Церква Різдва Христового – унікальна пам’ятка архітектури національного значення. Знаходиться у самому центрі міста Галич, що на Івано-Франківщині. Точної дати будівництва храму ніхто достеменно не знає.
However, it is worth noting that there is a theory according to which the wooden church was built on the site of an ancient pagan shrine that was located on the outskirts of princely Halych. The date of construction is approximately the 12th century. Whether this is true or not – so far, no one has been able to prove or disprove it. Discussions on this issue continue to this day.
History of the Church of the Nativity of Christ. From its founding to the early XVIII century.
According to the theory of Yosyp Pelen'skyi, an authoritative historian and well-known art critic, at the site where the Church of the Nativity of Christ is currently located, there was a sanctuary of the ancient Rus god Perun, the protector of the prince and his wife.
The first documented mention of the temple dates back to 1286, when Halych was heavily devastated during the Tatar-Mongol invasion. The misfortune did not spare the Church of the Nativity of Christ – the building was severely damaged as a result of a strong fire. However, the parishioners quickly restored it. The next dark period in the church's history occurred in 1349 when Galicia was conquered by Polish troops. At that time, the building almost burned down again.
Another historical mention of the temple is from 1367. In this year, the Halych voivode Heinrich received a charter from Otto Piletskyi, the starosta of Halych Rus, which granted the order of Franciscan monks the right to build a church, for which a site was chosen in the center of the city – near the Church of the Nativity.
In the 14th century, the temple was repeatedly mentioned in various historical sources as one of the main cult buildings of craft guilds and associations. At the end of the 15th century, Sigismund III, the Polish king, approved the statute of the pottery guild in Halych, according to which the Church of the Nativity was considered its property. From the 16th to the 18th century, as a result of frequent Tatar raids, the church was repeatedly destroyed and, like a Phoenix from the ashes, was reborn again and again.
The Church in the second half of the XVIII – XX centuries.
The second half of the 18th century became a time of revival for the temple, a new page in its history. As Yuriy Lukoms'kyi, a well-known Ukrainian archaeologist and researcher of architecture of the princely era, believes, as a result of construction work, the facade and interior of the building were completely changed – the church was expanded from the south, north, and west, a gilded iconostasis was made, and 3 metal chandeliers were produced. All restoration work was fully completed by 1825.
The temple stood intact until the early 20th century. In 1904-1906, the Church of the Nativity of Christ was once again restored. All repair and construction work was overseen by the Lviv architect Lev Levyts'kyi, during which a new dome was built, and the interior was restored. Upon completion of the restoration, the building acquired its modern appearance. The church was consecrated in 1906 by Metropolitan Andrey Sheptyts'kyi himself.
The next repair of the Church of the Nativity was carried out in 1960, during which the interior was completely updated, and the walls were newly painted with evangelical themes. The painting work was done by brothers Petro and Mykhailo Shchupaky.
The Church of the Nativity of Christ today
In 2015, restoration work began again in the church. Parishioners suspect that the work will take several years, as they will have to do everything at their own expense, despite the fact that the Church of the Nativity of Christ is a monument of architecture of national significance. The people of Halych say that all the state has managed to do so far is to install protective signs.
Currently, the Church of the Nativity is an active cathedral of the UGCC and is part of the complex of history and culture of ancient Halych and the Galician-Volhynian state – the national reserve "Ancient Halych".
Interesting fact
The Church of the Nativity in Halych, unlike numerous princely stone cathedrals, was built not from imported, but purely from local materials – brick and marl on a lime mortar.
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