Slovakia
Wooden churches of Eastern Slovakia
There are 27 of us in total and we are listed among the national cultural monuments. We are wooden buildings of a sacred nature forming a group in the monument fund of Slovakia. Our uniqueness lies mainly in the architecture and construction technology. We were always built in an area where there was plenty of wood from rich forests. The construction technology is also unique - all the material had to be made of wood and not a single nail was allowed to be used during construction. The churches are Greek Catholic buildings, except for the church in Ruský potok, which is Orthodox and the church in Hervartor, which is Roman Catholic. Our floor plan is predominantly three-bay with a square or polygonal presbytery, with a nave covered by a projecting dome and vestibule. The tower rises from the vestibule structure, with which it shares a roof above the ground floor. When there were more of us on the property, we were fenced off with a log or brick fence, and the local cemetery was part of it. Various carpentry and carving geometric ornaments also deserve attention. Decoration was even applied in the way of laying shingles, clapboards and laths. Metal was also used in some decorative and functional elements (crosses, window and door fittings). The most prominent and essential part is the iconitas, a wooden wall with images separating the altar from the rest of the temple.