St. Martin's Church, Mukachevo

St. Martin's Cathedral in Mukachevo is one of the city's landmarks. Today the cathedral belongs to the Roman Catholic Church. In its courtyard, one of the oldest monuments of church and temple architecture in Transcarpathia, the chapel of St. Joseph, which was built in the 14th century, has been preserved.

History of the church

In 1896, on the initiative of Count Schönborn, it was decided to build a new church. The temple was built in 1904 and named in honor of the patron saint of Mukachevo, St. Martin. The building was erected on the site of the old Catholic church, which was one of the first religious buildings in the city.

The new Gothic church was radically rebuilt in the early 20th century in the Romantic Neo-Gothic style by the Budapest architect Ziegler. The newly built church was consecrated on September 24, 1905.

Architecture of the church

The Church of St. Martin is made in light brown colors. The highest main tower is decorated with a clock, and the portal is decorated with a vaulted arch with columns. In 1913, a musical organ was built in the cathedral by Otto Rieger from Budapest. At the entrance to the church, an altar image was created - a painting by the Hungarian artist V. Madaras.

The pearl of the church is the chapel of St. Joseph, which is located in the courtyard of the cathedral. Its construction dates back to the 14th century. It is the only building that survived from the former church. The chapel is a stone building with narrow lancet windows, fortified with buttresses, and has Gothic features. The façade is decorated with a large rose arch and crosses. A round tower adjoins one of the walls and is crowned with a quadrangular roof with a spire. Inside the chapel are preserved 14th-century paintings.

Getting there.

St. Martin's Church is located in the center of Mukachevo on Cyril and Methodius Square. There are regular trains to the city from Lviv or Kyiv. You can also get here by shuttle buses from the capital, which go through Lviv.