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