"THE TRACK of ICONS

Every vtsitor to the Bteszczctcly nountdnl-s or tfie Beskld ,Vrskr mountoitls meets many EosLefil rite churches on the hike. ,^,/osl o_l
fhem arc vtooden and all are petfect]y httrnontzed wtth a mountainous Iandscape. Once nunlerous, only a Jew of thosc ch urches sutyived the post-tvar perils, berirg o testixlony oJ crafi ttnd cLtlturc o.f tlle for]ner mountditleerc. To bring lfils vanls,hrrrg culture closer k) ihc foullsts

- Oslouo

Riuer VoIIey"

found in otn .first

manuments. The nore detajled description oJ all the above con be

brot.httre , "The Track oJ

Iaons San
Volley".
To

Rrycr

"The Track al'Icons" wds narked, io s,hor.y fhe nlosf intei-esting erantples of Greek Cdtholic and Orthodor relrglous architecture in Sanok area. It seemcd ncccss.Try to estoblish this special eciucational tracl,: da\vnstreom thc Sotl River Vallcy, Jiom Sanok to Ulucz, becousc oJ the lack of other tourjst routes in the drea ndking it dilJicttlt to Jind pdrtjcLtlor bujldings. Ihe tracl: was accornpantecl by the,lirst brochure , cntitlcd "TIIE TP.\CK aJ 1CO,ryS Sdn River Valley". The idea \\/ds thetl carried on in this second brochure, hon'eyer no special toLtrist trock was markcd tlls tinte, becattse llmost all llle struclu/'e's ntentioncd dre odjaccnt to the nain road: Sanok Z096rz Kotlloncza Sloval:ian border, and there ts o sulfcient nehuorl:. oJ eristing tourist t:outcs there. So, tvith this brochure in one hancl ttnd ti good toLrrist mop in Lhe other, you ot:e quite preparetl for contempl(ttitlg the bedu$r of woctdcn orchjtecture of Lentko lands along the oslatua nver. It ts assumed thltyoLt ntoke your trip by cor, ltotvever otherways are olso suggesred near thc cncl of tltis broclture Our trip bcglns in Sanok, rflrei'e one car vrsll thr b/ggest Folk Architccture open Air Museun 1n Poland, J'eattu'ing materiol culturc
.

get to Oslavta

river valley, vte leave

Sanok heading east,
totvarcls d small totvn Zag ti rz, tv h ere O sl dvta

Zag6rz

pours its waters into

the Son rtver. Thc.first pdrt af Z.tgorz, named Dolina, has jts own vtooden Creek Catholic church ctf the B/essed Virgin Mary fi'om I 836, presently trdministered by the Roman Catltolic church. The otttstdc of Lhe clturch is notflsctnotjng, bttt the 19th centLtry tcons ond a sntdll altdr inside arc: tuortl't mentioning. Dovrn the road we rcdch lhe crossroads in the centre of Zag6rz, fron where the straight tood contrnues Io Lesko tyhile we choose souffi tLtnl to\vords Kotntuicza. Some 500 metresJi'ont fhe oossloads, on the Jc.ft ct-f the moin roacl there is a churcLt butlt of stone in 1835, devote(l to St Michacl. Formefly Greck Catltolic, .rt present it is useci by Ot'thodox \vorshippcrs. At its eost end there is d scnicirculdr chancel \,vith dn attachcd vesfly. Af lis rvest end there is a high, sfone iorrlcr ryl th 0 \voo(len upper part and a clecorative replica oJ'o stnall bell torvcr ot the top. In the interior, d present-day iconosfcsr'sr can be Jbund. ]fie ke,vs to the church can bc obtained Jiom Mr l/esror Hlyujok, yvho lives near the church aL 1O Mb/n0rska street., As we continue along the main rood, we reach the parish RC (Roman Catholic) church from the I Bth centuly. From behind thts church a narrow road runs some 500 metres
the picturesque ru ins of Discalced Car melitan monastety, al so onginating in the
1

to

8th centuly. At Zagorz

paflsh church the road

splits in two branches. The main roqd cln-

tinues sttIight south

then in setpentines it climbs up Dzial moun. tain. The ather ro6d Sanok place
af Lemko, Bojko, Pogbrzanie and Doltnianiefolks. Another interesting js the Historical Museum located in a Renaissance castle, presenting the biggest collecLion oI Carpathian icons in Poland. the gatlery of Zdzislaw Beksifiski, Poksh contemporaly pqintet'and other interesting displays. Sanak's Eastern churches, including the Orthodox cathedral church of PrzemySl-Notr'y Sqcz diocese, and the churches in olchowce and Dqbrowka, are also worth visiting, as well as other

