Carmelite Church, Baroque church in Old Town, Lviv, Ukraine

The Carmelite Church is a baroque building in Lviv's Old Town with two symmetrical towers and a tall central spire rising above the city roofline. Its brick walls support a three-part interior layout that has been in use for nearly 400 years.

Construction began in 1634 when the Barefoot Carmelites established a monastery here in the city. The building endured wars and conflicts that swept through the region during the following centuries.

The church is now a Ukrainian Greek Catholic parish under the patronage of Michael the Archangel, reconsecrated in 1991. A single-row iconostasis was built before the altar for the Eastern rite, and four side altars stand by the pillars. The former monastery garden, known as the Holy Garden Republic, was a hippie gathering place from 1968 until 1983.

The church is easy to reach from the nearby streets since it sits in a central part of the Old Town. Regular services take place throughout the week, and visitors should expect to encounter people at prayer during many hours of the day.

From 1968 the monastery garden became a gathering place for Lviv hippies, who declared their own "Holy Garden Republic" there. Members spread dissident literature, played rock music and formed a band, drawing visitors from across the Soviet Union. After streaking incidents and a march in memory of Jimi Hendrix, police cracked down and the republic ended in 1983.