UGCC to build a church with underground refectory and bomb shelter

Visualization of the winning project: a modern church with a tall wooden bell tower. Photo: Lviv City Council Press Service

On October 16, 2025, the Lviv City Council announced on its official website the results of the All-Ukrainian architectural competition for the design of the Church of the Nativity of Christ of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. The winning proposal came from the architectural studio Symmetry, whose project envisions a contemporary church with an underground refectory that can function as a shelter.

According to the city administration, the church design provides space for a Christmas nativity scene, and in the underground section – a refectory, sanitary facilities, and an elevator for people with limited mobility. The complex will also include a chapel, a bell tower, and a classroom, making the church not only a spiritual but also a community center for the district.

The architecture of the church combines motifs of Ukraine’s wooden sacred tradition with modern structural solutions and eco-technologies such as rainwater collection, natural soil filtration, and moisture-permeable surfaces.

The architectural competition was announced in July by the Lviv City Council together with the UGCC parish of All Saints of the Ukrainian People. Seventeen projects took part, and the jury selected three winners, highlighting the harmonious blend of modern architecture with spiritual meaning. However, the question of the construction budget and sources of funding for the new church remains open.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that in Ivano-Frankivsk, the Uniates and the OCU held a joint prayer service for the repose of Stepan Bandera.

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