Wooden Church of the Protection of the Mother of God, Nižný Komárnik

Wooden Church of the Protection of the Mother of God, Nižný Komárnik

The original Greek-Catholic wooden church in the village Nizhny Komárnik was probably built in the middle of the 18th century. This wooden church burnt down during the First World War. Today's wooden church was built in 1938 and is rededicated to the feast of the Most Holy Mother of God. The Most Holy Theotokos protects our land. Her protection is a shield against the attacks of evil spirits and against misfortune. The Mother of God is a help to us in our good works and in our Christian life.

Unique building

Today's temple was like the only Greek-Catholic church in Slovakia built in log style under the supervision of an architect. At the end of the Second World War, in 1944, the entire village was completely destroyed and the church damaged. After the end of the war in 1946, the church was repaired and further major repairs were carried out in the mid-1960s. The temple consists of a sanctuary, a nave and a narthex. Each part of the building has a tower with a dome and a cross. The roof of each part of the temple is made in the form of an octagon and covered with wooden shingles. This wooden church has two entrances: the southern entrance from the sanctuary and the western entrance to the narthex. The interior of the church is well lit thanks to the large windows in the nave and the sanctuary.

Wooden church full of icons

The temple has an icon-adorned wall with three doors, which stands between the nave and the sanctuary. This iconostasis dates from the first half of the 18th century. It has an atypical three-aisle architecture. The iconostasis lacks a number of icons of major Byzantine feasts. Icons of prophets hang on the wall of the sanctuary. In the main row of the iconostasis there are the following icons: St. Nicholas of Myra, St. Hodegetria (the signpost of the Way), Christ as Teacher and Master, and the icon of the Patronage of the Most Holy Mother of God, the Protectress of the Most Holy Mother of God. The Tsar's Door consists of two wings with depictions of the four Evangelists.

Iconostasis

Above the Tsar's door is an icon of the Last Supper. On the main row of the iconostasis is a row of the Holy Apostles with the icon of Christ the High Priest. All the way up the iconostasis is the icon of the Crucifixion of Christ, with the Holy Mother of God and St. John the Evangelist at his sides. This iconostasis is decorated with carved images of plants. On the walls of the temple hang the icons of the Entry of Our Most Holy Sovereign, the Mother of God, Mary, ever Virgin, into the temple, the Nativity of Our Most Holy Sovereign, the Mother of God, ever Virgin, the Ascension of the Lord, and the Exaltation of the venerable and life-giving Cross over the whole world. On the north side of the church stands a wooden bell tower with one bell. The tower of the bell tower with a three-armed cross is covered with sheet metal. The iconostasis was restored between 2002 and 2005. The complete restoration of the wooden church was carried out in 2003-2004. Other wooden churches can be found in the region. For example: Wooden Church of St. Michael the Archangel UNESCO in Ladomírovo, Wooden Church of the Protection of the Most Holy Mother of God in Hunkovce, Wooden Church of St. Nicholas in Bodružal, Wooden Church of St. Paraskeva in Svidník, The wooden church of St. Dimitrios the Grand Martyr of Thessaloniki in Medvedi or Wooden Greek-Catholic Church of the Meeting of the Lord with Simeon in Kožany. The list of wooden churches can be found on the subpage wooden temples. Source: www.drevenchramy.sk Photo: Pierre Bona

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