Univ

The Univ Holy Dormition Lavra is one of the oldest monasteries in Ukraine, the central abode of the Galician Diocese of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

The defense-type monastery was founded at the end of the 14th century by Prince Fedir Lyubartovych. Until the middle of the 15th century, the monastery was looked after by the princes of the Hedyminovych family. Subsequently, Univ passed into the hereditary possession of the Lahodovsky nobles.

In 1549, the Univ monastery was destroyed by the Tatars. After that, according to legend, the Virgin appeared in a dream to the noble Oleksandr Lahodovsky, who was seriously ill, and pointed to a healing spring near the ruined monastery, thanks to which the knight was cured. In gratitude, he built a defensive stone church of the Dormition of the Holy Virgin with a bell tower above the spring, as well as defensive walls with four corner towers. Outside, the fortress was surrounded by a moat with water and a high rampart. The preserved tombstone of Lahodovsky is one of the best examples of Western Ukrainian Renaissance sculpture.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, there was a printing house at the monastery that published old books.

After the region joined the Austrian Empire, the monastery was closed and rebuilt as the residence of the metropolitan. Monastic life was revived here by Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytskyi, handing over the monastery to the monks of the Studio Statute. In 1919, the monastery acquired the status of a Lavra.

After the decline during the Soviet persecution of Greek Catholics, the monastery was revived again. The main shrine is a copy of the Univ miracle-working icon of the Mother of God