Not every church is a complex structure of stone or marble, such as Westminster Abbey or Notre Dame in Paris. The most beautiful and complex in execution are wooden churches. At first, their design may seem simple, but it is not. In the construction of some churches, nails or other unnatural fasteners were not used at all.
Many wooden churches in Europe and Eurasia are of great cultural and spiritual value. Today we will tell you 9 of the most beautiful wooden churches worth seeing.
1
Church of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity, Belarus
In the Gomel region of the Republic of Belarus there are many wooden churches, but among them one can distinguish an Orthodox church near the city of Dobrush. A small church was founded in 1830. Located in a small village called Krupets. In the year of the war, the village was completely burned, but by some miracle the wooden church remained untouched. This bright green colorful parish is officially called the Church of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity. It harmoniously coexists with other churches of blue, yellow, pink and red colors.
Several of these are UNESCO World Heritage Sites for their historical value. The Holy Trinity Church has not yet received this status, but it is one of the most bizarre, amazing and beautiful churches in Eastern Europe. When creating it, not a single nail was used.
2
Budir church in Iceland
The church on the island of Budir is made of wood, but the first thing that catches your eye is the color in which it is painted. It is painted black except for the white doorways and window frames. The place where the church is located is amazing in itself. Rocks rise around and the landscape is simply breathtaking.
Built in 1703, and in 1987 the only reconstruction was carried out. Now it is more of a tourist attraction, against which they like to be photographed, especially the newlyweds.
3
Church of the Transfiguration on the island of Kizhi, Russia
Kizhi Pogost - this is a whole complex, which includes this church. The whole churchyard and complex in 1990 was inscribed in protected monuments for its architectural and historical significance. It is believed that the wooden church is the main attraction of the churchyard due to the mastery of architectural performance.
It was created by interlacing wooden frames and logs. The church has only 22 domes. The central and largest dome is located at an altitude of 36 meters. The gilded iconostasis consists of 100 different icons.
By the way, on our site thebiggest.ru there is an interesting article about the oldest temples in Russia and the whole world.
4
Greek Catholic wooden church in Dobroslav, Slovakia
This church was founded in 1705 in the northeastern part of Slovakia. Much later in 1932 two more buildings with chapels were completed. In 2002, a large-scale reconstruction took place to preserve the wooden structure and restore the interior and decoration. The iconostasis of the 13th century and the decorative wall with fragments from the New Testament, separating the premises of the church and the sanctuary, are especially notable.
5
Wooden churches in Pirogovo, Ukraine
Pirogovo is located near the Ukrainian capital. It is famous for its wood churches, of which there are several. The most iconic of them are included in the museum ensemble. They were erected between the XII and XX centuries. Tourists will also find many other interesting objects here, such as old manors and windmills of the VI century.
Please note that there is an informative article on the largest Ukrainian cities on our website thebiggest.ru.
6
Church of St. Nicholas in Izmailovo, Moscow
Anyone who is at least somehow familiar with Russian architecture knows about the Kremlin on Red Square, but many do not know about another Kremlin in the Izmailovo district of Moscow. This is a new cultural complex, which was built in 2007. Of course, the Kremlin in Izmailovo does not carry any defensive function. The complex houses Danilov Stavropegial Monastery, on the territory of which the Church of St. Nicholas was built. It was built according to all the laws of Russian architecture. This is the highest temple, which is made of wood in Russia. Its height is almost 47 meters.
7
Wooden churches in Maramures, Romania
Eight wooden churches dot the landscape of Maramures. You cannot find two exactly the same buildings. The only thing that unites them is the clock on the high belfries on the west side. The whole complex is a UNESCO heritage site. Churches were built at different times. Looking at them, one can trace different architectural styles, from Gothic to traditional ancient architecture of the Southern Carpathians. All of them are made of wood, each has a roof with tiles.
If you decide to visit Maramures, then thebiggest.ru also advises you to find the time to visit the cemetery in Sapannya, located nearby. It is called a “fun” cemetery for very bright monuments, burial places and memorials with the deceased.
8
Heddal Wooden Church in Telemark, Norway
This is the largest of the wooden churches that have survived to our time. The exact time of construction is not known, but the beginning of the XIII century is supposed. A runic inscription has been preserved on the walls of the temple, which states that the church was consecrated in 1242 in honor of the virgin Mary. It is made of such high-quality wood that so far a third of the logs have been preserved since the time of construction. In order to preserve the view, reconstruction was carried out more than once, and the walls are regularly treated with tar.
Now it is a Lutheran church, but until 1537 the temple was Catholic. Services are held on Sundays, but tourists and visitors can visit the temple on weekdays.
9
Wooden churches in the south of Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland
The next ensemble consists of a whole group of wooden temples and churches amazing in their architectural performance.
The churches were erected in ancient times in the form of a wooden log house. In them you can see the most diverse styles of architecture. All temples were built at different times. The most ancient is the Khachuv Church from 1388. They are kept in excellent condition. Most materials have been authentic since construction. This is the second oldest and largest temple wooden complex after the churches in Norway, which were mentioned above.
Finally
So our list of beautiful wooden churches has come to an end. I hope you agree with us that it is in the wooden buildings that there is something spiritual, sensual. And what examples of such churches can you offer? Write about this in the comments.
Here are some more interesting photos