Wooden churches in Ukraine - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Wooden church architecture in Ukraine dates from the beginning of Christianity 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 architecture style of them vary from very simple to complicated involving a high degree of carpentry and wood-cutting artistry. Aside of tserkvas (Eastern Orthodox churches) there are quite of few kosciols (Latin Catholic churches) that are preserved in the West Ukraine and some of them are active.

General overview

At the end of 2010 in Ukraine were accounted for some 1900 wooden temples. When Ukrainians emigrated to the new world in the late 19th century, many used these forms but adapted their construction to new materials and new environmental conditions (see e.g. the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Chicago, Illinois). Currently the situation in preservation of these unique churches in Ukraine is very difficult as according to the director of Lviv Art Gallery Borys Voznytsky in the West Ukraine in Soviet times were burnt down less churches than in the post-Soviet period.

Wooden Churches of Central and Eastern Ukraine

Wooden church architecture of Central and Eastern Ukraine finds its roots through the first millennium of Christianity in Ukraine, from the time of Vladimir the Great in Kiev

Kiev

Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....

. While masonry churches prevailed in urban areas, wooden church architecture continued primarily in Ukrainian villages of central and eastern Ukraine. Unlike western Ukraine, there is no clear separation of style based on region. Central Ukrainian churches are similar to the multi-chamber masonry churches of Kievan Rus'

Kievan Rus'

Kievan Rus was a medieval polity in Eastern Europe, from the late 9th to the mid 13th century, when it disintegrated under the pressure of the Mongol invasion of 1237–1240....

, but instead constructed in wood. Both framed construction and nail-less styles are present, as well.

Wooden Churches of Western Ukraine

Relatively isolated peasant cultures in western and Transcarpathian Ukraine were able to maintain construction into the early 20th century in wooden styles. Many ethnographic regions maintained specific styles of architecture owing to cultural, environmental and historical differences. 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. Only in Lviv Region there are 999 churches that are registered monuments of architecture, 398 of which are of national importance, however only 16 of those thousand churches have fire-signalization. In post Soviet period Lviv Region has already lost some 80 churches to fires. In 2009 the government of the region granted around 2 million hryvnias

Ukrainian hryvnia

The hryvnia, sometimes hryvnya or grivna ; sign: ₴, code: , has been the national currency of Ukraine since September 2, 1996. The hryvnia is subdivided into 100 kopiyok. In medieval times, it was a currency of Kievan Rus'....

to finance restoration projects of the churches.
Bukovina
The traditional Bukovinian

Bukovina

Bukovina is a historical region on the northern slopes of the northeastern Carpathian Mountains and the adjoining plains.-Name:The name Bukovina came into official use in 1775 with the region's annexation from the Principality of Moldavia to the possessions of the Habsburg Monarchy, which became...

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
Lemko churches most often used a three section church with very tall gabled roofs and a tower over each section with the tower over the entrance being the tallest. Topping each tower is a spire, bearing resemblance to Gothic spires, albeit constructed in Ukrainian style.
Hutsul
Hutsul churches most often were 5 section cruciform churches, using spruce logs to form walls with opasannia type arcades. The central dome is formed in an octahedral shape with a splayed roof, instead of an onion dome.
Also unique to Hutsul churches is the use of tin or metalwork in the upper parts of the church, which are also used in home architecture of the region.
Boyko
Boyko

Boyko

Boyko or Boiko are a distinctive group of Ukrainian highlanders or mountain-dwellers of the Carpathian highlands. The Boykos inhabited the central and the western half of the Carpathians in Ukraine, including the Dolynskyi and a part of the Rozhniativskyi Raions in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast ,...

churches are defined by their three section design, with the central nave being the largest. Intricate, multi-tiered and shingled roofwork is the most distinguishing factor in Boyko church design. The structures used the most traditional techniques, being both frameless walls and rafterless roofs as well as using opasannia and piddashshia.
Ternopil
Ternopil

Ternopil

Ternopil , is a city in western Ukraine, located on the banks of the Seret River. Ternopil is one of the major cities of Western Ukraine and the historical region of Galicia...

construction styles are considered a mix of Carpathian style and Kiev 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 Wooden Churches in Ukraine

Apşiţa (Voditsa in Ukrainian, Felso-Apsa-Apsicza in Hungarian)
Apşa de Mijloc, Susani (Sredneye Vodyanoye is Ukrainian, Kozep Apsa in Hungarian)
Apşa de Mijloc, Josani
Apşa din Jos, Părău (Verkhnye Vodyane is Ukrainian, Also-Apsa in Hungarian)
Danylovo (Dănileşti in Romanian, Sofalva in Hungarian)
Dulovo (Duleni in Romanian, Dulfalva in Hungarian)
Ganychi (Găneşti in Romanian, Ganya in Hungarian)
Kobyletska Poliana (Poiana Cobilei in Romanian and Gyergyanliget in Hungarian)
Kolodne (Darva in Romanian and Hungarian)
Krainykovo (Mihalka in Hungarian, formerly Steblivka between 1919–1938 and 1945–1946, Crainiceni in Romanian)
Neresnytsia (Nereşniţa in Romanian, Also Neresznicze in Hungarian)
Nyzhnie Selyshche (Săliştea de Jos in Romanian, Also Szelistye in Hungarian)
Olexandrivka (Sândreni in Romanian, Sandorfalva in Hungarian)
Ruska Pole I (Domneştii Mari in Romanian, Urmezo in Hungarian)
Ruska Pole II
Sokyrnytsia (Săclânţa in Romanian, Szeklencze in Hungarian)
Steblivka (Duboşari in Romanian, Szaldobos in Hungarian)
Ternovo (Târnova in Romanian, Kokenyes in Hungarian)

List Wooden Churches in Zakarpattia Oblast
Zakarpattia Oblast
The Zakarpattia Oblast is an administrative oblast located in southwestern Ukraine. Its administrative center is the city of Uzhhorod...

Sredne Vodyane churches
Verkhnye Vodyane church
Danylovo church
Kolodne church
Krainykovo church
Nyzhnie Selyshche church
Olexandrivka church
Sokyrnytsia church

External links

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