The most numerous group of wooden churches in Slovakia is that formed by the Greek Catholic and Orthodox churches, which are scattered all over the north eastern region. The most characteristic feature of these religious buildings is their emphasis on the number three, symbolising the Holy Trinity. This can be seen not only in their three domes, but also in their groundplan, with three areas arranged in an axis ascending in height from west to east. The women congregated in the babinec (babinets), the area nearest to the door and the men in the nave (the largest part of the church), while the sanctuary was used for church rites. A wooden screen known as the iconostasis, typically incorporating three openings or doors and painted with icons depicting Christ, the Mother of God, the saints, feast days and the prophets and apostles, separates the nave from the sanctuary.
The Eastern Orthodox Church of St Cosmo and Damian in Lukov was constructed in the period between 1708-1709. It is a log-built tri-spatial building with three towers, a square nave, a sanctuary and a babinec (the section for women). The iconostasis is the prosduct of two time periods – the lower icons were painted in 1736 by Andrej Gajecký from Bardejov, while the upper part with its Rococo decoration dates from the second half of the 18th century. It is the only wooden church in Slovakia with a cellar and was built on top of a high underpinning foundation to compensate for the steep terrain.
Heritage > National cultural monuments > Wooden Churches of Eastern Slovakia
