Wooden churches in Ukraine
Wooden church architecture in Ukraine dates from the beginning of Christianity in the area and comprises a set of unique styles and forms specific to many sub-regions of the country. As a form of vernacular culture, construction of the churches in specific styles is passed on to subsequent generations. The architectural styles vary from very simple to complicated, involving a highly skilled carpentry and exceptional artistry in wood-cutting.
Aside from tserkvas (Greek Catholic or Eastern Orthodox churches), there are quite a few kosciols (Latin Catholic churches) that are preserved in
General overview
Nearly 1,900 wooden churches have been identified in Ukraine as of the end of 2010[update].
Wooden churches of Central and Eastern Ukraine
The wooden church architecture of
Wooden churches of Western Ukraine
Relatively isolated peasant cultures in
Common to all the regions, in some way, are two techniques of roofing: opasannia, the structure supporting the roof formed from projecting logs from top corners of log walls and pidashshia, a style using opasannia supports, but extending the roofing far enough to form a continuous overhang of the roof around the church perimeter.
The Lviv Oblast alone has 999 churches that are registered monuments of architecture - 398 of which are of national importance - however only 16 of those thousand churches have fire-alarm systems.[3] During the post-Soviet era, the Lviv Oblast has already lost some 80 churches to fires.[3] In 2009 the government of the region granted approximately ₴2 million to finance restoration projects of the churches.[1]
Eight wooden churches in Western Ukraine are a part of the World Heritage Site of Wooden Tserkvas of the Carpathian Region in Poland and Ukraine.[4]
- Bukovina
The traditional Bukovinian church features a tall gabled roof, but often terminates in splayed roof over the polygonal sanctuary. The roofwork features opasannia and was covered in wooden shingles. The structure was usually built from logs but was often covered in clay and whitewashed, similar to Bukovinian-style homes.
- Lemko
- Hutsul
- Boyko
- Ternopil
Ternopil construction styles are considered[by whom?] a mix of Carpathian and Kyiv styles. Two styles prevail: Ternopil Nave Style and Ternopil Cruciform Style. The nave style used a long rectangular shape with gabled roofing on opposite ends with a small decorative onion dome, often not visible from inside the church. The cruciform style uses an equidistant cruciform pattern with a structural central onion dome, and gabled roofing over each cruciform section. While constructed in wood in villages, this style often used masonry in urban areas.
List of wooden churches in Ukraine
- Apşiţa (Voditsa in Ukrainian, Kisapsa in Hungarian)
- Apşa de Mijloc, Susani (Serednie Vodiane in Ukrainian, Középapsa in Hungarian)
- Apşa de Mijloc, Josani
- Apşa din Jos, Părău (Verkhnie Vodiane in Ukrainian, Alsóapsa in Hungarian)
- Danylovo (Dănileşti in Romanian, Husztsófalva in Hungarian)
- Dulovo (Duleni in Romanian, Dulfalva in Hungarian)
- Ganychi (Găneşti in Romanian, Gánya in Hungarian)
- Holy Trinity Church, Zhovkva
- Kobyletska Poliana(Poiana Cobilei in Romanian and Gyertyánliget in Hungarian)
- Kolodne (Darva in Romanian and Hungarian)
- Krainykovo (formerly Steblivka between 19120–1938 and 1945–1946, Mihálka in Hungarian, Crainiceni in Romanian)
- Neresnytsia (Nereşniţa in Romanian, Nyéresháza in Hungarian)
- Nyzhnie Selyshche (Săliştea de Jos in Romanian, Alsószelistye in Hungarian)
- Olexandrivka (Sândreni in Romanian, Sándorfalva in Hungarian)
- Ruska Pole I (Domneştii Mari in Romanian, Úrmező in Hungarian)
- Ruska Pole II
- Sokyrnytsia (Săclânţa in Romanian, Szeklencze in Hungarian)
- Steblivka (Duboşari in Romanian, Száldobos in Hungarian)
- Ternovo (Târnova in Romanian, Kökényes in Hungarian)
List of wooden churches in Zakarpattia Oblast
- Serednie Vodiane churches
- Verkhnie Vodiane church
- Danylovo church
- Kolodne church
- Krainykovo church
- Nyzhnie Selyshche church
- Oleksandrivka church
- Sokyrnytsia church
- Steblivka church
See also
- Carpathian Wooden Churches
- Wooden Tserkvas of Carpathian Region in Poland and Ukraine
- Wooden Churches of Southern Little Poland
- Wooden Churches of the Slovak Carpathians
- Wooden Churches of Maramureşin Romania
- Vernacular architecture of the Carpathians
- Stave church, wooden churches of Scandinavia
References
- ^ a b (in Ukrainian) Taras Batenko (parliamentarian of Lviv Region council): "The State's hands don't reach the churches". Vysokyi Zamok, Nov.19,2010.
- ^ Churches lost in Lviv Region
- ^ a b Guards for a temple
- ^ "Wooden Tserkvas of the Carpathian Region in Poland and Ukraine". UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
External links
Bibliography
- Rescuing the Hidden European Wooden Churches Heritage an International Methodology for Implementing a Database for Restoration Projects. Ukraine (Kharkiv State Technical University of Construction and Architecture) ... Actual Restoration and Preservation Problems of the Ukrainian Wooden Churches
- Rotoff, Basil. Monuments to Faith: Ukrainian Churches in Manitoba. University of Manitoba Press, 1990.
- Shcherbakivskyĭ, Danylo. Ukraïnsʹke mystetstvo/L'art de l'Ukraïne. Kyĭv : Praha : Ukraïnskyĭ hromadskyí vydavnychyĭ fond, 1913.