A virtual guide to the Ukrainian Village would be incomplete without giving mention to at least one of its magnificent churches. Located directly across the street from the Ukrainian National Museum, Saints Volodymyr & Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church was founded in 1969 by Josyf Slipyj and Yaroslav Gabro, the bishop of the Eparchy of Chicago. While Chicago has plenty of Catholic churches, STSVO was founded with the intention of providing Ukrainians in Chicago with a religious establishment where their practice could fully adhere to the traditions of the Ukrainian Church.
Considered to be a slice of Ukraine on American soil, construction on Saints Volodymyr & Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church was completed by 1973. With an iconic structure reminiscent of the Byzantine-Ukrainian style of the eleventh to the thirteenth century Ukraine, STSVO’s architecture intentionally avoids all possible angles in favor of rounded or circular design elements. The structure was designed by architect Yaroslav Korsunsky. Like other churches of this style, the altar faces the East. The artwork that is incorporated into the church's design is rich with religious symbolism and speaks to the extensive history of Christianity in Ukrainian culture.
