Wooden Church of St. Michael is a brilliant masterpiece of wooden achitecture of Gothic Maramuresh style. The church locate on the lawn between age oaks that were planted with the start of construction of the church.

Transcarpathia since ancient times belonged to the historical region of Transylvania and Maramuresh is a region of north part of Transylvania

According to legend the first village on that territory was 2-3 km to the east of the present village and the first wooden church stood on Zherkvishche hill. People died of plague and the village revived in a new place where near the source set the new wooden church.

Hight of Wooden Church of St. Michael is 25 meters and width is around 14 meters long. The church looks very monumental. Many structural elements show an extremely professional job of carpenters who were specialized in construction of churches.

High wooden bell tower that once stood near the church with bells moved to Orthodox Church built in 1927. The bell tower was lifted and under it placed round trunks then with help of oxes transfered it to the new location.

Wooden Church of St. Michael belongs to those few in Ukraine with wall painting on canvas pasted on smooth walls of wooden framework.

Some icons of the iconostasis created in 1769 by "Yavorskyi painter from Vilok" decorate the nave. In the church preserved drawings of painter Kornmayer of 1828.

In Wooden Church of St. Michael craftsmen pays great attention to design of central doors. Doorframe of the church is decorated with magnificent carvings in the center of which - an ancient symbol of the sun.

Wooden Church of St. Michael renovated in 1971. In the summer of 1997 the church was returned to Greek Catholic community that at the moment is all one family.

Near the church buried the caretaker who spent many years taking care of the preservation of the church. An old grandfather sat on a stump of oak by the road and met all visitors, opened the church and told the visitors amazing stories and legends of history of Transcarpathian region.

You could visit Kraynikovo Sights | Wooden Church of St. Michael (1668) with Ukraine Tour "Wooden Tserkvas of Carpathians"