Wooden Churches in Slovakia

Unique wooden churches are found in Slovakia. Very specific was the way they were built - all parts had to be made of wood and no nails were allowed. According to historical records there were more than 300 wooden churches in Slovakia. Their architecture combined elements of the western, mainly Roman Catholic tradition and of the Byzantine culture. At present, there are around 50 sacred monuments which were built during the 16th - 18th century.

The oldest preserved Roman Catholic wooden churches are inspired by the Gothic style: Trnove (1500) in Zilina district, Tvrdosin (15th cent. ) and the church in Zábrezie (1647), which was transfered to the open-air Museum Orava Village in Zuberec, Orava Region. The only chapel included as a national cultural monument is that of Roman Catholic is Hervartov in the Bardejov district.

The newer Protestant prayer houses are also unique, incorporating a Greek-cross plan. They were built after Emperor Leopold I. had decreed the articles of faith in 1681. The church buildings had to be made of wood only. In Slovakia there are 5 such churches. They are located in Lestiny and Istebne (Orava Region), in Kezmarok (Spis Region), in Hronsek (Horehronie Region) and in Svaty Kriz - Paludza (Liptov Region).

The wooden churches in the Orthodox tradition - Greek Catholic (tserkvas, eastern Byzantine, Orthodox, Ruthenian, Ruthenian Ukrainian, Ukrainian and under.), which were built during the 17th - 19th century, form the largest group. An exception is the late 15th-century church in Trocany, Saris Region. In 1968, a group of 27 wooden churches in Saris and Horny Zemplin were declared national culture monuments. It is worth a special mention, that in most of these churches still conduct services today.

These small wooden churches all maintain a dominant position relative to the village houses. They are usually situated on higher sites, sometimes rather difficult to access, exocentric to the other buildings in the village. Small cemeteries with simple wooden, sandstone and cast-iron crosses are also included. The entire complex is enclosed by a log or stone fence with a shingled gate. In some cases a wooden bell-tower compliments the architectural complex.
The small wooden churches of Eastern Slovakia have the basic construction of a blockhouse. The construction is unique from the point of view of the ground plan design and of the formal shape of the object. This explains why they are interesting polygonal constructions in the region, rather than other than rectangular blockhouses. Originally no metal nails were used to join the logs and other parts of the building.
A characteristic feature of the small wooden church is their three rooms that symbolize the Holy Trinity. The three-room is intensified with three towers that are gradually higher towards the west.
The shingles were an exclusive building material for the roofs of religious buildings. Various geometric ornaments of carpenters or artists of wood-cut may be found on the roof and other architectural details. The decoration resulted from the installation and tapering of the shingles and lathwork. In some cases metal was used as a special decorative or functional element (railing, window and door mounting).
Iron crosses are especially interesting; they represent artistic skills of village blacksmiths.
The most expressive and common component of wooden churches is the wall of icons /iconostas - (from Greek “eikon” - picture, “stasis” – building; i.e., a wooden wall with pictures separating the altar from the main body of the church)/ that is the creative and functional core of the sacral object. A strict ordering of icons, their predetermined number and composition of topics is characteristic. In the artistic synthesis it combines architecture, fine arts and decorative woodcarving. An exhibition of valuable icons from the 16th - 18th century is displayed in the Dezider Milly Gallery in Svidnik.

Wooden churches Descriptions and them Photos gradually add from October 2004.

Texts were partially draw from Publications Miroslav Sopoliga "Pearls of Folk Architecture" by the favour of author.

Pages build up association DECUS Ltd. www.decus.sk.