Poland to fund church restoration in Lviv region

St. Mark's Church in Variazh. Photo: Wikipedia

Poland will fund the restoration of a church in Lviv region that is in a dilapidated condition. The country's Ministry of Culture will allocate funds for the preservation of a 17th-century Baroque monument in the village of Variazh, reports Dyvys.info.

Specialists from Ukraine and Poland have already inspected the historical site to prepare a work plan. The restoration work will be carried out with the direct participation of representatives of the Polonika Institute. The Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage will allocate PLN 242,900 for this purpose under a dedicated state program.

The St. Mark Church is an important architectural monument of national significance and an outstanding example of early Baroque architecture. Patron Marek Matczyński founded a monastery and a college of the Piarist Order in Variazh in 1688. Architect Wojciech Lenartowicz designed the stone church, construction of which began in 1693. The builders completed the main works in 1695, and the church was fully consecrated in 1726. Between 1738 and 1748, the walls of the church were decorated with frescoes.

During the Soviet period, beginning in 1951, the building was used as a warehouse. An unsuccessful roof renovation in 1983 led to the catastrophic deterioration of the architectural monument. Today, only isolated fragments of 18th-century wall paintings remain of the church’s once-rich interior decoration.

As the UOJ reported, a Polish company will allocate €1 million for the restoration of the St. Nicholas Church.

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