Zakarpattya is a unique corner of our planet, which has preserved a lot of interesting sights, among which amazing old wooden temples cannot be left out. Years go by, centuries pass into the past, but they, despite their seeming fragility, continue to stand, symbolizing the eternal and immutable. One of these unique churches is located in the village of Kraynikovo.
Wooden St. Michael’s Church in the village Kraynikovo — is the oldest such landmark in the vicinity of the city of Khust, from which the village is located at a distance of 16 km on the highway Rakhiv-Uzhgorod. It is hard to believe, but this temple was erected in the middle of the XVII century — in 1668! For almost four centuries it remains the main spiritual monastery for the villagers, who guard it and protect it from any hardships. Thanks to the great love of the villagers for their ancient treasure, the temple continues to operate — and 350 years after its construction, services are held in it. It is the true soul of the village, despite the fact that today there is a new church with the same name.
It is not difficult to find St. Michael’s Church in the village Kraynikovo — the locals will gladly guide you to it, or you can easily get to it yourself, walking from the fork in the center of the village straight in the direction of another village — Steblivka. On the way to the temple you can admire the authentic buildings — colorful barns and houses under the dragon roof, which are at least a hundred years old. After passing by the white one-story building of the village clinic, you should enter the oak grove, and here, surrounded by century-old oaks, like defenders, the ancient church will appear before your eyes.
Even the sharp tower of the church pointing far into the sky does not exceed the centuries-old oaks, carefully hiding the church from prying eyes. Maybe that is the reason why this landmark has survived to this day. The dark building made of oak logs, with tiny windows and two-tiered nave, ending with a four-sided tower with a pointed dome seems mysterious, mysterious, as if it appeared in our world, miraculously moved from some fairy tale. The roof of the temple is steep, sharp and twice as high as the main part of the building. 
These architectural features were the reason why the St. Michael’s Church in Kraynikovo was referred to a rare group of sacral sights of Transcarpathia — Maramorosh wooden Gothic. Such amazing monuments of folk architecture appeared in Maramorosh — the north of the historical region of Transylvania, due to the fact that peasants, building their wooden churches, took Catholic churches as a basis, but approached their construction in their own way.
To see the wooden temples of the Carpathians — a unique phenomenon of Transcarpathia, tourists come here from all over Ukraine and abroad, such temples inspire everyone who manages to contemplate their beauty with their own eyes, contributes to this and a very special, unlike anything else atmosphere. In the interior of St. Michael’s Church even the paintings of the XVII century are perfectly preserved! If you spend your holiday in Khust, be sure to visit this ancient temple in Kraynikovo — such an event will leave the most vivid and unforgettable impressions! Many sights of Khust inspire guests of this wonderful city, and St. Michael’s Church is certainly one of them!