runs via Poraz dnd Moroch6w winds along the Oslawa river until it meets tlle main one again in Szczawne village. Both roads are vety attractive; but the second one seems richer jn what we are looking for in this brochure. Thus, we will choose it frst, but we will also describe the main road later an as an interesting elternative. Soon after we lurn right at the crossroads, we reach Pora2. At the beginning of thisvilIage, some 300 metres leJtfrom the road, there is a Neo Aolhic monor-house of lhe Cubrynowiczlamily. the last big

landor^"tners of the neighbouring orea. In the centre oJ'the vtllage, on the hill le|t a.l'the rood, there is a small, brick RC clturch Jiont the t Stlt century. Past the village, we redch another crossroods, where we tunt

south towards Moroch6w vlllage. In thts village there is d wooden, lbnnerly GC (Greek Ctttholtc)

In Szczowtle our road rejotns the nain road Jiom Zagorz to

Komaficza. Let
Lrs

now
its

church built jn I 837, sincc I 96 I adm jnistered by the Ortltodox church. To get there one has to go down the mdin road then turn rjght into a

describe thts olter

nItive road and

Jield track, go post on Orthodox, tvooden cross and go on dbout SO metres. The outsjde view of this church is not rernarkable, but the interior, tncluding an interesting i gth centuiy iconostasis and distinctly Neo Cothic dcor, ts especially note\,vorthy. The pnestv,tho lives in the nearby vicarage shows round the church. The next villdge ts Mokre. Creek Catholjc, bnck church witlt

moin attr7ctiotls. At Zagorz parish chttrch tue do not turn

right towards

Pora2, \ue toke the main road

south towards Torna hill

hill vre get to wielopole village, no\,v a port oJ Zagorz to ddministration. On tlte IeJi of the road, behind the river, lyr c.r1t -<:: the ruins o;f tlte above ment ioned Carmelitan monostery. A littlc rts:' Jiom the ruins, on the hjll, thcre is a white, brick Cree k Catholic chur:, of the Archangel Michdel, bttilt in 1939 on tJre cross base, v,tith d lo: _: bulb cupold an its top. Unfortunotely, ffiere ts no rconostasrs ijr_.,.:To get to this chtu:ch one has to turn leftJrom the main road, ktJ:.,:-. the side road across thc railvtay crosslng ond over tlte britlge As we conttnue along the ntain road we reach Tornatva Dt-,.:-. village. On the crossroads behind the village tve turn right. Ilte rr. to the left \edds into Kalniczka nvcr valley, where the ruils ol-a,churches in Tarnowa Gorno (1E17), Olchowa (lgZ7) ond Seie., : Ivielkie (1810) can be found. Ta thc some directton there is a be,: preserved church in I:ukc.tvte ( 1828), presently ddntinjstered by the : ..

Wielopole vta instead. On theJirst rve go post the historical Zag6rz cernetery on the teJt anrl down :, :

cl

ltl,

h.

From

Tanlol,nJo

Dolna we keep gorng across Czaszyn

wherewefnd a GreekCatholjc, brick church of St Nicholas, buit:

1835, presently administered by the RC church.

vtll;.:
:

Behind thevillage :.-:

sceni c serpen tjne rc.. cfimDs Dz.-,

Mokre - ikonostas
red roof can be seen on the leJt side of the road. The structure is quite modern, as itwas built in 1992, but it houses an interesting iconoslosis from I a)O. origi na ting lrom Stubianka village. presently deposited in this church by the museum in I:aficut. The church can be presented by Mr Bogdan Midnik, Makre 42 Anothef attraction of the villageis Lemko and Bojkofolk dance and song ensemble "Oslawtony,'. Then the road runs past the crude oil production plant and leaves Mokre, winding in a picturesque eslawa vallry towards Wysoczany village. About I km of the road here is quite narrow, as it clings to a
a

up

mountain,from wlter: a magntfcient view .'

