St Michael's Church, Kraynykovo, Ukraine
A couple of months ago, I went for an ethnographic festival on the other side of the Carpathians. The festival itself had nothing to do with any religion, but on the way there we made a stop at a little old village of Kraynykovo. Apart from its age (it dates back to the 14th century), nothing is especially interesting about the place, except a lovely old wooden church. It was built in 1668 and is a unique example of the so-called Maramoros woodwork gothic style ("Maramoros" being the old Hungarian name for the region).
You can see how old the wood is...look at all that moss!
The carved wooden entrance:
The altar:
Parts of the iconostasis, currently undergoing renovation:
The bell tower:
Sadly, the long Soviet anti-religion campaign has not been exactly what old churches like this one needed. *sigh* This cute little place needs a massive amount of renovation, and even that might not be enough to save it. I'm glad I at least have pictures of it.
I'm SO sorry about the cut! I really have no excuse except for holes in my brain... :(
You can see how old the wood is...look at all that moss!
The carved wooden entrance:
The altar:
Parts of the iconostasis, currently undergoing renovation:
The bell tower:
Sadly, the long Soviet anti-religion campaign has not been exactly what old churches like this one needed. *sigh* This cute little place needs a massive amount of renovation, and even that might not be enough to save it. I'm glad I at least have pictures of it.
I'm SO sorry about the cut! I really have no excuse except for holes in my brain... :(