Ukraine: Wooden Churches of Sub-Carpathians
Driving a loop through the northeastern Carpathian Mountains from Kolomiya to Krivorivnya to Verkhovina to Vorokhta to Tatariv to Yaremche is dotted with beautiful wooden churches characteristic of the local Gutsul culture – the church is built to form an elongated 5-section crucifix structure with a single rooftop. In order of appearance: 1. Kolomyia – Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1587) – one of the oldest wooden churches in Sub-Carpathians, a great example of the Hutsul school of folk wooden architecture. 2. Kryvorivnya – Church of the Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary (1660) – standing on a hilltop with panoramic mountain views and a river running below. 3. Vorokhta – Church of the Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary (1615) – this one was the most spectacular sitting high above the town and also best preserved with a staircase leading up to it. 4. Vorokhta – Peter & Paul Church (1930) – this one was just across a ravine from the old church and was significantly larger and newer and with way more gold on it, a relatively new construction and a more traditional orthodox structure with multiple onion domes. 6. Tatariv – Church of Saint Dimitri (1856) – a beautifully preserved wooden cross-structure. 7. Yaremcha – Church of the Holy Prophet Eliah (1935) – the newest but also the grandest, with a traditional structure and theee dome towers rising above it. There were plenty of newer churches pretty much in every settlement along the loop route that we sort of skipped. Wooden church overdose!
