Churches & monasteries

St. Michael Archangel's Church, Turzańsk

The Church of St Michael the Archangel in Turzańsk is a wooden Orthodox church built in 1801–1803 and one of the most interesting examples of eastern Lemko sacred architecture in the Polish Carpathians. In 2013 it became part of the UNESCO listing of wooden tserkvas in the Carpathian Region of Poland and Ukraine.

History and present use

The church was built as a Greek Catholic tserkva. A narthex and probably the southern sacristy were added in 1836, followed by repairs in 1898 and 1913. After the Ukrainian population was displaced in 1947, the building was briefly used as a Roman Catholic church. Since 1963 it has again served as an Orthodox church.

What makes it distinctive

The building has an elongated three-part plan and no tall tower above the entrance. The narthex, nave and sanctuary are topped by bulbous cupolas, while two sacristies add further accents to the silhouette. Inside, the complete 1895 iconostasis, two early-19th-century side altars and polychrome decoration from 1898–1913 have survived.

Getting there and visiting

The address is 38-542 Turzańsk. On road 892 from Szczawne towards Komańcza, turn in Rzepedź onto the local road to Turzańsk; the church stands about 100 metres from the road. Do not treat it like a museum with guaranteed opening hours: it is an active Orthodox parish. Before travelling, check access with the parish or the commune’s tourist information. Keep quiet, do not touch the furnishings and ask before taking photographs.