The paper examines the Stations of the Cross installed in the public space of Lviv from the late 20th to the early 21st century in terms of their artistic features and iconography.

Abstract

The scientific novelty lies in this being the first study of Stations of the Cross in Lviv, wherein the artistic and iconographic features of the works were analyzed, the prototypes of the sanctuaries were identified, primary artistic trends were outlined, and a classification based on form and materials was proposed. All samples were collected and analyzed through empirical research using photographic documentation, visual observation, and description. Additionally, the paper employs methods such as iconographic, semantic, comparative, and cultural-historical analysis. The research covers the Stations of the Cross in the Brukhovychi Forest, on Mount Khomets, at 10 I. Lukasevych Street, 5 V. Symonenka Street, 28A Zahirnyi Street, in parks named after Pope John Paul II, the 700th Anniversary of Lviv, "Bodnarivka," and the "High Castle". It was established that the most widespread stations consist of wooden crosses and reproductions of works by authors such as Joseph Ritter von Fürich, Cesare Secchi, and Luigi Morgari. Research on the stations in the 700th Anniversary Park of Lviv suggests that these works likely replicate the mosaic cycle of the Italian company Demetz Art Studio, with their form mirroring the silhouette of the Novgorod Alexius Cross. The investigation of the "Pietà" station in the context of the Church of the Holy Virgin of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine at 40 Myshuhy Street revealed peculiarities of religious kitsch in Lviv, characterized by a blend of imitation of high Western European Catholic sculptural art and elements of Russian Orthodox architecture, including glossy onion-shaped domes. The analysis of two Stations of the Cross at the High Castle delineated two stylistic tendencies. Stations from 2005 imitate a naive style akin to folk carvings, while samples from 2010-2012 stylistically resemble Stations of the Cross in Lourdes, Stradch, Roshachi, Sambor, among others. Additionally, it was noted that its particularities include certain disproportions and unnatural poses, departing from traditional iconography by avoiding the depiction of negative characters. Research into the sacred space of the Royal Spring, where the Stations of the Cross are located, revealed signs of religious kitsch, namely semiotic and stylistic inconsistency, the presence of sanctuaries from various cults, imitation of high art, and low professional quality in most works.