Lviv Museum of the History of Religion is the only one of this profile in Ukraine and one of the few in the world. Founded 1973. Here, with the help of unique monuments, the worldview foundations of world religions, the history and activities of church organizations traditional for our lands are highlighted.

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The exposition of the museum is located in an architectural monument of national importance — the former Dominican monastery in Lviv, which was built in the 14th-18th centuries. Before the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, it was possible to get acquainted with the expositions devoted to the religions of the Ancient World, Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. Now the sights from them are securely hidden. Visitors can see the permanent and temporary exhibitions, visit the mysterious dungeons of the former Dominican monastery.

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Guests of the museum can enjoy the sounds of sacred music during concerts of organ and classical music, order sightseeing and thematic excursions, quests and master classes.

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Separately, there is an exhibition “Those who saved the world” at ul. Starohewayska, 36, is dedicated to the action of saving Jews by the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church during the Second World War.

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The history of the Podominican Church of the Body of God and the monastery in Lviv begins in 1377, when Vladislav Opolsky, “the master and grandfather of the Russian land”, presented to the monks three villages near Lviv — Krotoshyn, Zashkiv and Koscheev.

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From that period, the monastery courtyard, framed by a Gothic portico, has survived. And the temple itself with a parapet, with a shield with cones and with four chapels was dismantled in the middle of the 18th century. In its place stood a modern temple, whose architect is Jan de Witte. Now the premises of the temple are transferred to the Greek Catholic Church of the Holy Eucharist.

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As for the history of the monastery itself, an archive, a hospital, a library, a pharmacy functioned here. There was an arsenal, a prison for monks, a wing was completed, thanks to it a new courtyard was formed. They used a peat water tank, which began at the foot of the Lychakiv Mountains. The monastery maintained a secular school. It was headed by a bachelor's degree. In the book of expenses of the monastery, the expenses for performances of schoolchildren are recorded. One comedy was played in 1550 and the other in 1556. This is the oldest mention of theatrical performances in Lviv.

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The refectory of the monastery was thoroughly rebuilt in the 17th century, expanded and richly decorated with stucco with gilding and wall paintings. At the beginning of that century, about a hundred monks lived in the Lviv monastery.

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According to scientific researches of Lviv architects and historians, elements of the building that existed here before the monastery in the princely period of the 13th century have been preserved here. This is confirmed in the “Diary” of Martin Gruneveg (1562—after 1606), a Dominican monk who left us the oldest description of Lviv.

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The museum has five branches: the Chervonograd branch, located in the monument of national importance — Potocki Palace in the city. Chervonograd; Sokal branch “Man. Earth. Universe”; Museum-estate of the Antonychiv family in the village. Bortiatin; Museum “Staroskvaryava iconostasis of the XVI-XVIII centuries” in the village. Stara Skvaryava.

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The branch of the museum, Institute of Religious Studies, holds an international scientific conference “History of Religions in Ukraine”. The museum funds number more than six ten thousand monuments. The museum has a restoration workshop, library, publishing department.

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