Pogbrze Bukows]:ie
the Slanne mountairs

and Pog'rze Lesdt

can be seen. The ver: top af Dzial is coverec

with forest, but onc:

mountsin slopq squeezed'befuaeen the railway above and the river

below.
In.\Alysoczany we ga past an,;old, Greek Catholic cemete\i with a newly.bu\lt chapel,, It houies' an interesting, present4ay i conosfdsrs.

we go over to i:
Szczawne

Southem s/opes t:e

rhe l<,q/S arcEepasitedwith the aommunib/'reprcsentative, Mr Raman Karpd. Beyond the villdge there'are a-.uildings af a past communist St6te,Agn9ulttird:| Complex, now redeveloped as (t stud famt Right b:9hind thi;jarn;tne'roed'ioins dnother one from Bukows;ki to Szczawne. We fum left, leaving behind us Lhe remains olvitlage plonna, wjth'the:rui.11iof thec:C:chureh,,ised aJler the second WorldWar as a storehouse for the Agricultural Complex,

vaile;.. which separates the Bieszczady mountains from the Beskid Nisi:; mountains. As we drive down the mountain, we go pasL a cemeter.

encounter justanothe. splendid panorama

the Oslawa

c'

and d brjck bell-tower, the only remainder of the GC church t: Kulaszne, which burnt in t974. Close to the bell-tower there is a
newly built brickchurch. Nextwe enter the Szczawnevillage and rejoin the road frotn Zag1rz via Pora2, which has already been descibe,j
above.

'i.,

il

As tve lcarrc Szczawne heaclittg sttutlt, rigltt behintl the ratlrtty on the tight sidc of the roacl ,,ttc c.7r -see a.fLtrnterly Creek Cdtltolic, trtttoclen churclt o.f the Donnitiot't oJ the Blcsscd Vtrgin L|(tty, 1688 ltt trc\v 0dtr')jt'tistercd by the OrLltocftix chLil'c|1. IL rttds l:ttilt Edst Lcmko o/pe. There ts an iconostrzsisfonr 1SEB insidc and o li gLt r(t liv c p oly ch ro my.fi o nt I 9 2 5 o t't the tva I s. Nexr to rhe ch u rc h the re towe r o/ / 8E9 drtd the parish ceme tel,v. The kelz-s fo rs rr l'r.'ooder be the chLtrch orc depo sited with NIi .lon \ltolo
crr-ossi)rg,

Turzansk
if

ll

ll

rnv, Szcz1\vne 20 lo large bflck I'tttusc dt rle

ro(1d to BukolvskoJ. AlsLt in Sz.cztttrne one
c(t

aa:

n,fi n(l d t1

terestj llS

l9tl1 cenLuty tvooclen chapel nctrr the ntain

rcdd.

Soolt a,liel
I e0c11

nrc

lctn,e Szczatvne ltle

RzepedZ
t i llage.

To.fintl the CC chw'ch here, octuolly one ol lhc rnosl beantiJi.rl itt

Rzepedi

ll'tcttrea,wchdvebtLilntiSl'ttat Ihe beqlllll/ll5'ofrlle Ijllitge. Dtttitlg

up along Rzepedl:d streol]l lvcs'et-stl?hf t.r tllrs cllturh /f i|a,s bttill ttJ'tvoocl irt 1824 111 Edst Lnka Oslatrtt fpe, b1c-s-scd irr /,S-rar l/l the narrre of 5f Nlcllolas Lhe Bishop. 1n one .l/'sl1l'sa.lllailf /-rlr '\,7ir(r/r\ ptobLtbly in 1895, o vestry tvas ocicit-d, bLrl tt tyil-s 1rttile.l .lL)ll?l 'Jirlill-g tt mol:es|lilipl-e-setl?lloll in 1969. The chttrclt lr'.i-i ll-ScLi,rri:i. llti: ttur bv Romon Ctlho/lcs, notv it belong-s bacA Ir Grr:,r C.rthtr/ic rvolsh/ppejs. Ihc tcontrsfasts tr'sicle datcs back li-ottl l,l,-c :.i/lla illrrc.T-s tlte cl'turch itsel,f ancl polychtomy on fle ttrrr//s lt';s p.il;,'i;',i rrr /,i9ii I

u'oodL'1r. Ilr.ee fJoolpillar bel|-t,s,,ver. as old

os the
llrefen'
Js

chLtrch

is

sttLroted next to

it. The
ce

chttrch and its

sttrrottnded
11'd11.

Kotriaflcza

t:

; =$+
G-

bt' a lotv, -sfortr p/-esen f the sdlrctLiclv ts

AI

ttndergoing tllotougll
redecord ti o t'ts. Ihe keys Kc"r-nrnicza

to the chtn'ch

a{e

.Y=

deposiled rr'rfh r\.fr Siarrronri- /urottski, rvho

1iesl]r lhe iisthouseon

fh il,Ehf behind the tood tLut1.

