Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian in Tylicz

The Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian is a wooden structure with three towers topped by bulbous domes and walls made of wooden boards reinforced with diagonal bracing. Inside, two singing rooms called krilosy flank the nave and serve as additional side chapels.

Built between 1743 and 1744, this church replaced an earlier 16th-century Orthodox building that was torn down in 1640 during religious conflicts. The new structure rose from a period of instability for the Orthodox community in the Lemko region.

The interior displays figural and ornamental paintings from 1938 that mark the 950th anniversary of Christianization in Eastern Europe, with replicas taken from Kyiv Cathedral designs. These artworks reflect how local devotion connects to a broader Orthodox spiritual tradition that remains visible through the walls.

The building now serves as a cemetery chapel for the local Catholic parish and stands on a walking route dedicated to wooden architecture found throughout the region. Visiting it as part of this trail offers a chance to see several similar structures in one area.

The two singing rooms called krilosy were specifically designed for liturgical chanting during Orthodox services, not merely decorative side spaces. This arrangement was uncommon in other wooden churches of the Lemko region, giving this building a distinct liturgical purpose.

Location: Tylicz

Made from material: wood

GPS coordinates: 49.39527,21.02814

Latest update: December 14, 2025 13:06