Kryvka Church, Wooden church in Shevchenkivskyi Hay, Lviv, Ukraine
Kryvka Church is a three-steepled wooden structure covered in traditional shingles, built in the Boyko architectural style with a central tower rising above two smaller ones. The building displays the craftsmanship typical of Carpathian wooden architecture, with a symmetrical layout and carefully assembled timber joints.
Local craftsmen built the church in 1763 in the village of Kryvka using traditional Boyko methods. In the 1930s it was moved to the Lviv Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life, becoming the first structure displayed in the museum.
The name comes from Kryvka, the village in the Carpathians where it was built. Inside, visitors notice how the three separate chambers reflect Eastern Christian worship practices and the way these communities organized their sacred spaces.
The church stands within an open-air museum that spreads across a large grounds with many other wooden buildings from the region. Visitors can reach it by tram from central Lviv and should wear comfortable shoes since exploring the museum grounds requires walking.
The wooden structure still bears visible scars from artillery fire during World War I that pierced the upper gallery. These marks serve as a silent reminder of the difficult times the region experienced during that conflict.
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