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 1777, the Greek Catholic Church of St Michael the Archangel at Príkra is situated on the northern slope of the village. Built without the use of a single nail, the three-section log construction is protected from the outside by plate shuttering. The iconostasis, dating from the first half of the 18th century, features four rows of icons and tsar doors decorated by carving and painting. Other important cultural properties include pictures of St Michael and St Nicholas from the 17th century and four Rococo candelabras from the second half of the 18th century.
Heritage > National cultural monuments > Wooden Churches of Eastern Slovakia
