A place of spiritual strength... Church of the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin in Rokytne village

in Architecture+Design3 years ago (edited)

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There is an ancient church in the village on the mountain, which is permeated with the spirit of the centuries. How many her walls have seen of events: happy and joyful and sad... Here people are baptized, here they get married, and from here they are sent on their last earthly journey ...

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Several graves near the church can be seen through the pines. The holy fathers, the pastors of this church, remained here forever.

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This church located in the center of the village, by the road. I went to this church from a young age, when I came to the village in the summer. All the solemn events of my ancestors took place here. My father, who is 81 years old today, was baptized here. He is now the oldest member of the Church of the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin in the village of Rokytne in the Lviv region, Ukraine.

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I take a few steps to a cozy courtyard and immerse myself in memories ... How many times I was here with my mother at the rite of consecration at Easter, or fruit at the feast of the Savior.

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I always enter the courtyard of this church with awe. Especially since, my mom is gone to eternity... and here we escorted her to the place of her eternal rest in the village cemetery.
This time we came to the village again and went with our grandfather to church to study the Word of God before the children's first communion.
Grandfather is proud that his grandchildren follow in the footsteps of his ancestors!

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While little Darinka listened to God's word, my older Victoria and I stood outside and looked at the wooden building. You can even see my dad's hat under the roof. This is how the peasants leave their hats here before entering the temple.

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At the entrance to the church there is a sign that reads: according to some sources, this church was built in 1678 on oak foundations, under a finished roof. It was then called "The Escape of the Mother of God to Egypt." It was funded by local landowner Edward Kopetsky.
Later the church was renovated in 1884, and a new iconostasis was made. In 1919, thanks to the efforts of Father Ivan Adam, new foundations were laid under the church and new floors were laid and the shingled roofing was replaced with tin.

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To the south-west of the church there is a wooden two-tiered square bell tower covered with a pyramidal roof, and to the south-east there is an open wooden chapel.

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We go inside after the service and with trembling of our souls consider these ancient paintings on the walls in the four corners under the wooden dome, where the good eternal spirit of my mother seems to hover ...

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I did not like to attend Sunday services, but I liked to be here in silence, looking at these ancient vaults, which are very richly painted with pictures of biblical content and there are many icons.
There are mysterious blue ox, golden-maned lion, golden eagle, which symbolize the holy trinity, apparently ...
There are also many Ukrainian embroidered towels. There are always fresh flowers near the throne. The peasants respect this holy place.

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Wooden architecture of Ukraine is our wealth. Small old churches, half-hidden among the old trees on the hills, can tell a lot about their own destiny. The style of the church shows how people lived, what were the culture and customs in the region.

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They lived in a natural environment and preserved in the architecture of the church originality and simplicity, as a spontaneous love of creativity, led to the construction of artistic treasures, that testify to our identity and are our pride - the wooden churches.

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Hiya, @LivingUKTaiwan here, just swinging by to let you know that this post made it into our Honorable Mentions in Daily Travel Digest #1219.

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Wow, I'm so glad my church will be on your Daily Travel Digest. Thank you very much.

Wow, never seen a church here in Nigeria that accepts the graves of people close to their building. Mehn, that can be scary at night for someone like me who doesn't like to see things like that.

Not just there, men usually remove their hat when entering into the church but they don't drop it outside, they come in with it.

The church is quite old because nowadays, we rarely have churches that build a little house for the bell, although, in my village, we still have a Pentecostal church that built such things use it, they are few.

Oh, you really understand ancient architecture! I also feel discomfort when I am in the dark near the graves.

Lol.... You can say that again.

God, faith, unity with nature and very atmospheric photographs, I am very impressed. There is a lot of life in this simplicity!

Thank you friend. This is because I have many emotional memories with this church.

Ancient church in the village on the mountain

Sounds like an ideal holy location to pray, meditate, experience serenity, and be in a solemn conversation with our Divine Creator. There are plenty of wooden elements in both the exterior and interior spaces of the church - giving it a sense of warmth and an inviting atmosphere for parishioners. Those polished roof materials also look interestingly beautiful. Yet, what makes this sacred place more significant in your life are the memorable legacies that your family and ancestors have left behind. No wonder you have such a profound connection with that location.

Hello @olga.maslievich, and a friendly welcome to the Architecture+Design Community! Thank you for choosing us to publish your awesome content about architecture and design! Have fun! 😊

Thank you @storiesoferne for such a heartfelt comment. Yes, everything is true. I have a very close emotional connection to this place. And I was happy to share it with you.

What a beautiful building thanks for sharing
And happy birthday wishes to your father

Thank you 😊

You’re welcome

It is quite rare today to find a church made out of wood. The location is an ideal place to have a holy grounds.

Thank you. You are absolutely right. Here I always feel peace and love.

I have always wanted to visit one of these temples. I find them very beautiful and even taking into account the raw material from which they are made, the wood, they seem closer to that primitive Byzantine style (in fact, although modern, both the paintings and the crucifixes that are appreciate) that it was so mysteriously introduced into the West, especially after the Crusades. I am powerfully drawn to the octagon shape of the dome, which, seen from the inside, seems sublimely beautiful to me. Best regards

I am glad that in my post you felt the aura of a wooden church. Thank you for your visit.

hello how beautiful and interesting, you have made me have a very good time
Happy Thursday

І am glad you got nice time together with me)

What an unique and beautiful this holy church is! Loved the wooden usage with the shiny pitched roof. The trusses inside seems strong and the pictures are wonderful!

Thanks for the good comment! Indeed, the temple is strong and beautiful!

 3 years ago  

Well done @olga.maslievich! We're happy to inform you that this publication was especially collected and awarded the SILVER MARK in Architecture Brew #27. Congratulations!

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Oh, it's a great honor for me, because I really love writing about ancient architecture!
Thank you so much 💓