Illinska Church in Subotiv, Ukrainian Baroque church in Subotiv, Ukraine.
Illinska Church is a brick building in the Ukrainian Baroque style, located in the village of Subotiv in central Ukraine. Its gable features embrasures, and the foundation of a former defense tower is still visible on the grounds.
Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky had the church built in 1653 as a tomb church, and after his death in 1657 he was buried there. From the start, the building served as a place of memory for one of the most important figures in Cossack history.
The church appears on the Ukrainian 5 hryvnia banknote, making it one of the few religious buildings in the country to feature on everyday currency. The poet and painter Taras Shevchenko also captured it in a watercolor in 1845, which remains one of the most recognized depictions of the site.
Subotiv is off the main travel routes, so getting there by private car or a hired vehicle is the most practical option. A visit in dry weather is advisable, as the ground around the building can get slippery after rain.
A Cossack cannon stands on the grounds, and inside the church stone crosses from the 18th century are displayed as part of a small museum collection. Hosting a permanent museum display inside an active place of worship of this size is quite rare.
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