The sights of Vinogradov impress all tourists who come to this small Transcarpathian town on vacation. These are amazing old buildings that have preserved a unique energy, and one of the brightest among them, without exaggeration, can be called the Church of the Ascension, proudly rising in the center of the city.
Voznesensky church is located in the heart of Vinogradov not far from the central square, it is impossible not to notice it, and even better to specially allocate time to visit it — the excursion to the ancient monastery will leave a lot of bright impressions and will be remembered for a long time.
The first information about the Church of the Ascension dates back to the XV — early XVI century, although it is known that it was founded much earlier — in the XIII century. It is the oldest temple of the city, which has been perfectly preserved up to nowadays. Presumably, at first the building had not only religious functions — its power suggests that it also played a defense role.
The church combines features of Gothic and Romanesque styles, one-nave, erected of stone, it is monumental, massive, but light thanks to the light color of the walls and the high tower topped with a sharp dome. The three-tiered tower-belfry proudly rises above its front entrance; like the whole building, it is reinforced with buttresses — architectural elements characteristic of the Romanesque and Gothic styles, which provide the buildings not only with strength, but also fulfill an important decorative function. The decoration of the lower tier of the tower with buttresses gave the front façade of the church originality and effect, reminding the sashes of the opened gates leading to the lancet arch of the portal. The original architecture of the church makes a vivid impression, it dominates over all the surrounding buildings, impressing all those who have the opportunity to see it. As it appears today, it has been preserved since 1747 after the last rebuilding due to a fire. Since 1748, the main portal of the church has been decorated with the bishop’s coat of arms, which was erected in honor of the transfer of the church to the Catholics by Bishop Eger Barkoci.
It is known that at the beginning of the XVI century about 20 monks took care of the church, then after partial destruction in 1556 it passed into the hands of Franciscan monks. And since 1748 and to this day it has been at the disposal of the Catholic community.
The interior of the church absorbed the features typical of Catholic churches and is not distinguished by variety and richness of decoration: vaulted ceilings, light-colored walls, wooden benches installed on both sides of the central aisle. The highlight of the church interior are the preserved fragments of ornamental fresco painting. Recent restoration work also revealed Romanesque and Gothic portals on the north and south facades, and Gothic-style stone carvings in the apse.
The ancient church will be interesting for all guests of Vinogradov. During the heyday of the city it was an important social center — people came here not only for church services, but also to solve various important issues, and on the tower of the temple there was a sentry constantly on duty, watching whether the enemies were not approaching the city. Today, this attraction of Zakarpattya can be talked about as one of the most popular among tourists buildings in the city, it is sought after by all guests of the city who came to holiday in Vinogradov. Such ancient sights of Ukraine make an extraordinary impression, are remembered for a long time and allow you to enjoy the special energy that is inherent only in such ancient places.