Wooden Churches of the Carpathian Mountains # 6 - Ulucz, Poland

This formerly Greek Orthodox church located in Poland's far south-eastern corner sits on a steep wooded hillside above the small village of Ulucz. Thought to be one of the oldest Eastern Rite churches in the country, the tserkva was constructed in 1659 as part of a monastery complex with surrounding fortifications. The monks closed the monastery and left the region in 1744, but the church continued to serve the local Orthodox population until the 20th century.

At the end of the Second World War, the Boyko ethnic group who lived in the village were forcibly resettled to other parts of Poland, and Catholic Poles were encouraged to settle in the region. As a result, the Greek Orthodox church was converted for use as a Roman Catholic church for the second half of the 20th century. It has recently been taken over by the Museum of Folk Architecture in the nearby town of Sanok and is now used only as a museum. A mass is held in the church just once each year, on Ascension Day (40 days after Easter).

The church interior is nearly empty, as the Greek Orthodox iconostasis and icons are now on permanent display in the Sanok museum. A few badly faded painted frescoes can be seen on the wooden walls, including one depicting the crucifixion of Christ. The key to the church is kept by the family who live in house number 16 at the opposite end of the village. They are happy to come and open the church for visitors who come by car, as the distance to the church is about two kilometres along the road.

The village of Ulucz is best reached with your own transport, though there are infrequent buses which run to the village from the town of Sanok. Another excellent option is renting a bicycle in Sanok in order to travel to Ulucz and to have the opportunity to visit other villages in the region as well.

Wooden Churches of the Carpathian Mountains #1 - Ladomirová, Slovakia

I have a particular interest in the wooden folk architecture of the Carpathian mountains, especially the Rusyn wooden churches found in Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine, and Romania. Each of these churches is architecturally unique, and distinct regional styles can vary enormously, from the three-steepled Lemko and Boyko churches of the northern part of the range in Poland and Slovakia, to the tall shingled steeples of Maramures region in Romania. I've visited almost 40 of these churches, including some from all four countries.

I will put up photos and a description of some of the most unique ones, so I'm starting today with the church in the village of Ladomirová, Slovakia, which is pictured here. The Greek Orthodox Ladomirová church is a typical example of the Lemko style, with the three steeples arranged from highest to lowest with the highest closest to the door. The church was built in 1742, and endured significant damage during World War 2, as the nearby Dukla Pass was the scene of heavy fighting. Russian soldiers reportedly slept on the floor of the church during the conflict, and were given food by the local villagers. The key to the church is available from the family who live in the house immediately in front of the church; I was given a tour by a wonderful old woman who was full of stories and memories of the village as it changed through the course of the 20th century (This conversation was in Slovak, having someone with you who can translate her stories would add much to the experience). The iconostasis wall inside the church has many of the usual hallmarks of Lemko churches, including an image of the Last Supper beneath the image of Christ the Pantocrator. The village of Ladomirová is located 6 kilometres north of the town of Svidník, and there are several buses a day that run to the village from Svidník.