Aug/26

Church of St. Michael the Archangel in Uzhok

No comments · Posted by Sergei Rzhevsky in Architecture, Regions, Travel

Uzhok is a village with a population of about 700 people, located in the northwest of Zakarpattia Oblast, near the Ukrainian border with Poland.

The main attraction of this place is the wooden church of St. Michael the Archangel (1745) – an architectural monument of national significance, one of the most interesting buildings in the Boiko style. Uzhok on Google Maps. Photos by: Maxim Ritus.

This church was included in the list of 16 wooden churches in the Carpathian region (eight in Poland and eight in Ukraine) vying for special status on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The final decision on this issue was made in 2013. The Church of St. Michael in Uzhok was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

This church has been popular for nearly 100 years. Its photographs have been published numerous times in periodicals, books, and brochures. Several Transcarpathian artists have dedicated their paintings to this landmark; its image adorns the bishop’s chapel and the chapel of the teachers’ seminary in Uzhhorod.

Inside the church, icons and early printed books from the 17th century, as well as an authentic 18th-century altar, have been preserved.

In the church’s interior, the masters used contrasts of light and shadow. Walking from the dark “babinets” into the bright central part of the church, one perceives the space as significantly larger than it actually is. This effect was undoubtedly taken into account by talented folk architects. This impression is enhanced by the stunningly beautiful carved iconostasis with its gleaming gilding.

The church was built and consecrated on June 11, 1745. This is attested to by an inscription carved on the doorframe. The church was built in the Boyko style by master craftsmen Pavlo Toniv from the neighboring village of Bitlya on the Lviv side of the Carpathians and Ivan Tsyganin from the village of Tykhoye (near Uzhok). The main building material for the church was large spruce beams.

In 1927, a small two-tiered bell tower, quite typical for Transcarpathia, was erected in the northwestern part of the churchyard next to the church, replacing the old one.