Church of the Holy Trinity, Burshtyn

The Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity is located at 64 Bandera Street, Burshtyn , Ivano-Frankivsk region. It was built in 1740-1755 on the site of a wooden church built by Paul Benoit in 1740. This order was engaged in the redemption of Christians from Turkish captivity. Pavlo Benoye was the ambassador of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to Turkey, where he became acquainted with the activities of these monks. While developing the town, he invited the Trinitarians to Burshtyn and began building a church. Until 1784 it belonged to the Trinitarian monks. Later, it became the property of the Burshtyn Roman Catholic plebeians.

The struggle against the opryshky distracted the founder's attention for a while, and later he died without completing his plans. His granddaughter Yulia Zhevuska finished the construction of the shrine. The church was consecrated in 1774. However, after the Josephine Council, the Trinitarian Order was liquidated, and the church was transferred to a Roman Catholic parish. In 1800 a tower was added over the entrance and the church finally acquired its modern appearance. Since its foundation, the Latin parish had belonged to the Kukilnytsia deanery for almost a century. Roman Catholics from Ozeriany, Yunashkiv, Korostovychi, Kunychi, Koniushky, Kuropatnyky, Ludvykivka, Nastashyn, Dolni and Seredni Sarnyky, and Stasova Volia (now Sloboda) came to worship in the Church of the Holy Trinity.

The shrine survived several fires, after which, however, it became more and more beautiful after being restored. On October 21, 1838, a fire inside the church burned down the high altar. A new altar was made by order of I. Skarbok. It amazed the locals and all visiting travelers with its beauty. In 1915, the roof of the church was badly burned. But the building suffered the most during a fire on April 12, 1920. On that day, Ukrainians organized an Easter shooting, which started the fire. The church was soon restored. Old-timers remember that in the 20s and 30s there was a clock on its tower.

After World War II, the number of Roman Catholics in Burshtyn decreased dramatically, and the authorities decided to liquidate the Roman Catholic religious community and close the church. From 1950 to 1992 the church was closed.

In 1951, the church was closed and converted into a school library and gymnasium, and in the 1980s, local authorities transferred the church to a fish farm to be used as a feed warehouse. To meet their religious needs, Burshtyn Roman Catholics were recommended to attend the church in Bukachivtsi, which was located 10 km away. Among the most valuable items that were transferred to the state for safekeeping were 2 thrones, 8 large icons, 1 small icon, 6 choruses, and a small bell. In the 1980s, the local authorities transferred the church to be used as a feed warehouse for the fish trust. This decision was made despite the fact that the building was considered a historical and architectural monument. In 1990, the burning of feed inside the church caused another wound. The fire severely damaged the church tower.

In 1991 the shrine was returned to the Roman Catholic community. After the interior was repaired and renovated, the church began to be used for its original purpose. The interior features a Baroque high altar, several sculptures, and a part of the 18th-century mural depicting the redemption of Christians from Tatar captivity by the Trinitarians (the mural was repainted during the renovation).

Below you will see all the sights of Burshtyn, and we also suggest you go to the pages of the Prometheus Palace of Culture, known for its mosaics, the Berehynia Historical and Ethnographic Museum, and the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in the old part of Burshtyn.