If you are planning a vacation in Kolomyja, one of the most beautiful towns in this region, when you come here, you will definitely hear about the Annunciation Church from the locals. This is the oldest landmark in the city and, having seen it, every traveler understands why it is composed of rave reviews and why it is recommended to see visitors by the residents of the cultural center of Pokutya.
Blagoveshchenskaya (Spasskaya) Church — the main religious building of Kolomyia for several centuries and the most interesting attraction today. Every tourist who comes to this amazing town visits it in one way or another — either learning about the existence of the temple on their own or on the advice of locals, and some even come here because of it.
The construction of the Church of the Annunciation was completed in the distant 1587 — then it was erected together with the rest of the buildings of the monastery established here, which were destroyed by the Tatars. In 1616 all other buildings of the monastery burned down, and only a small church survived the fire in some miraculous way. Looking at the church today, it is hard to believe in its long history — how could the structure, built without a single nail, survive for more than four centuries, how did the wooden church survive in the city, repeatedly burned and destroyed? However, seeing the church in front of you realize — it was preserved for a reason, the amazing energy of this place, perhaps, protected it from adversity. Or maybe it is invisibly guarded by the former inhabitants of the city, because the church was built on the territory of the ancient cemetery.
Because of the fact that once the Annunciation Church was part of an ancient monastery, today it is often called «Monastirok», also it is called Spasskaya. The church was built in the best traditions of wooden Hutsul architecture — only of wood, without nails, it seems very squat, small, cramped, but, at the same time, very harmonious, proportional, impressing and inspiring with its architecture. Not far from the church building there is a two-tier bell tower built in the same architectural traditions, and around the complex there is a wooden fence, perfectly complementing and making the whole ensemble complete. Once on the territory of the church, travelers feel as if they are going back centuries — although the temple has undergone two restorations and one minor reconstruction, it has retained its authenticity, it seems that every plank, every part of it breathes antiquity. The ancient paintings in the interior, preserved since 1648, add to this impression!
In Soviet times, the church housed the exposition of Museum of pysanky, but with the fall of the Soviet Union it was returned to the bosom of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and again became a spiritual home for the residents of the city, a place of pilgrimage of believers. Many people are also attracted to the Church of the Savior in Kolomyia because, according to legends, Bogdan Khmelnitsky himself once prayed here.
Today, the Church of the Annunciation is among the oldest in the region, and despite the fact that Karpaty is full of various ancient and interesting sights, all tourists traveling through the city come to see it. Once you see this ancient abode and feel its energy, you can never forget it — it will forever remain in your heart as one of the brightest, purest and most amazing places.