The first brick church is the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
In Chernivtsi, the Roman Catholic Church became one of the first brick buildings in the city. The history of the church dates back to 1774, when Bukovyna became the part of the Habsburg monarchy. The temple was built as a part of the large project "Bukovyna" of the Austrian Empress Maria Theresa. Despite the support of the monarch, construction lasted as long as three decades. In 1814 the church was consecrated under the title of Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
The building was built in the so-called Teresian style with elements of classicism. The facade is completed with a pediment with a cross, in the upper part it is decorated with violets with a crucifix and a rose. The internal opening of the high-rise space goes to the full height of the nave and is reinforced by two arches in its front part. On the tower of the church you can see the clock, which was installed in 1907 and has been working for over a century without restoration. On the side wall of the temple there is another clock - a sundial, which for more than two centuries in sunny weather shows the Viennese time. This is the oldest clock of this type in Western Ukraine.
Original interiors of the XIX - first third of the XX century are preserved inside the temple. Carved sculptures and magnificent antique stained glass windows made by Krakow masters. It is noteworthy that, unlike other Catholic churches, this church has two thrones. One was for the archbishop, the other was installed for the emperor. And near the main altar of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross you can see the throne chairs crowned with tiaras and crowns, which have survived from the Austrian period.
Nowadays, services in the church are held in two languages - Polish and Ukrainian (and until recently, German). Polyphony and multilingualism in one of the oldest churches in the city confirms the symbol of Chernivtsi as a city-phenomenon of tolerance. The service in the church is accompanied by an organ designed by Jan Sliwinski.
In 2014, during the jubilee celebrations, the parish church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross was awarded the title of the Little Basilica. This is a great honor, which is justified by the history and activities of the shrine.
