Greek Catholic Co-Cathedral of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Zagreb

The two-story, three-winged complex that houses the Greek Catholic seminary was originally built between 1768 and 1774, thanks to funding from Empress Maria Theresa. Within the seminary, there was a chapel dedicated to Saint Basil the Great.

In 1880, a major earthquake struck Zagreb, significantly damaging the seminary’s Saint Basil the Great church. However, religious services continued to be held there.

For a time, Roman Rite Masses were also held here, as the Upper Town churches of St. Mark and St. Catherine were unusable after the earthquake. The then-Bishop of Križevci, Đuro Smičiklas, decided to build a new parish church in place of the seminary chapel.

His successor, Bishop Ilija Hranilović, carried out this decision a few years later, commissioning Viennese architect Hermann Bollé to design the new parish church on the site of the Saint Basil chapel.

Following the 1880 earthquake, the new single-nave church with a semi-circular sanctuary, dedicated to the Slavic apostles Saints Cyril and Methodius, was built between 1885 and 1886. The complex is notable for its layered history, well-preserved original state, high architectural and artistic quality, and cultural-historical significance.

Inside the church, you’ll find valuable paintings by Ivan Tišov. The icons on the iconostasis were created by E. A. Bučevski and Professor Nikola Mašić. The church’s 50-meter-high bell tower houses three bells: the largest, weighing 782 kg, is dedicated to Saints Cyril and Methodius; the middle one, weighing 395 kg, is dedicated to the Holy Mother of God; and the smallest, weighing 230 kg, is dedicated to Saint Basil. The church also possesses a precious tetrapod cross, a ciborium, two shrouds, and an artistically crafted set of ripida with a cross.