Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Chernivtsi

One of the first stone buildings in Chernivtsi
In 1778, the construction of the church was completed, which became the prototype of the Church of the Cross of Honor. The church itself was wooden and located opposite the present church.
In 1787, the construction of a new church began, and the construction lasted 27 years. Due to design flaws, the tower fell twice.
In 1814, the construction work was completed. On July 29, 1814, the church was consecrated and named the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. For a long time the church was used as an observation post to detect fires.
In 1818, a clock was installed, which was eventually replaced with a newer one.

The functioning of the church

In 1910, there were more than 23,000 Catholics in Chernivtsi, but after World War II, when most Germans and Poles left Bukovyna, only 2,000 Catholics remained in the city. Today, the Ukrainian and Polish communities use the church. Holy Masses are held in Ukrainian and Polish. On July 19, 2014, the church was granted the title of a small basilica.

About the Basilica

The interiors are very beautiful, and the organ is excellent. From the street, the building has a rather small area, but when you go inside, the first thing that strikes you is the scale. Incredibly majestic walls decorated with numerous paintings and sculptures are an atmospheric, historical, and spiritual place. It is worth paying attention to the sundial.

Notes.

In the middle of the 19th century, the building had a domed roof, at the end it was spired, and then domed again. Until recently, there was only one basilica in Ukraine in the Catholic sense, the Archdiocesan Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lviv. On July 19, 2014, Pope Francis granted the status of a basilica to the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Chernivtsi.