Ukrainian Diasporas in Canada and Italy help restore an old church in Lviv

Representatives of Ukrainian Diasporas in Canada and Italy joined the fundraising for the church renovation. Throughout five years, USD 60,000 was raised for the reconstruction of the temple. This was reported by the Ukrainian Diaspora's website 'Stozhary'.

The shingles of the church were to be replaced, the territory improved, and a new fence installed. The craftsmen from Kosivshchyna are carrying out the renovation.

Currently, the works on the conservation of the external covering of the Church are ongoing.

“We clean the wood from contamination, carry out antiseptic actions. Namely, we fight the tree-eating beetle and cover it with a special solution, which is modern, but water-based. It is non-toxic for labor and very efficient, it has been used more than once to remove the beetle, mold,” said Igor Kushniruk, the renovator.

The domes and crosses on the roof of the church were also renovated here. Since this temple is located on the territory of the Museum of Folk Architecture and Domestic Life, its employees also joined in the renovation of this important historical monument.

Director of the Museum of Folk Architecture and Domestic Life named after K. Sheptytsky, Roman Nazarovets said: “It was moved here in 1930 thanks to the efforts of the scholars Drahan and Sventsitsky. And this transfer was funded by Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky. There was no Museum at that point.”

All reconstruction work is planned to be completed by the end of September. The clergymen say that they plan to update the Church of Sts Volodymyr and Olga in the future.

Reference: Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky founded st. John's Studite Lavra of the UGCC in 1927. For the needs of the Lavra, he handed over to the Studite monks the property he had purchased specifically for this purpose, as well as the house, which was soon expanded and completed for monastic needs. According to the Metropolitan's plan, the primary mission of the monks was to be prayer and work. The latter was to teach young people, especially children, practical crafts, in particular, icon art.

For the monastery to fulfill its mission, there was a need for a monastic shrine. First, they wanted to build their own church. However, on the advice of the Director of the National Museum, Illarion Sventsitsky, and art critic Mikhaylo Drahan, Metropolitan Andrey decided in 1930 to move the Church of St Nicholas to the St. John's Lavra from the village of Kryvky in Turkiv Region, which was built in 1763. On July 7, 1931, it was consecrated in a new place, where it was given under cover of the Holy Wisdom of God.

Thus, this church became the central church of St. John's Lavra, as well as one of the favorite places in Lviv, where the Lviv youth and intellectuals gathered.