Synergy of history and modernity – UCU consecrates renovated building on Sventsitskoho Street

The event began with prayer and the blessing of the renovated building, led by Metropolitan Borys Gudziak of Philadelphia, President of UCU. Priests blessed the premises, classrooms, and hallways of the academic building.

“It is very moving to be once again in this building, which has undergone so much rethinking, so much attention to people and creativity. On behalf of the senators and students, I want to thank the architects, builders, and all who contributed to the reconstruction and design of this house,” said Metropolitan Borys Gudziak to those gathered.

“Today we bless this building for the second time: the first blessing took place on October 10, 1996, and now – after its renovation. We have come a long way, and these changes became possible thanks to our friends – donors, partners, builders,” noted Volodymyr Turchynovskyy, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences.

The second floor of the renovated building has been named in honor of His Beatitude Myroslav-Ivan Cardinal Lubachivsky. It was at his initiative in 1993 that the process of restoring the Lviv Theological Academy, liquidated by Soviet authorities, began. After its restoration, Patriarch Lubachivsky made every effort to find appropriate premises for the institution. At his request, the city authorities sold the building at 17 Sventsitskoho Street to the academy.

His Beatitude Myroslav-Ivan Lubachivsky focused on nurturing the student body and addressing the academy’s administrative challenges. In 1998, the LTA received recognition from the Congregation for Catholic Education. Thus, its restoration became the first step toward founding Ukrainian Catholic University in 2002. To this day, UCU’s main academic building remains at 17 Sventsitskoho Street.

“His Beatitude Myroslav-Ivan was a humble man. A scholar who knew 15 languages, a specialist in scripture, a doctor of theology. He was deeply prayerful and returned to Ukraine as Head of the Church at the end of the Soviet period. It was a difficult time – awaiting the UGCC’s emergence from the underground. Through his character, prayer, and steadfastness, he helped channel all energy into fruitful ecclesial life. Father Iwan Dacko was Lubachivsky’s right hand, and together they prioritized restoring the Lviv Theological Academy with the goal of reviving Ukrainian Catholic University – transferring the university from Rome to Lviv. Without his love and personal commitment, the restoration would not have happened,” Metropolitan Gudziak recalled.

From now on, the second floor bears the name of Patriarch Myroslav-Ivan Lubachivsky and features a “Memory Niche” with documents about the restoration of the academy and the text of Lubachivsky’s address to students.

UCU Rector Taras Dobko thanked all who contributed to the renovation and explained the building’s purpose:

“Everything started with this building. The main ideas of the university matured here. This is where the first students of the LTA studied. Sventsitskoho is home to several faculties and institutes: the Institute of Church History, the Center for Foreign Languages, the Institute of Family and Married Life… Different generations and academic fields meet here. A university is about learning, teaching, and research. This building will undoubtedly remain the main academic building, with more than 1,100 students studying here – more than in any other building.”

Guests were given a tour of the revitalized building and told about its transformations. The architects’ main idea was to preserve historical continuity while making the premises modern, functional, and accessible. Given martial law and the continuation of the educational process, it took UCU and contractors three years to bring the project to life.

About the building

Work on the project of renovating the building was carried out with the involvement of professional institutions and experts, taking into account international experience. At every stage, detailed discussions were held with specialists, and decisions were adjusted in light of the opinions of expert commissions.

The main goal of the revitalization project of the UCU building at 17 I. Sventsitskoho Street was to make it open and functional, ensure barrier-free access, and restore its lost community functions. At the same time, the project was built on the synergy of respect for the historic building and architecture that meets the needs of the present.

As part of the revitalization, engineering networks were modernized, the building’s energy efficiency indicators were improved, and the ventilation system was upgraded.

Another important aspect was adapting the building to contemporary community and academic needs. Today, the renovated building meets standards of accessibility and inclusiveness: Convenient entrances were arranged and a modern elevator was installed so that all floors became accessible to people with limited mobility. Convenient navigation was provided, tactile markings in Braille were installed in the elevator, corridors, and entrances, as well as adapted restrooms, ramps, and parking spaces for people with disabilities.

In total, more than 1,200 m² of multifunctional space was added: classrooms, a conference hall, areas for study and recreation.

The classrooms became more spacious. In some rooms, large panoramic windows were installed, making these spaces much brighter. Comfortable meeting rooms with high-quality soundproofing were arranged.

Terrace in the inner courtyard of the Sventsitskoho building

The building now has cozy terraces and an inner courtyard, accessible from the cafeteria located on the first floor.

Classrooms, corridors, and offices are decorated with works of contemporary Ukrainian artists, creating a special atmosphere and inspiring the creation of beauty.

Donors

During the celebration on September 1, a memorial room was also blessed in honor of Thomas Bocon, a parishioner of St. John the Baptist Church in Syracuse (USA), a good friend of the Gudziak family and a benefactor of UCU.

Thomas Bocon was a chemistry teacher in schools of the Syracuse area, a member of the church choir and the community of St. John the Baptist Church. He was actively involved in the life of the Ukrainian community and the Ukrainian Congress Committee and sang in the SURMA men’s choir. Mr. Bocon had supported UCU since 1998 and during his lifetime donated more than $ 187,000 to UCU’s foundation in the USA. According to his wishes, his daughter, Oksana Fanok, who inherited his estate after his death in 2022, donated more than $ 127,000 in memory of her father to support Ukrainian Catholic University.

