Wooden churches

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

    Present wooden church was built in 1718, probably at the place of original older church. Its patron is St. Michael the Archangel. The church was severely damaged during WWII, in 1944.
    Architecturally the church evokes the impression of massiveness. The church is a rustic building, based on low stone foundation. The church has three parts, three spaces, two towers, and two crosses. Main tower has columned structure. The roof of the tower and of the back small tower is covered with shingles. On the roof are smaller onion domes with simple metal three-barred crosses. In the tower hang three bells, one of them being from the beginning of the 19th century, from 1811. Main entrance is from the western part, leading into narthex.
    Interior furnishing of the church is definitely dominated by ornamentally carved iconostasis (National cultural monument – NKP), with architecture of five rows, with icons on five levels. It is dated to the 18th century, some of the icons being from 16th and 17th century. Main row contains the icons of St. Nicholas, Theotokos (Hodigitria), Christ the Teacher and icon of St. Michael the Archangel. In the main row are in the middle royal doors with two leaves, where are atypically displayed twelve medallions of the Tree of Jesse, the genealogy tree of Christ. Curiosity of this church are also painted door jambs adorned with icons of St. Basil the Great and St. John Chrysostom. Instead of deaconal doors are only holes without leaves. Above the royal doors, in the middle of he row of feasts is the Last (Mystical) Supper with twelve apostles. Second row contains twelve icons of individual feasts. Third, apostolic row is divided by the icon of Christ the High Priest, with the Theotokos and St. John the Baptist on the sides. Fourth row consists of medallions of prophets. Iconostasis is not finished with the icon of Crucifixion, nor the cross, because of the space limitations. Fifth row consists of the icons of the Protection of the Theotokos, Divine Incarnation, Ss. Peter and Paul and St. Nicholas appearing to three dukes. Iconostasis was renovated in 1988. It was installed back in the church in 1991.
    On side walls of the church are placed some precious icons, icon of St. Michael the Archangel, icon of Theotokos the Hodigitria. They are from the 16th and 17th centuries and presumably were part of the decorations of the older church. From this time is also the Mandylion on the parapet.

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