It drew inspiration from the single-dome Hutsul tserkva, popular from the 18th century mainly in the East Carpathians.

History

The tserkva was erected in place of a former one, dated at 1770, which was demolished in 1939 (some studies inform us that the demolition of the old tserkva took place in 1928 and a temporary chapel was erected in return). Construction of a new tserkva began in the summer of 1939 to the design of Jarosław Fartuch, an architect based in Lvov. Cooperative for Engineering Works in Lvov performed the works. An incomplete tserkva was put to use in 1942 (during the Soviet occupation in the years 1939-1941 construction works were suspended). In September 1944 a German munitions warehouse was blown up close to the tserkva, therefore the explosion seriously disturbed the log structure of the side wall. In the years 1944-1951 the feature was located within the borders of Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic and probably in that period the provisional form of the tserkva was completed. After incorporation of Hoszów to Poland the tserkva was used by the local community as a sheepfold. In 1971 the partially ruined tserkva was taken over by a Roman Catholic parish in Jasień. A full-scale renovation was carried out in the years 1977-1978 (replacement of parts of the log structure, replacement of wood shingles with sheet metal, replacement of window and door woodwork, weatherboarding of the body). In 1968 the tserkva played in a movie titled “Wolves’ Echoes”, directed by A. Ścibor-Rylski.

Description

The tserkva is oriented towards the east, situated on an elevation, on the eastern side of Ustrzyki Dolne-Ustrzyki Górne road. The area around the tserkva is picket-fenced. A contemporary, metal belfry is situated within the fenced area, in the north-eastern part of the tserkva cemetery.

It is a wooden building, erected on an aligning, concrete foundation. All walls of the tserkva and the central dome, resting on a tholobate, have a log structure. The supporting beams have a decorative dovetail joint. Walls in the lower part of the feature terminate in protruding log ends giving way to rafter tails, which support a ceiling purlin of the skirt roof. Walls along the entire height, gables as well as log ends and rafter tails have vertical weatheboarding (initially, they were covered with horizontal weatherboards), whereas roofs, dome and gables are fully clad with galvanized sheet. Inside, bare walls expose the log structure of the feature.

The tserkva was built on a Greek cross floor plan. Floor plans of the chancel, nave and narthex are similar to squares, while those of side annexes (transept arms) approximate the shape of a rectangle. The tserkva’s body is compact and a dome resting atop a tall, octagonal tholobate is a dominating feature. The tholobate is laid on an intersection of perpendicular saddle roofs with pediments, equal in height. The roof over a chancel terminating in a semi-hexagon has five slopes. Two sacristies (Prothesis and Diaconicon), symmetric to the building’s axis and covered with gable roofs, abut on the chancel. The dome is crowned with a tall, blind lantern topped with a slender capital. Analogically, four lanterns are laid on roof ridges of the chancel, narthex and side annexes. The entire tserkva is circumscribed by a skirt roof, whose course includes roofs of sacristies and a saddle roof on the front façade, resting on two pillars (an open porch). Windows terminate in semicircles, main entrance door as well as external and internal doors to sacristies terminate in a straight arch. The interior features a floor made of boards. The narthex is surmounted by an overhanging choir gallery. Due to the historically stormy period of tserkva construction, it was originally not equipped with an iconostasis and altars. Currently, it includes contemporary fittings created by a local sculptor.

The building is available all year round; sightseeing upon prior telephone appointment.

compiled by Damian Nowak, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Rzeszów, 05-06-2015.

Bibliography

• Bańkosz R., Cerkwie bieszczadzkich Bojków, Krosno 2010
• Leksykon drewnianej architektury Podkarpacia, t. I, Rzeszów 2011
• Kryciński S., Cerkwie w Bieszczadach, Pruszków 1995
• Katalog Zabytków Sztuki w Polsce, Woj. krośnieńskie, Lesko, Sanok, Ustrzyki Dolne i okolice, oprac. E. Śnieżyńska-Stolotowa i F. Stolot, Warszawa 1982
• Szematyzmy duchowieństwa grecko-katolickiego z lat 1877, 1879, 1927, 1936, 1938-39
• Saładiak A., Pamiątki i zabytki kultury ukraińskiej w Polsce, Warszawa 1993
• Karta ewidencyjna Hoszów Cerkiew fil. gr.-kat. p.w. św. Mikołaja, oprac. Z. Szanter Archiwum WUOZ Delegatura w Krośnie