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

In the central part of the city of Kolomyia there is an ancient church of the 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 religious building in Kolomyia, an active church of the UGCC. The building is of the Baroque type, made of stone. The stone fence that surrounded the church cemetery and the five-arched bell tower in front of the main façade were demolished after 1946. The plebeian church, built in the first half of the nineteenth century, was thoroughly reconstructed. At present, the Kolomyia architectural and planning workshop (headed by V. Khvalyboha, member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, chief architect - V. Rusak, member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine) has developed a project to restore the aforementioned bell tower as close as possible to its original appearance.

The Roman Catholic church was designed by the famous Italian architect Bernardo Meretin. The building is located near the market square. Throughout the history of its existence, the church has changed its appearance several times, and quite dramatically. During the fire of 1830, the church partially burned down, and its exterior was almost completely destroyed. Reconstruction work lasted until 1895. The restoration significantly changed the appearance of the church, simplified the facade decor, and reduced the number of stone details. Mostly ordinary people went to this church, hoping for the intercession of the Mother of God, so it was often called the common people's church. The church housed a miraculous image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or "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 Loyola on Ivan Franko Street.

Originally, the building was a pompous stone cathedral, created from tiered walls decorated with exclusive decor. After a fire in 1895, which destroyed most of the building, the church was completely rebuilt. Restoration work in the church took more than a decade. Today, the church has a somewhat elongated silhouette that reaches high into the sky. The large arched windows of the building give it fragility and grace.

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

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