Zboj, Slovakia
Churches
New and Old
Village
Cemetery

Original Greek Catholic Church (Building now at the Museum of Folk Architecture,
Bardejovske Kupele (Skanzen).
Original Icon screen at Saris' Museum at Bardejov,
other icons at St. Michael's in Zboj )


Icon Screen (partial) at Skanzen
Prophets, Feast Days
Last Supper

Items at Saris Museum

Three Hierarchs Icon(2)

Interior at Bardejov
Pews for the Infirm

Exterior at Bardejov
1
2 3 4 5

Circa 1966 Photo of
Original Church at Zboj (1)


Architectural Description

More Information

The original 1766 wooden Greek Catholic (Uniate - Ruthenian) Church of Zboj is named either “Saint Nicholas” (note 2) or "Church of the Three Hierarchs" (note 1)    It is of the Boyko style, most often found in Ukraine.   It was moved to the Skanzen (open-air museum) at Bardejovske Kupele (about 1 hour drive west) in 1967.   It was replaced with a new Orthodox church(3) in 1966 which I believe is now called "Church of the Holy Ghost." (note 4).

The new church building contains four early icons
1 2 3
4 said to be from the original Church.  They look as if they were part of another icon screen.  The icons are in poor shape and in serious need of restoration or at least preservation.  Three other original icons form the centerpieces for side altars.  The original icons date from the 1766.

We were sadly informed that due to prior vandalism, the bottom row of icons, containing Christ, Virgin Mary, St. Nicholas, the Three Hierarchs and the Royal Door  were removed to the Saris' Museum in Bardejov for their protection.  A plain altar table was all that remained along with the structural components.  This provided for a shockingly incomplete portrayal of the church in it's original form.  A 
photograph of the complete original icon screen(2) in the church can be found in the book "Ikony, Icons of the Saris Museum at Bardejov" (credit 2).

New Orthodox Church
Icon Screen

A new Orthodox Church(3) (Church of the Holy Ghost) was constructed in 1966, one year before the original church was removed.  The new building was sited about 100 feet behind the original structure.  The perimeter of the original church has been encased in an iron fence.  Since approximately 1950, the Orthodox church has occupied this parish
There are few windows, as glass was an extremely rare and valuable commodity.  The church was usually lit with many candles.  The separate bell tower contains three bells of varying size.  The bells appear to have been made somewhere in east Slovakia, perhaps in Presov and dates are 1924/25. 
The church plot contains a) the
site of the original wooden Greek Catholic Church, b) the present Orthodox Church, the cemeteries for both Greek Catholic and Orthodox parishioners.  There is no longer a Greek Catholic Parish in Zboj.  The closest Greek Catholic Church is in Ulic'.

Credits: (1) “Kulturerbe der Slowakei Architektonische Denkmaler / Slovakia’s Cultural Heritage architectural monuments”, ARS Monument 1996, ISBN 80-901174-6-5; (2) “IKONY Sarisskeho Muzea V Bardejove / Icons of the Saris Museum at Bardejov”, Vladislav Greslik, 1994, ISBN 80 901 174-4-9, 1994, ARS Monument; (3) Mick Sura, Koisce

Note: (1) Source: Saris Museum, Bardejov indicates the churches name was "Church of Three Hierarchs." and mistakenly cites 1706 as its date of construction.. (2) A conflicting source (Pus'kárová, Blanka. ; Pus'kár, Imrich.  DEREVąIANI TSERKVY SKHIDNOHO OBRIADU NA SLOVACHCHYNI, Bratislava 1971, NO ISBN) indicates the church name is "Church of St. Nicholas" built 1766/1775.  (3)The Ukrainian Cultural Museum in Svidnik, Slovakia indicates the church was built in 1766 and is named "St. Nicholas").  Excerpts from the Svidnik description.  My speculation is that the church may have had multiple names throughout time.

 

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Last Update: 08 May 2005                                                 

Copyright © 2002-2005, Bill Tarkulich