Wooden churches

The wooden Greek Catholic church of St. Michael the Archangel, 1718, NKP

The Greek Catholic Church of St. Michael the Archangel in Uličské Krivé is a National Cultural Monument and was built in 1718. In the tradition of the Church, Michael is called as a prince of angelic hosts, angel of the justice, guardian of the paradise, and defender of the Christ’s church.

The church has three parts, three spaces and two towers. The roof of the church is divided into two parts. Its bottom part has a significant overhang, compared to walls of the church, thus creating a shelter on the perimeter of the church. The whole church, same as a space between its upper and bottom part is covered with cleft shingles. On the western part of the roof raises up a pillar construction of the tower, with a tiny roof on its top, in a shape of a tent. A tiny tower is also above the sanctuary. On the towers are small onion domes, with erected simple forged three – bared crosses. Three bells are hanging in the main tower, one of them being from the year 1811.

Precious iconostasis from the 18^th century is now a National Cultural Monument. Iconostasis has its architecture of five rows. In the first, main row, we can see from left the icon of the holy bishop and wonderworker Nicholas, than of the Mother of God, the Hodegitria, and of Christ the Teacher. On the place for parish feast icon is the icon of the Synaxis of St. Michael the Archangel.

In the middle of the iconostasis are double – winged royal doors with atypical depiction of twelve medallions of the Tree of Jesse, the genealogy tree of Jesus Christ. Christ is depicted as the Savior with heavenly hosts in an arch above the doors. Above he royal doors is the obligatory icon of the Last Supper with twelve apostles. On its sides are the icons of twelve greatest feasts, each bearing inscription above. The third, apostolic row, contains from the middle to the northern side icons of the holy apostles, looking towards the Christ the High Priest in the middle. The fourth row, that of the prophets consists of twelve medallions. The top of the iconostasis is due to the lack of space not finished in a form of a traditional Calvary, but only by the cross itself. Fifth row, on the very bottom is from the beginning of the 18^th century. It consists of following icons: from the left St. Nicholas appearing to three commanders, Mother of God with incarnated Christ, and Ss. Peter and Paul. The whole iconostasis was completely renovated between the years 1988 and 1992.

Among movables are several precious icons: sizeable icon on the northern wall with the title Christ’s sufferings, having additional small depictions on its periphery dated to the year 1834, precious icon of St. Michael the Archangel from the 16^th century and the icon of the Mother of God the Hodegitria with honors from 15^th century. Especially notable is the icon of the Mandylion – Christ’s face on a napkin, on the banister of the choir, dated to the 16^th century and the royal doors from an older iconostasis on the southern wall. In the sanctuary, behind the iconostasis is a beautiful icon of the Pieta in a decorated frame, where the Mother of God embraces the body of the dead Christ.

Contact:
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