Quick Guide to Ukrainian Architecture: Wooden Churches

This church, also called Strukivskiy and built in 1813, is located in Yasynia of the Rakhiv district, in the Zakarpattia region. It is one of the oldest and most well preserved churches of the hutsul type built in a cross-shaped form with a dome in the middle.

Located in Zhovkva, Lvіv region, this church in Halytskyi-style is one of the most well preserved three-dome churches of the XVIII century. It is a tripartite, three tier temple where the central square tier is wider and higher than the square forechurch and the faceted chancel.

The nave has the main chancel, a Baroque iconostasis from the first half of the XVIII century, some benches, and a XIX century confessional room.  

The five-tier iconostasis, which has about 50 icons, was created by local artists at the beginning of the XVIII century.

The Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built by a local craftsman Gregory Semonyukov in 1808.

This temple is an example of the well-preserved, rare five-domed churches of the Hutsul type and serves as a model for the best stage of this type’s development.

Within the church, there is an iconostasis from the beginning of the XIX century, with magnificent carvings and paintings in the style of Rococo. There are also old icons in here.

The church's interior is decorated with polychrome from the end of the XX century.

Located in Uzhok of the Velykobereznians'kyi district in the Zakarpattia region, this wooden church is one of the most interesting constructions of the Boykivsky style, built by masters Paul Cherniev and Ivan Tsygannyk in 1746.

The wide slope that encircles the entire building provides the church its compact view and creates an organic transition from the surrounding environment to the main masses of the temple, which rise up over the gallery.

As one of the best monuments of ancient Ukrainian art, this church in Drohobych, Lviv region, can be called a masterpiece of pan-European construction.

The St. George’s Church was built in the XV century and has lived through several significant renovations in the XVII century.

The walls of the nave, narthex, and empiricism are covered with paintings from the XVII and the beginning of the XVIII centuries. There is also an iconostasis here from the XVII century.

In the central part of the Matkiv village, masters Ivan and Vasily Melnykovich laid the wooden Church of the Synaxis of the Blessed Virgin Mary on a hill in 1838. 

This church has taken its rightful place among the perfect monuments of Boykivsky wooden architecture.

The very high aesthetic and artistic value is confirmed not only through the architectural uniqueness of the object, but also through the cardboard murals from XIX century that decorate the church’s interior. Its iconostas, benches and altars are preserved in pristine condition.

The Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit is located on a small hill at the foot of a high mountain in the central part of the village, on the right bank of the Telytsia River.

The central part, with the royal gates featuring geometric designs of the later Renaissance and two “Virgin Mary” and “Christ Pantocrator” icons of 1684, creates a sense of wholeness and perfection of the church. The artistic decoration of the iconostasis is original.

The Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit was most likely constructed somewhere between the XV – XVI centuries and is the oldest wooden church in the territory of Ukraine.

The church has a tri-partial construction made of wooden logs and was built in the old Galician style.

The temple has a Baroque iconostasis from 1650, which is a true gem and one of the oldest ones in Ukraine.