The museum is dedicated to the history of world religions, including the history and activities of religious denominations in Ukraine. The Lviv Museum of the History of Religion is the only one of its kind in Ukraine and one of the few in the world.
It was founded in 1973. The museum exhibitions are located in the former Dominican monastery in Lviv, which was built in the 14th-18th centuries. Prior to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, there were exhibitions dedicated to the religions of the Ancient World, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism. Now, the objects from these exhibitions are securely hidden. During the war, visitors are invited to explore temporary exhibitions, the mysterious dungeons of the former Dominican monastery, thematic guided tours, quests, and masterclasses. Museum guests can also enjoy the sounds of religious music during organ and classical music concerts.
The first written mention of the Dominican monastery and the Church of Corpus Christi in Lviv dates back to 1377 when Vladyslaus II of Opole, the Prince of the Kingdom of Galicia-Volyn, funded three villages near Lviv for the monks: Krotoshyn, Zashkiv, and Koshcheiv. From that historical period, the monastery courtyard, framed by a portico, has been preserved.
The Gothic church was dismantled in the middle of the 18th century, and a modern church was built in its place by the architect Jan de Witte. It currently serves as the Greek Catholic Church of the Holy Eucharist.
Regarding the history of the monastery itself during the early modern period, it housed an archive, a hospital, a library, and a pharmacy. There was also an arsenal and a prison for monks. A second wing was completed, creating a new courtyard. Monks used a wooden aqueduct that began at the foot of the hills in the Lychakivskyi District of the city. The monastery also operated a school, headed by a bachelor. There is evidence of theatrical performances by schoolchildren, with one comedy being performed in 1550 and another in 1556. These are the earliest references to theater performances in Lviv.
The refectory of the monastery was thoroughly rebuilt in the 17th century, expanded, and richly decorated with stucco, gilding, and wall paintings. At the beginning of that century, approximately a hundred monks lived in the Lviv monastery.
According to the research conducted by Lviv architects and historians, elements of the building that existed here before the Gothic monastery have been preserved. It was built during the 13th century and may be associated with the ruling of Romanovych dynasty. This is also confirmed in the "Diary" of Martyn Gruneweg (1562–after 1606), a Dominican monk who wrote the oldest description of Lviv.
The museum has five branches: the Chervonohrad branch, located in the 18th-century Potocki Palace in the Town of Chervonohrad; the Sokal branch of “Human. Earth. Universe”; the Museum-manor house of the Antonych family in the Village of Bortiatyn; the Museum “Stara Skvaryava iconostasis of the XVI-XVIII centuries” in the Village of Stara Skvaryava.
One of the museum's branches, the Institute of Religious Studies, hosts the international scientific conference “History of Religions in Ukraine.”
The museum's collection comprises more than 60,000 objects, and it includes a restoration department, a library, and a publishing section.