Collapsing wooden church restored

Restoration at the Greek Catholic Church in Nowe Brusno. Photo: PAP/Darek Delmanowicz

The Greek Catholic wooden church dates from the first half of the 18th century, although it was partially rebuilt in 1903.

The restoration is being carried out by the Museum of the Borderlands in Lubaczow.

“Had it not been for wooden props that were inserted 20 years ago to support the dome, the church would not have survived to this day,” commented museum director Stanislaw Piotr Makara.

“The church has not been used for religious purposes for many years, and time has taken its toll,” he said.

“We are arriving in the nick of time.”

Photo: PAP/Darek Delmanowicz

The majority of Poland's Greek Catholic and Orthodox churches lost their congregations in 1947, when Poland's communist regime forcibly resettled Ukrainians (including Lemkos and Bojkos).

The resettlement, known as Operation Vistula, was officially justified as a means of depriving the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) of a lifeline in southern Poland.

The Museum of the Borderlands is also responsible for the restoration of a wooden church in nearby Radruz, one of 8 Greek Catholic and Orthodox churches to be listed by UNESCO in June 2013.

Makara noted that UNESCO's decision has generated an upsurge of interest in wooden churches in the region.

He said that there are plans to instal an iconostastis in the church, and confirmed that the building will be made accessible to the general public. (nh)

Source: PAP