Church of St. Basil the Great, Yablunytsia

TheChurch of St. Basil the Great is a functioning church of the Yaremche Deanery of the Kolomyia Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate in the village of Yablunytsia (Yaremche City Council) in Ivano-Frankivsk region. It was built in 1992. It is one of the two churches of the Yaremche Deanery (the other is located in the city of Yaremche on Kurortna Street).

The small picturesque village of Yablunytsia is located between two ski resorts, Bukovel and Yaremche. Its main attraction is the traditional Hutsul-style church of St. Basil. Despite its young age, St. Basil's Church is known in the area for its skillfully crafted iconostasis and artistic paintings.

After Ukraine gained its independence, the Orthodox residents of Yablunytsia decided to build a church in their village on their own. Construction began in 1991 and lasted almost two years. The painting of St. Basil's Church began in June 1999 and was completed the following summer. But it was only ten years later that the church acquired its modern appearance, with wooden cladding.

The church is decorated with an iconostasis made in 1995 by craftsmen from Delyatyn. The icons for the iconostasis were painted by Mykhailo Kuziuk, an artist from Lazeshchyna (Rakhiv district of Transcarpathia). The artistic wall paintings in the church were made by craftsmen from the village of Chornyi Potik - Mykola Paliychuk, Vasyl Vasylyshyn, Mykhailo Tkachuk, and Mykhailo Meniuk - in 2000. The tetrapod was carved and painted by Vasyl Vasylyshyn. The kyvot was made in 1995 in the village of Palianytsia.

The iconostasis is set in several rows: in the second tier there are icons of the Twelve Feasts, in the third tier - icons of the Apostles, in the fourth tier - icons of the Prophets, at the very top of the iconostasis there is a cross with the image of our Lord Jesus Christ crucified on it.

The rector of the church is Father Volodymyr Stadnyk, who, incidentally, has held this position almost since the church was founded. Interestingly, St. Basil's Church has its own website, where you can read Sunday sermons and local news.

Not far from the church, you can see the bell tower and a memorial cross in honor of the church's construction. Inside, the church is decorated with an iconostasis made in 1995 by Deliatyn craftsmen. The original five-level iconostasis impresses parishioners with its interesting design and skillful execution. The second row contains icons depicting religious holidays, the third row - images of the apostles, the fourth - of the prophets, and the top of the iconostasis is a crucifix.

There are many ski slopes in Yablunytsia, as well as in the neighboring towns. Therefore, for skiing enthusiasts, St. Basil's Church will not be the only tourist attraction worthy of attention. In addition, this village is home to the highest pass in the Ukrainian Carpathians, popularly called the Tatar Pass. It is known that in the 13th century, the Mongol-Tatar horde used it to get to Europe. The pass itself is a great place to admire nature and buy souvenirs, which are sold here.

The most convenient way to get to Yablunytsia is by bus - they depart from Ivano-Frankivsk every hour. The journey will not take more than two hours. By rail, you will have to change trains in Vorokhta, Lazeshchyna, or Yasinia. From there, you can get there by taxi or minibus.