconographic innovation. God the Father is depicted waist-up, with long gray hair, in a cloak studded with stars, holding the body of the tortured Christ, which is supported by angels. A golden triangle glows behind his head. A huge dove of the Holy Spirit is perched on his right shoulder. In the pendentives of the vault, the Holy Trinity is surrounded by archaic and oriental-style angels, also made in mosaic.

According to the design of Witold Mińkiewicz, a large altar, ambon, and semicircular balustrade were built in 1927–1929.

In this part of the cathedral, the Art Deco wall paintings by Polish artist Jan Henryk de Rosen, created in 1927–1929, deserve special attention. The first scene depicts the Adoration of the Shepherds of Bethlehem, the second, in the apse behind the high altar, depicts the Last Supper, and the third, to the right of the bishop's throne, depicts the Crucifixion of Christ.

In this part of the sanctuary, the tombstone of Patriarch Stephen V of Armenia (who died in 1551) remains embedded in the wall to the left of the sacristy door. This tombstone is the oldest example of Gothic carving in Lviv. The baptistery, built into the wall on the left side of the altar, also dates back to this period.

The central part is covered with a semicircular vault and has a richly decorated polychrome ceiling with carved coffers (early twentieth century). The walls of this part of the cathedral are covered with murals by Jan Henryk de Rosen, dominated by sacred motifs. These include the Funeral of St. Odilon (south wall of the nave), abbot of the Benedictines, patron saint of the dead. The image depicts ghosts participating in his own funeral.

The north wall of the nave depicts scenes from the Annunciation and the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, as well as scenes featuring St. Blaise, St. Dionysius, St. Pantocrator, St. Cyriacus, and St. Catherine. The south wall of the nave, in addition to the Funeral of St. Odilon, features depictions of St. George, St. Christopher, St. Idzy, Old Testament prophets, St. Eustace, St. Vitus, St. Erasmus, and a composition with scenes from the Old and New Testaments.

The three stained glass windows in the central part were also designed by Jan Henryk de Rosen in 1926. On both sides of the arch leading to the altar area are seventeenth-century icons: St. George the Enlightener of Armenia and the Blessed Virgin Mary with Child. The north wall of the transept vault features an epitaph with a bust of Armenian Archbishop Isakowicz I. Ya. (1824–1901).

The dome of the third, newest part of the cathedral is also decorated with Venetian mosaics designed in 1912 by Józef Mehoffer.

The fifteenth-century sculptural groups "The Belief of Thomas" and "St. Sophia with her daughters," embedded in the northern wall of the cathedral, are of considerable artistic value and probably originate from the ancient Armenian cemetery that was located in the courtyard of the cathedral. Armenian tombstones (khachkars, which date from the seventeenth to eighteenth centuries) from the same cemetery were also embedded in the walls of the cathedral during its restoration in 1927–1929. Similar tombstones can also be found in the courtyard near the church, on the site of the former cemetery of the Armenian Church.

People

Jan Henryk de Rosen — monumentalist artist, painter. Jan Henryk de Rosen worked on the cathedral's murals from 1925 to 1929.
Juliusz Wojciech Bełtowski — woodcarver, sculptor, craftsman of applied arts, painter, teacher.

Sources