Sts. Volodymyr and Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church | The Most Beautiful Places in Chicago with Geoffrey Baer

Sts. Volodymyr and Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church

Saints Volodymyr and Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church stands out in the West Town neighborhood with its shining gold dome. A colorful mosaic over its entrance illustrates the story of the Christianization of Ukraine. The church was designed in the Byzantine-Ukrainian style and was completed in 1973. The building is cruciform, meaning it is in the shape of a cross when viewed from above, and the design features arches and vaults in lieu of right angles. The layout of the church itself is symbolic: The western end represents the darkness of the unredeemed world, while the eastern end is filled with light. The altar faces east, too. The sanctuary is adorned with ornate details, including sacred images called icons. These icons are not mere paintings for decorations, but holy works of art that represent God, the saints, angels, and other religious figures and events. The altar has a hand-carved oak screen called an iconostasis, or a wall of icons, and other sacred paintings that typically separate the sanctuary from the nave, signifying the sanctity of the area surrounding the altar.