The Church of St. Michael the Archangel

 Zhovkva town is a famous tourist location in Lviv region. But only few visitors know that there are also a lot of objects worth noting on the town outskirts.  Only 4 km from the center of royal Zhovkva there is a Stara Skvariava village. It is one of the oldest in this region, as it was first mentioned in written sources in 1398. The origin of the name Skvariava is quite interesting. There are several legends about this toponymal origin, but they all are connected with words ‘frizz’, ‘roast meat’, ‘cracklings’. 

   The village territory belongs to the hilly Roztochia, which makes it a really picturesque place. Also the river Svynia originates here. The river is definitely mentioned in stories about Zhovkva castle. The village lies in a hollow surrounded by spurs of one of the Roztoky Mountains massif.  In the neighboring villages the massif is called in different ways: Vovcha hora (Wolf mount), Shchekotiv, or Harai. The villages of Stara Skvariava and Hlynsko are located on both sides of the massif.  This mount is a natural monument of local significance, there is a unique alley of Polish larch. Mount Harai is not just a natural object; it also has great historical significance. As it was right here where the ancient princely city of Shchekotyn was located since 1243. In 1594 the city at that time called Tysmenytsia, was completely destroyed by Tatars.

  Until 1715 a wooden church of Michael, the Archangel was situated on one of Harai spurs, in the middle of an outskirt town of ancient Shchekotiv. It belonged to Hlynsko community. It was the only survivor in the city burned by Tatars.  The survived dwellers inhabited the ancient agricultural and craft settlement near the mountain, it was Hlynsko. Since the old church was high and quite far from the new accommodations, it was little used. Hlynsko dwellers, who were farmers and potters, built two new temples in the village, in more convenient places.  And the church from the mountain was moved to the neighboring village of Stara Skavariava, where it is still located nowadays. At this place there was its predecessor, the wooden church of the Virgin Mary Escape to Egypt, built in 1578, which later burned down. 

  The church in Hlynsko was built in 1508. The construction date was found out recently, during the restoration work in 2008, the record was found on one of the beams of the nave northern wall. 

When you enter the village from Zhovkva side, of course, going Zhovkivska street, you attention is grabbed by a large brick St. Apostles Peter and Paul church, which is located at the turn into Shevchenko street. Behind it there is a wooden church of St. Michael the Archangel of the 16th century, a temple with a 500year history. The church was built according to the pattern of Galician construction school.  The temple is three-log and single-story; there is just one dome above the central square nave. On both sides of the nave, from the east and west, the altar and the narthex are adjoined. In the square nave, from the north there is one window and from the south there are two of them. The perimeter of the church is surrounded by a wide shingled attic. The temple roof at present is all made of shingles. The temple walls above the attic are also covered with shingles. 

   The most precious thing of the temple is hidden behind the doors, in the interior. This is a magnificent iconostasis of the 16th-17th centuries. It is a bright example of Ukrainian sacred painting, where the most of the icons have been completely preserved.  The icons of prayer tier are the work of Peremyshl School of Icon Painting; the Sovereign belongs to Ivan Rutkovych, a famous artist from Zhovkva.  It is the iconostasis and the bottom of the building that has been preserved authentic, as the upper part has been changed. 

  Now there is ‘Staroskavariavskyi iconostasis of the 16th-17th centuries’ museum in the church. The temple was thoroughly restored in 2008-2014.  The iconostasis itself was in Lviv for almost 20 years, where it was under restoration and research. In 2015 it was returned to its native walls and now it creates a holistic harmony of this sacred monument. 

  Zhovkva region is rich in various architectural monuments and nature spots. There are plenty of things for fun and exciting journeys. Once you visit Zhovkva, do not waste your time, and visit Stara Skvariava as well. A unique monument of wooden sacred art will reveal all its secrets to you.