Monuments of folk architecture of material and spiritual culture of Ukrainians and Ruthenians are concentrated in an open-air ethnographic exposition that can be seen above an amphitheatre in the town of Svidník in northeastern Slovakia. A wooden church from Nová Polianka (Mergeška) is the gem of the exposition.
The open-air ethnographic exposition of the SNM - the Museum of Ukrainian Culture in Svidník is located in a hilly area called 'Kochanovský breh'.The impressive open-air museum with an integrated set of folk buildings, including a precious wooden church from 1766 that was originally placed in the village of Nová Polianka, was opened to the public in the early 1980's.
An area of 11 hectares features groups of picturesque farmer houses with straw or shingle roofs from north-eastern Slovakia. The typical environment of rural settlement also includes farm buildings and structures, such as wells, stables, haylofts and barns. The exposition also includes a carter's pub from the latter half of the 19th century.
Typical rural utility buildings such as a water mill and a water sawmill, a blacksmith's workshop, a fire station and a school building also constitute an inseparable part of the exposition.
The open-air museum organizes a folklore and ethnographic event called Treasures of the People on a yearly basis. It is held in Svidník's amphitheatre in June within the framework of the traditional Festival of the Ruthenian and Ukrainian Cultures of Slovakia. In addition, Days of Folk Traditions as well as an international championship in the making of pirohy (pirogy or potato dumplings) are held in the museum every September.
The Greek Catholic wooden church of St Michael the Archangel (Chrám sv. Michala Archanjela) was included in 2008, along with seven wooden churches of the Slovak part of Carpathian Mountain Area, on the UNESCO Word Heritage List.
he Greek Catholic wooden church of St Paraskieva from 1705. It is a log building with three spaces and a new diagonal nave on tall stone masonry. The church was rebuilt in 1932 when it acquired the form as we know it now, with to lateral chapels. The church was reconstructed in 2002. Its Baroque interior and iconostas are from the mid-18th century. The iconostas with the subject of the New Testament, figures of Apostles, Prophets and other Saints was restored. More artistic and historic icons and objects complement the interior of the church.
The Greek Catholic wooden Church of St Nicolas (Chrám sv. Mikuláša) was included in 2008, along with seven wooden churches of the Slovak part of Carpathian Mountain Area, on the UNESCO Word Heritage List.
The Greek Catholic wooden church of the Protection of the Most Holy Mother of Godfrom 1938 was built to the design of the Ukrainian architect and researcher involved with popular architecture V. Sichynsky. It is a typical structure of Boyko type, one-nave log building standing on taller masonry. The interior decoration is from the time when the church was built, but its iconostas is from the 18th century.
The Greek Catholic wooden church of theProtection of the Most Holy Mother of God from 1770. The log building consists of three parts and has three little towers. Wooden entrance gate with octagonal low roof covered by shingle stands in front of the church.
Not far away from Bardejov in north-east of Slovakia are the ruins of the Castle Zborov, also called Makovica.
The Museum of Folk Architecture - Slovakia's oldest open-air museum - is located on the edge of the Bardejov Spa in north-eastern Slovakia. The museum's main sights include two wooden churches that were originally located in the village of Zboj (Orthodox) and the nearby village of Mikulášová (Greek-Catholic).
The Roman Catholic wooden Church of St Francis of Assisi (Kostol sv. Františka z Assisi) is in 2008, along with seven wooden churches of the Slovak part of Carpathian Mountain Area, it was included on the UNESCO Word Heritage List.
