St. George's Ukrainian Catholic Church

Description of the Historic Place

St. George’s Ukrainian Catholic Church is a red and brown brick domed structure built in the Byzantine architectural style. It was constructed in 1939, and is located in the Pleasant Hill neighbourhood.

This historic place, located at 214 Avenue M South, is listed under Bylaw No. 6770 (Holding Bylaw). This Bylaw provides short-term protection of the building from demolition by providing for a 60 day holding period in the event a demolition permit is received. Within that 60 day period heritage designation is considered by City Council.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of St. George’s Ukrainian Catholic Church lies in its architecture. The church was designed in the Byzantine style; a style known for its rich use of ornamental domes, colorful mosaics, and lavish decorations. The church features a four-column, cruciform, byzantine domed basilica with north, south and east apses and seven domes. It is composed of red brick on a high concrete basement. The central area of the church is dominated by a large octagonal dome, which is reinforced by the arcades of the vaulted ceilings and is supported by four massive octagonal columns. Each side of the octagonal drums supporting the dome has two arched windows that collectively illuminate the dome. The building was designed by Reverand Phillip Ruh O.M.I.

The icons and artistic decoration of the church's interior was completed, between the period of 1950 and 1955, by the late Theodore Baran, a member of the parish; and the Iconostasis was added in 1991. The ornamentation in carat-gold leaf and oils reflect the rich Byzantine tradition of religious art.  The walls of the nave are dominated by murals, while decorative borders and symbolic medallions in oil surround the paintings and ornament the choir loft, the vestibule and the areas around the windows.

The heritage value of St. George’s Ukrainian Catholic Church also resides in its value as a religious and cultural landmark in Saskatoon. In 1910 the first Ukrainian settlers began arriving in Saskatoon and its outlying areas. The first Ukrainian Catholic church, a small wooden structure that had served the Roman Catholic parish of St. Paul on 22nd Street East and Spadina Crescent in Saskatoon, was purchased in 1917. Although construction began at St. George's Ukrainian Catholic Church in 1939, it was not completed until 1943.  The actual construction was done by the parishioners under the direction of foreman, Michael Yanchynsky.  Its estimated cost of construction was $18,000.  The church's basement was finished for recreational and educational purposes in 1948. St. George's Ukrainian Catholic Church became a Cathedral in 1951 when the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saskatoon was formed.  St. George's Ukrainian Catholic Church continues to add aesthetic appeal to the surrounding neighbourhood.

Source: City of Saskatoon Built Heritage Database

Character Defining Elements

Key elements which contribute to the heritage value of this historic resource include:

• Its Byzantine style of architecture, evident in: its symmetrical central-plan; its four-column, cruciform, byzantine domed basilica with north, south and east apses and seven domes; octagonal dome; vaulted ceilings and octagonal columns; and its carat-gold leaf and oil ornamentation;
• Its brick façade and arched windows;
• Those elements that reflect its use as an Ukrainian Catholic place of worship, including its Iconostasis, nave with wall murals, its decorative borders and symbolic medallions; and
• Those elements that speak to its status as a neighbourhood landmark, including its orientation on its original lot.