Church of St. Elijah the Prophet, Truskavets

The resort town of Truskavets in the Lviv region has many churches, including the Church of St. Elijah the Prophet on Ivan Mazepa Street. The address should be specified right away, as there is another St. Elijah's Church in Truskavets on Vasyl Stus Street. The former belongs to the parishioners of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, while the latter is at the disposal of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. Despite the fact that the vast majority of Truskavets residents are Greek Catholics, believers of different churches can satisfy their religious needs in the city. Both St. Elijah the Prophet Church on Mazepa Street and St. Elijah Church on Stus Street have numerous parishioners. Both Truskavets residents and visitors visit the churches, and there are more than ten thousand of them in the resort town every year.

The Church of Elijah the Prophet on Mazepa Street was built in 1998. This young building is the realization of a long-held dream of the parishioners. The ground was broken in 2003, and the building was constructed quite quickly. People from all over Ukraine helped to raise money for the construction.

A small town of 26,000 people was very happy to see a spacious church with a separate bell tower in a residential area. Now it is one of the most visited churches in the city, and during the resort months (May through September), parishioners from other cities come here as well. During the summer vacation period, the population of Truskavets increases by an average of 10 thousand people.

The building of the Church of Elijah the Prophet is made in a classical style with laconic decoration, so it harmoniously fits into the surrounding urban landscape. At the base, the shrine has the shape of an equilateral cross, and it is crowned with a top placed on an octagonal drum about 30 meters high. The entrance to the temple is made in the form of an arched veranda, which gives the contours of the church grace. To the left of the entrance is a small two-tiered bell tower. The facade of the church is painted in soft pastel colors. The interior is decorated with paintings, and its main decoration is a three-tiered carved iconostasis with gilding.

The walls of the church are arranged in the shape of an Orthodox cross. Above them rises a single bathhouse, about 30 meters high, and the porch is decorated with an arched veranda, which gives the walls of the facade a special lightness and grace. On the right side is a bell tower in a similar style. On major holidays, the sound of its bells reaches all corners of the city.

On August 2, when the church celebrates the Day of the Holy Prophet Elijah, Truskavets celebrates the patronal feast in two churches at once: UGCC and UOC. In the morning, Orthodox Christians gather for prayer in the church on Mazepa Street, while the Greek Catholic faithful begin the festive Liturgy in the church on Stus Street. By the way, both St. Elias churches in Truskavets were built during the time of Ukraine's independence.

You can get to the Church of St. Elijah the Prophet by car, following the E1402 road. At the entrance to the city from the north (from Drohobych and Lviv), turn left at the circle with the fountain, onto Ivan Mazepa Street. The church is located a few hundred meters north of the Truskavets railway station. From the bus station, the church can be easily reached on foot by walking down Drohobytska Street towards the circle where you should turn left onto Mazepa Street.

Near the church, it will be interesting to visit the Church of St. Nicholas, which is famous for its solemn architecture and interesting history. Although the pearl of these places is still the Truskavets natural area: its crystal clear air and picturesque surroundings.