The project for the renovation of the UCU building on Sventsitskoho Street was realized thanks to the support of benefactors from the Renovabis Foundation and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cologne.

The revitalization of the Sventsitskoho building became possible thanks to joint efforts and partnership – construction companies, architects, engineers. The architectural and engineering company abmk, ATO-Bel Architects, the Halytska Construction Guild, and a number of other companies joined the work. As a sign of gratitude for their cooperation, UCU Rector Taras Dobko presented the partners with gift certificates for participation in a Soft Skills Marathon module from the UCU Business School.

“Our task was not to destroy, but to complement,” shared Petro Pidsadniuk, head of abmk. “It is gratifying that the result turned out well. This was a long project that went through iterations, but in the end we obtained a very fine building that symbolizes the synergy of tradition and modernity. Based on world examples of architecture, we proposed adding glass structures that complemented the historic volume, added interest to the architecture, and increased usable space by a third. We gained a large cafeteria, a café, additional large classrooms, and a conference hall, which had been lacking here.”

During the celebration, gratitude was also expressed to the artists who were generous with gifts and helped to fill the building’s space with works of art, and who personally contributed to the decoration, aesthetics, and design:

• Oleksiy Chekal — calligraphic art, development of fonts for recognized university phrases and their realization on the walls of the building
• Oksana Andrushchenko — author’s work “Weightiness” (painting on glass)
• Mykola Andrushchenko — painting “Return” (canvas, oil)
• Petro Sypnyak — paintings and a temporary exhibition
• Lidiya Volianska — painting by Ihor Prokofiev “Donetsk Airport. Prokofiev” (2015)
• Yaroslav Motyka — collection of 15 vytynanky (traditional papercuts)
• Mykola Movchan — monumental work “George the Dragon-Slayer”
• Ihor Hryniv — graphic work by Oleksa Novakivskyi “Christ. The Open Heart.”

“While painting the walls, through the form of the letters and graphics and structure, I combined elements of the Cyrillic tradition and the experience of monumental inscriptions in European churches. The script creates the atmosphere of the space. Sometimes a person doesn’t see this, but they feel it. I understood that bold enough calligraphic solutions were needed here, but without delving too much into history. Instead, it was necessary to support contemporary art, which decorates the walls of the building, and the very approach of an open modern space,” said Oleksiy Chekal about his work.

What is located in the renovated building?

The heart of the building remains the Chapel of the Presentation of the Lord, symbolizing the encounter of the person with God — an encounter that transforms a person. The chapel was painted by artist Ivanka Krypyakevych-Dymyd.

Currently, in the UCU building on I. Sventsitskoho Street, the programs of the Faculty of Health Sciences are operating — psychology, social work, physical therapy. In particular, a preclinical practice room has been equipped for student training with modern rehabilitation equipment and an adapted kitchen.

On the third and fourth floors, the Faculty of Social Sciences is located, including the bachelor’s programs Ethics-Politics-Economics, Sociology, as well as master’s programs.

The newly established UCU Law Faculty and the Legal Clinic will also be based here.

Also operating in the Sventsitskoho building are the International Institute of Ethics and Contemporary Issues, the Institute of Religion and Society, the School of Public Administration, the Institute of Leadership and Management, the Religious Information Service of Ukraine, the Institute of Mental Health, the Institute of Family and Married Life, the Child Dignity Center, UCU Online, the Center for Learning and Teaching Development, the Center for Modern Foreign Languages, the School of Ukrainian Language and Culture, and the School of Integral Human Development.

In the future, provided there is donor support, UCU also plans restoration of the building’s facades and roof and adjacent areas from the side of Mushaka Street, as well as the repair of the neglected stairs leading to Stusa Street.

Addendum

The building on I. Sventsitskoho Street was constructed according to the design of Lviv architect Vladyslav Derdatsky. In 1924–1926, it functioned as King Casimir the Great Gymnasium #8, and in the Soviet period as Secondary School No. 14. In mid-1996, the Lviv Theological Academy (now Ukrainian Catholic University) purchased the school building, which was in an unsafe condition, and restored it entirely with UCU’s own funds.

Over the past 20 years, Ukrainian Catholic University has gradually restored and improved the building on I. Sventsitskoho Street in several stages. During this time, the roof was completely reconstructed and the tiles replaced with ones as close as possible to the historical original; ruined flooring was replaced; the facades and cornices were restored; the interiors were renovated, along with sidewalks along the main façade on Yuriya Mushaka Street, vertical communications, and more.

On September 14, 2021, the Department for the Protection of Historical Environment (DPHE) of the Lviv City Council issued a conclusion and recommendations for the pre-project proposal for the restoration and adaptation of the academic building on Ilariona Sventsitskoho Street.

After restoration and engineering studies and project adjustments with consideration of DPHE’s opinions and work with European consultants, on January 18, 2023, the Lviv Region State Administration approved the revised project documentation.

On March 15, 2023, UCU received a permit for construction work from the State Inspectorate of Architecture and Urban Planning of Ukraine.

During the development of the building’s restoration project, the team designed energy-efficient solutions with environmental concerns in mind. In particular, as part of the project, construction of a new thermal unit for the boiler house was realized, which will operate using a combination of efficient condensing gas boilers and heat pumps. This is not only a modern and efficient method of heating and cooling, but also significantly reduces local emissions and dependence on fossil fuels.