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.
Built in 1763, the Eastern Orthodox Church of the Holiest Mother Protection in Jedlinka is constructed in a typical Lemkov variant of the Ukrainian-Ruthenian three-section and three-towered wooden churches. Almost the entire interior was created at the time of the construction of the church. The iconostasis and Altar of the Birth of the Virgin Mary date from 1780 and have Baroque features. Of particular note are the wooden Baroque candelabras, the goblet from the first half of the 18th century and liturgical books from the 17th century printed in Cyrillic.
Heritage > National cultural monuments > Wooden Churches of Eastern Slovakia
