The Head of the UGCC: "The monument to Bishop Andrey in Lviv will impress the audience"

That was said by the Father and the Head of the UGCC His Beatitude Sviatoslav  in a video blog for "Zhyve.TV".  According to the Primate of the Church, during the life of Bishop Andrey Lviv was under the Polish rule, which prevented the construction of this monument. This happened despite of the fact that the sculpture itself was ready.

The sculptor of the monument, which was then set in the gardens of the Lviv Theological Seminary (Kopernyk Street), was a famous artist Andriy Koverko. "Metropolitan Andrey saw this monumental erection. Until now are even preserved interesting photos, on which there is the then rector of the seminary Fr. Josyf Slipyi with the Metropolitan and the seminarians on the background of this monument. With the advent of Soviet power, this monument was destroyed"- continued His Beatitude Sviatoslav.

During the time of the Ukrainian State the public of Lviv tried to restore and install the monument. Thus, for many years in Lviv there is a public committee of the erection of the Metropolitan’s Monument. There was a number of different hearings, the contest of projects of sculptures of the monument and the reconstruction of St. George’s Square.

"At the last Metropolitan Synod in Lviv, in November of this year, we supported one of these projects. The figure of the monument will be the sculpture by Andriy Koverko. This sculpture will impress the audience, because it is made in the European style of the 1930s"- said the Head of the Church.

At the statue the Metropolitan will be shown in a simple monastic cassock, belted by a leather belt. In his right hand he will keep the cross. With deeply bowed head with his left hand he will lean onto the stele. On the stele will be engraved the coat of arms of Sheptytskyi’s family. "We will see in front of us Moses, who instead of the rod, with which he divided the Red Sea, holds a cross that is his source of wisdom, which he puts into his heart. His bowed head shows us a sage - the father of his people, who leads them as modern Moses through a stormy sea of history. He firmly leans onto the rock - Ukrainian root of Sheptytskyi family, that at one time brought up metropolitans and bishops who built the Cathedral of St. George"- retold the idea of the monument His Beatitude Sviatoslav.

In addition, the installation of sculptures is associated with reconstruction of St. George’s Square. It is interesting that at one time this square was the largest in Lviv. The trade even took place there, and later the public garden was placed there. But to destroy this area through its heart was laid the road. "In order to reconstruct the original appearance of the area and keep the square on it, to set a monument to the Metropolitan in the square, the road will be transferred to the perimeter of the square near the buildings of "Lviv Polytechnic". Thus, the square will be reconstructed and in the heart of it will stand the monument", - He said.

As His Beatitude Sviatoslav told, to the regular session of the Synod, where these projects were considered, was invited Lviv mayor and the rector of the National University "Lviv Polytechnic", who pledged their support.

"I ask those who seek to help with the construction of this monument, join this. For it will crown various efforts, stages of historical development, as the square of St. George and the crowning memory of Moses of Ukrainian people", - said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.

UGCC Department of Information