Saint George's Cathedral, Lviv

Start at the bottom of the steps. Feel the slope under your feet as the hill rises away from the old town. Above you, a pale facade glows against the sky, warm cream and soft grey. Up there, against the clouds, a stone horseman lifts his lance. Listen for a moment. The noise of trams and traffic fades behind you, and the air feels cooler under the trees.

This is Saint George's Cathedral, known locally as Saint Yura. It stands on Saint George's Hill, a little west of the medieval centre. For centuries, this hill has been one of the most important places in Ukrainian religious life. The cathedral served for generations as the mother church of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. That is a church which follows Eastern, Byzantine-style worship, but which recognises the authority of the Pope in Rome.

The building you see is not the first church on this hill. Earlier churches stood here in the Middle Ages, first in wood and later in stone. The present cathedral rose in the eighteenth century, in the middle decades of the 1700s. Its design is usually credited to the architect Bernard Meretyn. After his death, the work was completed by another builder, Sebastian Fesinger. Together they created one of the finest late Baroque buildings in Ukraine.

So what does late Baroque mean here? Baroque is a European style that loves movement, drama and curving lines. In its final, lighter phase it softens into what people call Rococo, full of delicate ornament. Look at the facade as you climb. Notice how it seems to step forward and back, with columns, balustrades and urns. Nothing is flat. Everything is arranged to lead your eye upward, toward the roofline and the sky.

Now look up at the very top of the facade. There you will find Saint George on horseback, killing the dragon beneath him. This sculpture is the work of Johann Georg Pinsel, a sculptor active in this region in the eighteenth century. Very little is known about his life. He appears in the records, makes extraordinary figures for a few years, and then disappears. Today, art historians rank him among the great sculptors of his age.

Pinsel's figures are worth a slow look. His saints do not stand still. Their robes twist and flutter as if a strong wind is moving across the hill. On either side of the entrance stand two more figures, Saint Athanasius and Saint Leo, two early teachers of the church. Many visitors walk straight past them on their way inside. Pause instead, and look at the deep folds of the stone drapery.

When you step through the doors, your eyes need a moment to adjust. The interior is calmer than the facade, but rich in gold and colour. In front of you rises the iconostasis. That is the screen of painted icons that separates the altar from the main space in Eastern churches. Here, worship still follows the Byzantine rite. You may hear chanting rather than an organ, and smell beeswax candles and incense.

The twentieth century brought this cathedral some of its hardest years. Its most famous leader was Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky, who led the church for more than four decades. He lived in the palace beside the cathedral. During the Second World War, his household sheltered Jewish people, including children, from the Nazi occupation. Sheptytsky died in 1944, and he is buried in the crypt beneath your feet.

Then came Soviet rule. In 1946, the Soviet authorities forced the Greek Catholic Church to dissolve. Its property, including this cathedral, was handed to the Russian Orthodox Church. Greek Catholic believers did not disappear. For more than forty years, many of them prayed in secret, in private homes and in hidden services. Their priests and bishops faced arrest, prison and exile.

The cathedral returned to the Greek Catholic community in 1990, as the Soviet Union was coming apart. For many families in Lviv, that return was deeply emotional. Soon afterwards, the remains of Cardinal Josyf Slipyj came home too. He had spent many years in Soviet labour camps before being allowed to leave for Rome. He was buried here in the crypt, close to Sheptytsky, the man who had chosen him as successor.

Before you leave, walk around the grounds. The cathedral is part of a whole ensemble, with the palace of the metropolitans, other church buildings and a quiet garden. The terrace gives a view back toward the old town, with its towers and rooftops. Since 1998, this hill has been included in the historic centre of Lviv on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Locals often come here simply to sit and rest away from the crowds.

Listen also for the bells. The bell tower here holds a bell that is often described as one of the oldest in Ukraine, dating back to the fourteenth century. Whether you hear it or not depends on the hour and the day. But it is worth knowing that the sound carried across this hill long before the present cathedral was built. The stones changed. The ringing stayed.

Now turn back toward the facade one last time. Find Saint George again at the top, still caught in the same moment, lance down, dragon twisting. Around you, people may be lighting candles, crossing themselves, or just sitting on a bench in the sun. As you walk down the slope toward the city, look back once or twice. The horseman stays in view for a long way.