Detailed description of St Nicholas Church
The Church of St Nicholas was built in the seventeenth century and radically reconstructed in 1794. Originally, the church was built of spruce with a three-storeyed structure in the Boyko or probably Lemko style. After the reconstruction of 1794, which took place under the priesthood of Vasyl Ivashkovych, the church acquired a modern Baroque appearance. The rebuilding of the church was supervised by the master Matii Khymych, who came from the village of Luchky. This is confirmed by an inscription on the doorpost. The radical reconstruction of the church was completed on 2 June 1794. Since then, St Nicholas Church in Chornoholova has been a classic type of Lemko church.
The form of Lemko churches evolved in the direction of their convergence with stone churches of the Western type, while the process took place both spontaneously and by order, under pressure from the church administration. In Lemko-type churches, the roof became gable and solid, with only a decorative dome over the altar part. The whole building is dominated by a decorative baroque bell tower.
After the reconstruction, St Nicholas Church acquired a basilica shape with a high Baroque bell tower. The master managed to organically embody the Baroque style in the old forms of wooden church architecture. This style in St Nicholas Church is most evident from the outside in the decorative forms and in the rounding of the architectural details of the tower.
The interior of the church was divided into three spaces, and under the gable roof there is a dormer, the wide slope of which, supported by carved pillars, creates a gallery – a “turnstone” on three sides.
The windows of the church are a unique phenomenon. Not only the archaic window frames have been preserved, but the glass in the window panes is mostly ancient, especially in the altar part of the church.
The nave of the church has an authentic iconostasis, which was created in the 18th century. Next to the church there is a miniature one-tiered bell tower, which enhances the impression of a unique church with its simple shape. The fence around the church is wire, but the ancient wooden gates have been preserved to this day.
