Wooden churches

The wooden Greek Catholic church of St. Paraskeva, 1763

    This wooden filial church was built around 1763 (according to other sources in 1766). It was dedicated to St. Paraskeva. Damaged during WWII, it was used as late as 1960, although there was already a brick church of Sts. Peter and Paul (1937) in the village. In 1960 the wooden church was transferred to an open-air museum in Svidník.
    The church has three parts, three spaces, three towers with three crosses. The structure of the church, even including the narthex is rustic. The tower has a columned structure. The entrance is on the western side, leading into narthex. The main tower is above the narthex. On the roof is set an onion, blinded lantern and two-barred cross. The roof over the nave is covered with shingles and there is set a one-barred decorated cross. A nice feature is the top over the sanctuary, which is finished with a decorated one-barred cross. In the main tower there were originally three bells. Once, they were two left, they were finally transported and hanged in an external belfry near the church. On the top beam is inscribed the year 1763.
    In the wooden church in Nová Polianka there is presently installed an iconostasis, probably originally from the former wooden church from Pravrovce, which is evidenced by the patron icon - Three Holy Hierarchs. The original iconostasis from the wooden church in Nová Polianka was transferred to the open-air museum in Svidník. This is also evidenced by the icon of St. Paraskeva, patron of the church in Nová Polianka. Both iconostases were created approximately at the same time, in the first half of the 18th century. The iconostasis could be described as having five rows, if we count also two icons below the main row. The main row is created by the icons of St. Nicholas, Theotokos (Hodigitria), Christ the Teacher and icon of St. Paraskeva. In the main row are also set the royal doors with six medallions – four Evangelists and two scenes from the Annunciation. Instead of diaconal doors are only holes. The second row of feasts consists of the icons of feasts with the icon of the Last (Mystical) Supper in the middle. The third, apostolic, row has the main icon of Christ the High Priest and cherubims, in the middle. The fourth row of prophets consists of four medallions with pairs of figures. The top of the iconostasis is finished with a large icon of the Pieta. The fifth row consists of two icons: below the 1st main icon is St. Catherine, and below the 4th icon is St. Michael the Archangel.
    Belfry - Next to the church stands a wooden belfry. It has a square ground-plan, with a roof in a shape of a low pyramid, covered with shingles. A one-barred decorated cross is on the top. Two bells are hanging in the belfry.

Contact:
The museum of Ukrainian culture in Svidník
Folklore exposition in nature OPEN-AIR MUSEUM
tel.: + 421 54 7522952