Once bdck on the

ndin rodd v,e contintte

After tlte rcrilway crossing and the

Ttrrzarisk

our jountet'

sottth.

valley of Barborko streom, where two magniJicient Eostern rjte churches of Komaficza are situated. The frst one is seen on the leJt side of the road. It is o large, brick structure, with a wooden upper part and with a large bulb cupola on its central top. It wos built in 1985-88 in o strange way which reflects its unusual htstory. Since
Greek Catholic worshippers were not allowed to practise their cult in the old church, originally GC, they wanted to build a new one . But the communist authonttes did not allow them to built a new church, only to tronsfer a once abandonned church from some othe r place. A small sanctuatyfrom Dudyfice village wos chosen, Fooling the authonttes, inhabitants oJ Komaicza built a big, brick church with the

the

fittle wooden church

from Dudyfice on
tap.

Radoszyce cza we conlinue our lrip towads Lupkorv ancl rench Radoszyce village. At present the rood is being built from here to the planned border checkpoint. We tutn righl at lhe only crossroods in thevillage. After a few minutes drive we get to a wooden Greek Catholic parish

seems somewhat unusual. Since 1990 a Lem-

a structure

The general vtew

ofsuch

ko Museum has been Iocdted in an old hut

near the church, where household equipement of the Lemko folk can be seen. The priest who lives in the nearby vicarage shows round the church dnd the museum. Some 300 metres farther up the hill, on the right side of the

Komaricza

road, there is a beautiJul ruooden church of the Protection of the BVM, built in 1802 in East Lemko Oslawa type. The vestry with an additional small tower was added aJter I 836. This church was originally a parish Greek Catholic church, but since I963 it has been administered by the Orthodox communilt. A complete jconostasis instde dates back to 1832.
Next to the church there is a wooden beil-gate. The structure and the cemetery is surrounded by a |ow, stone wall. The Orthodox presbyter who lives in a private house at Komaficza 216 near the GC church shows round the Orthodox church.

church of St Demetrius, bujlt in I868. Inside, there is an iconostasis oJ Ihe same age and a small rococo oltar. LJn|ortunately. Ihe so called 'feast icons" ("prazdniki"1 were stolen from the iconostdsis in I 99 l. On the gallery some interesting paintings can befound, showing scenes jlom everyday tife of the villagers. One shows Lemko women going Io church, the other one presents a Lemko man in a folk out\t,- soiing grain. There is also a stone bell-tower in front of the church and on old cemeLety araund. The keys to the

church are deposiled with

Mrs Zofa Gusztak, who |ives in the house closest to the church Radoszyce 12, but best make an

it is

to

From Komahcza, it is worth taking the side rodd to Wislok Wielki, tvhere there is a lovely wooden Eost Lemko church of St onuphrios, built jn 185053,

presently adminjs-

An

tered by the RC church.

interesting ico nostasis can be seen inside. The building is

accomponied

orrangement with the priest who |ives in Komahcza (Czeslaw Dec, Komaficza 88, phone number' 4677081) and isvery keen on showing round the church himself.

by

stone bell-tower and surrounded by a Jow wall made of broken stone. The priest who

lives

in the

neorby

vicarage shows round the church.

Back in Komofi-

Smolnik Above the village, beside the stream flowing from "the miraculous spring" a chapel can befound, containing a modern but interesting icon of Jesas Christ jn the Garden of Gethsemane. Back on the Radoszyce crossroads we once again choose the southern direction. We go across the open plains of a former village Oslawica, where now only on abandoned State Agricultural Complex and a few other buildings remained, Then we go past No."ty t upkow to our west and we are bock in Oslawa valley, entering the Smolnik vil\age and a,fter 1 km ride we spot the beautrful proJile oJ'the Smolnik church. It js a brick, once the GC parish church, since 1969 administered by the RC church. lt was built in 18O6 and devoted to St

EXPLANATORY NOTES:

Thehach of lcons
.'

A A &
*_**

wooden Eastern rite churches brick/stone Eastern rite churches Eastern rite churches in nrin
roads roads

lslsrua Riuu'Volley

* ., - . field/dirt rivers _ railway

IA
zAEoRz
]l!t'
Dziady 647 m

state border
blue tourist track red tourist track

A
MOROCHOW MOKRE OLCH

Gruszka

5583 m

green tourist track road to the border checkpoinl under construction peaks All altitudes given above sea level

^.

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__/ J ,,/,

TARNAWA GORNA

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Rzepedka

7o8m

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Text: Roberl Barikosz

Translalion: Piotr Junglewrcz Photos Hubert Wolwowicz, Agata Skowroiska, Nlaciej Skowroriski, Dorota Stanj
Sponsored by: Ministry ol Phlsical Culture and Tourism

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