About This Site

The wooden Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit was built in 1502 on the site of a church burned by Tatars. It is the oldest wooden church in Lviv Oblast and part of the UNESCO site 'Wooden Tserkvas of the Carpathian Region'.

The Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit in Potelych is an outstanding monument of wooden architecture in the Carpathian region, built in 1502. It replaced a previous church that was burned during a Tatar raid. This is the oldest preserved wooden church in Lviv Oblast. The structure consists of three wooden naves and a brick sacristy. The church is built using horizontal log construction with complex corner jointing, demonstrating exceptional carpentry skills. Wooden shingles cover the roofs and walls. The church was visited by Bohdan Khmelnytsky. In 2013, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List together with 15 other wooden churches of the Carpathian region in Poland and Ukraine. The church bears testimony to a unique church building tradition that combines Orthodox ecclesiastical tradition with local cultural elements.

Historical Significance

The first written mention of the church dates to 1502, when it was built on the site of a previous church burned by Tatars. For centuries, the church remained the spiritual center of the Potelych community. In the 17th century, the church was visited by Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky during his campaigns in western Ukraine. The church has preserved authentic doors and locks with inscriptions on beams indicating construction dates and craftsmen's names. In the 20th century, the church survived two world wars and maintained its authenticity. Today it is a museum object, protected by the state and included in the UNESCO list.

Highlights

• ✓Oldest wooden church in Lviv Oblast (1502)
• ✓UNESCO World Heritage Site (2013)
• ✓Authentic horizontal log construction technique
• ✓Historical connection to Bohdan Khmelnytsky
• ✓Tri-partite plan structure
• ✓Original 16th century doors and locks

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