« 2026. # 1 (187)

The Ethnology Notebooks. 2026. № 1 (187), 59—65

UDK 726:271.4-523.4-035.3-9](477.83)

DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/nz2026.01.059

The date the article was first submitted to the publication 10.01.2026

The date the article was accepted for publication after review 22.01.2026

The date of publication (publication)

CHURCH OF THE CHRISTMAS OF THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD IN THE VILLAGE OF BEREZHNYTSYA. Memory dedicated to Boris Hryhorovych Voznytskyi (1926—2012)

HRYMALYUK Rostyslava

  • ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-2694-5917
  • Senior Researcher, The Institute of Ethnology
  • of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine,
  • Department of Art Studies,
  • 15, Svobody Avenue, 79000, Lviv, Ukraine,
  • Contacts: е­-mail: rosahrymal@gmail.com

Abstract. The heritage of Ukrainian wooden architecture is, unfortunately, very vulnerable, as a number of factors contribute to its gradual disappearance. Among them, first of all, the fragility and vulnerability of the material, the lack of proper state guardianship and protection.

The purpose of the article is to once again emphasize the problem of irreversible losses in the realm of the heritage of Ukrainian wooden architecture and the urgent need for its protection and preservation.

The relevance of the article is due to the disappointing fate of the wooden church of the 18th century. Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the village of Berezhnytsia, Zhydachiv district. The Church has survived several wars, Soviet times, but could not survive the current indifference. At the time of the 2006 expedition, organized by B. Woznytskyi, almost a skeleton remained of the ancient building of the church and bell tower, erected in 1724. On the surviving parts of the walls, fragments of wall paintings by M. Horbovyi (1894) were visible.

The church is now lost.

The object of the study is the Church of the Nativity of the Holy Virgin in the village of Berezhnytsia This article is designed to attract information about the church, fragments of wall paintings and about their author — the artist M. Horbovyi to the scientific circulation.

The research methodology is based on the system-historical approach and methods of scientific analysis, analytical interpretation and historical reconstruction.

Keywords: Ukrainian wooden churches, Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary village Berezhnytsia, wall paintings by M. Horbovyi.

REFERENCES

  • Chornovol, I. (2010). 199 deputies of the Galician Seimas. «Lviv Hundred» series. Lviv [in Ukrainian].
  • Hrymalyuk R. (2024). Unlost masterpieces: paintings of the Church of the Intercession of the Holy Mother of God of the Monastery of St. Gerard of the Redemptorists in the village of Kohavino (historical aspect and artistic features). Ethnological notebooks,  6 [in Ukrainian].
  • Wooden churches of Western Ukraine. Old church Berezhnytsia Zhydachiv district. Retrieved from: http://decerkva.org.ua/berezhnytsia.html [in Ukrainian].
  • (1996). The wooden church of the Nativity of the Virgin in 1724. In: V. Slobodian. Catalog of the existing wooden churches of Ukraine and Ukrainian ethnic lands; Bulletin of the Institute of Ukrzakhidproektrestavratsiya (Vol. 4) [in Ukrainian].
  • Wooden churches of Lviv region. Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. URL: https://web.archive.org/web/20110904045746/http://decerkva.org.ua/2zhydB.html [in Ukrainian].
  • Encyclopedia of Zhydachevo region. Wooden churches. Retrieved from:  https://zhydachiv.wiki/decerkva.org.ua [in Ukrainian].
  • Nikitenko, Nadia. (2018). Mosaics and frescoes of Sophia of Kyiv. Kyiv [in Ukrainian].
  • Kornienko, V. (2011). The corpus of graffiti of Sophia of Kyiv (XI — beginning of the XVIII century) (Part III). Kyiv [in Ukrainian].
  • An 18th-century wooden church will be restored in the Lviv region. Retrieved from:  https://www.pslava.info/BerezhnycjaS_CerkRizdvaBogorodyci_2007NaLvivschyniVidnovljatDerevj,239895.html [in Ukrainian].

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