The Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mamayivtsi

The Kitsman region is rich in historical sacred buildings. Most of them are located on the road that goes from Ivano-Frankivsk to Chernivtsi. Traveling by car, you can even see them. One such church is the Intercession Church in the village of Mamayivtsi.

The village of Mamayivtsi historically consisted of two villages - Staryi and Novyi Kut. In the village there was one small church of St. John the Baptist, which has survived to this day. However, at the beginning of the 20th century, it could no longer accommodate all the parishioners of the large village. It was then decided that Mamayivtsi needed a larger church. However, the start of construction was constantly postponed due to disagreements within the community. Finally, in 1907, the cornerstone of the future church was laid.

The architect from Chernivtsi, Frank Kosynskyi, was the author of the project of the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The construction was completed in 1910. On November 21, it was consecrated. At the same time, bells were made for the church, but they were used for the needs of the Austro-Hungarian army during World War I.

Under Soviet rule, the church was transferred to a local collective farm and used as a storage facility. Salt and mineral fertilizers were stored here, which led to the loss of a significant part of the church's interior. Since 1980, the church has housed a museum of atheism. The Intercession Church was returned to the community only in 1989.

The church has become memorable for the Orthodox community of Bukovyna, as it was the first to come under the jurisdiction of the Kyiv Patriarchate in the region. Since then, it has been visited by the highest church officials on the occasion of holidays or significant anniversaries. In particular, Patriarch Filaret visited the church on its centenary.

The church was built in the typical Bukovyna style of the early 20th century and is somewhat reminiscent of the Orthodox churches of Chernivtsi. The Church of the Intercession combines features typical of Romanian churches, local motifs, and traditions of the Byzantine school.

The interiors have been partially preserved. The iconostasis, which is the same age as the church, has survived to this day. The paintings and interior decoration are not intact. However, the remnants of the old restored paintings are still visible.

The church is located in the center of the village of Mamayivtsi, which is 12 kilometers from Chernivtsi. You can get there by any bus heading in the direction of Kitsmani, Kolomyia, or Vyzhnytsia on the H-10 or M-19 highway. Suburban trains Kolomyia - Chernivtsi and Chernivtsi - Stefanesti stop in the village.

Openinghours: the church is open during Sunday and holiday services.

Mamayivtsi got its name from the landowner Mamayeskul; folk legends say that the name comes from a woman from Galicia called Mamanna who settled in the local monastery, and there is also a legend that claims the name of the village came from the famous khan Mamai, who allegedly stopped here with his horde before venturing across the Carpathian Mountains. The first mention of the village dates back to 1580. Hetman Pylyp Orlyk was passing through here in 1722. The ki. XVIII - early XIX centuries.

The village of Mamayivtsi was divided into two parts: New and Old Mamayivtsi. Mamayivtsi, as an integral settlement, was revived in the first year of independence. Mamayivtsi is located on the left bank of the Prut River.

There is a railroad, Chernivtsi-Ternopil and Ivano-Frankivsk highways passing through the village. Mamayivtsi is a village located in Kitsman district, Chernivtsi region. The distance to the regional center of Chernivtsi is 10 km. The population is 5830 people. It is known that in the part called Novi Mamayivtsi, there were two monasteries that were branches of the Manyavsky (Great) Skete. Today in Novi Mamayivtsi, the large Orthodox Church of the Intercession, built in 1906 with a combination of Neo-Byzantine and Romanian architectural traditions, is striking in its colorfulness from a car window. Numerous roadside private hotels and restaurants are even more striking.

The village's location on a national highway near the regional center contributes to the development of tourist services. Mamaievtsi is said to be the richest village in Bukovyna. In the part of Mamayivka that used to be called Staroselia, to the left of the road next to the new stone church, there is a small wooden church painted green with a tin roof and porch. This is St. John's Church, built in 1863 (according to other sources, in 1773), which acquired its modern appearance after a recent restoration. The church is three-domed, one-story with a small octagonal dome growing out of the nave's quadrangle. It was in this church in the 1930s that the future great Ukrainian singer, academician of the Academy of Arts of Ukraine, chief director of the Taras Shevchenko National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, professor of the Tchaikovsky Music Academy Dmytro Hnatiuk took his first singing lessons from a local priest. A large stone church was built next to the wooden church in 1996, which was also consecrated in the name of John the Baptist.

There are the following institutions in the village: post office, medical institution, educational institution, club, library, local history museum, police, banking institutions. The main population is Ukrainians. The villagers are engaged in farming and animal husbandry, entrepreneurial activity and work in various institutions.