The history of Yaremche is as tragic as the careers of almost all the great comedians and jesters. Louis de Funes, Borislav Brondukov, Georgy Vitsin, Nikulin and Charlie Chaplin dreamed of playing roles like Hamlet or King Lear, but the directors did not perceive them in such roles, and the public did not want to see them. Yaremche is the same: there are 10 sacral complexes in the city, the value of which is not lower than the Cologne Cathedral or Pochaev Lavra, and the bulk of tourists come here to buy at the local souvenir market or sit in a miracle koliba, made without a single nail. Sometimes the program of acquaintance with the city is «expanded» in the direction of skaly Dovbusha, a trip to a couple of mineral springs, a trip to the enclosure with roe deer and a mini-climb to the nearest mountains Khomyak or Makovitsa.
But if you put aside all this tourist tinsel, close the koliba bazaars and politely ask for the waterfalls Guk, Maiden’s Tears and Probiy less noise, then Yaremche will acquire a completely different look and will sound in harmony with the wind blowing over the meadows, tender grass and relic trees growing on the slopes of Carpathian Mountains. One of the most subtle «notes» of this divine melody would be the bell ringing of the local Church of St. John the Merciful. The church with its bell tower was built in 1663, in the village of Yamna, and is an unrivaled example of early Hutsul sacral architecture.
The church of St. John the Merciful was named after the saint known for his tolerance and gentleness towards people around him. By the way, this patron saint is in perfect harmony with the wooden beams from which the church is built, just as granite and the Roman St. Peter’s Cathedral or Pantelic marble and the Parthenon, from which they are actually erected.
By the way, just like St. Peter’s Cathedral, the Yaremchean structure has the shape of a cross, only with a correction for the Carpathian region. The Ukrainian temple is single-domed, which distinguishes it from Moscow’s St. Basil’s Cathedral. That de eleven-domed and, according to one French architect, is like a cake made by a mad confectioner. The Carpathian church has one well-defined central log cabin, above which rises a hipped head, crowned with a neat bulb with a cross. All logs forming the cross are surrounded by a common vestibule. The only disadvantage of this church was the modern roof with a plaque, replacing the old one covered with shingles. By the way, the church patiently bore the abuse of restoration, showing the meek character of John the Merciful.
Next to the church, hand in hand through the centuries, passed and preserved the bell tower. It is two-tiered and also made of wood. On the second floor there is a graceful arbor covered with a tent, which makes it possible to call the structure by the melodious Italian word «cam-pa-nell-la».
The Church of St. John the Merciful with its campanella is one of the oldest and most harmonious sacral buildings — the sights of Yaremche. Despite its venerable age, this temple is alive. When you come on vacation to Yaremche, you can drop in here for Sunday service and imagine yourself in 1663, when this temple was the only decoration of Yamna and the most beautiful building in the radius of the nearest 100 miles. As you can see, a vacation in the Carpathians is not always just ethno-shopping, wine-water tasting and comparative characterization of menus of different kolbas after short motions on mountain trails. Sometimes a trip to the Carpathians can be as spiritual and meaningful as an umrah to Mecca or a pilgrimage to one of the Lavras of Ukraine.