Church of St. Josaphat (Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary), Kolomyia

In the central part of the city of Kolomyia stands the ancient church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, built in 1775. The Church of St. Josaphat, formerly the Roman Catholic Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a cult building in the city of Kolomyia, an active temple of the UGCC. The building is of baroque type, made of brick. The stone fence that surrounded the church cemetery, as well as the five-arch bell tower in front of the main facade, were demolished after 1946. The rectory, built in the first half of the 19th century, has been thoroughly reconstructed. Currently, a project for the restoration of the aforementioned bell tower has been developed by the Kolomyia architectural and planning workshop (led by Khvalyboha V. R., a member of the NCAU, chief architect - Rusak V. V., a member of the NCAU) with maximum adherence to its original appearance.

The creation of the Roman Catholic temple was undertaken by the famous architect from Italy, Bernardo Meretyn. The building is located near the market square. Throughout its history, the church has changed its appearance several times, quite radically. During the fire of 1830, the temple partially burned down, and its exterior was almost completely destroyed. Reconstruction work continued until 1895. During the restoration, the exterior appearance of the church changed significantly, the facade decor was simplified, and the number of stone details was reduced. Previously, this church was mainly attended by simple people, hoping for the intercession of the Mother of God, which is why it was often referred to as the folk church. The church housed a miraculous image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or the “Kolomyia Mother of God.” In 1939, it was taken to Poland. A consecrated copy of this image is now located in the Roman Catholic Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola on Ivan Franko Street.

Initially, the building was a pompous stone cathedral, created from tiered walls adorned with exclusive decor. After the fire in 1895, which destroyed most of the structure, the temple was completely rebuilt. Restoration work in the church took several decades. Today, the church has several elongated silhouettes that reach high into the sky. The large arched windows of the building give it fragility and elegance.

During the Soviet era, the church was closed and converted into a children's goods store. It resumed its direct activities only in 1991. Since that year, it has been called the Greek Catholic Church of St. Martyr Josaphat Kuntsevych.

The Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary has played an important role in the history of church life in Kolomyia, as it brought together believers of three nationalities - Ukrainians, Poles, and Germans.