The Greek-Catholic wooden church of St. Paraskeva from Nová Polianka is an ornament unique of the Svidník open-air museum in the north-east of Slovakia.
Church dates from 1766. It was damaged during World War II, but after repairs it was used until 1960. Then a year later, after reconstruction, it was dismantled and in 1986, according to precise documentation, restored and relocated to the open-air museum in Svidník.
The wooden temple from Nová Polianka represents typical Lemko variant three-piece and three-tower log temples. The triple division into sanctuary, nave and nave is accentuated by the picturesque turrets which increase in size towards the west.
There is a wooden bell tower next to the temple, which has a square plan. Its roof is in the shape of a low pyramid, covered with shingles and two bells hang in it. On the top there is a one-armed decorative cross.
The "heart" of the church is the iconostasis from the middle of the 18th centurywhich separates the nave from the sanctuary. This iconostasis comes from the former wooden church from Pravrovce, as evidenced by the patronizing icon of the Three Saints.
Cerkov has been functional since its consecration in 1993 and regularly holds services.
Source : www.drevenechramy.sk
Cover photo: Jano Štovka, MQEP
