Those interested in sacred architecture and different forms of remembrance will find several distinct points of interest in Dovzhanka. These include a stone church with a bell tower, a more recent chapel, and memorials with various historical connections. Another memorial site is at a former settlement, 2 km from the village’s present location.
Church and Chapel: Different Building Phases
The stone Church of Saint John the Theologian in Dovzhanka was built in 1795 and restored in 1996. Its bell tower was built from dressed stone in 1905. The dates refer to different events: 1795 to the construction of the church, 1905 to the construction of the bell tower, and 1996 to the restoration. This makes it possible to distinguish the construction histories of the church and the tower chronologically.
The Chapel of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Dovzhanka was built in 2009 with funding from its benefactors, Igor Yunyk and Kostiantyn Kizyma. Father Pavlo-Roman Repela consecrated it that same year. Unlike the church and bell tower, whose construction and restoration dates differ, the chapel was built and consecrated in the same year. The benefactors and the priest are also part of its history.
Memorial Sites with Different Connections
Dovzhanka has a monument erected in 1972 to local soldiers who fell in the German-Soviet War. A symbolic grave of the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen dates from 1992. Another memorial cross commemorates the abolition of corvée in the second half of the 19th century. The monument focuses on local people who fell in the war, the symbolic grave on the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen, and the cross on a social change. The memorials therefore differ both in their historical connections and in what they commemorate.
Putting the Former Settlement Site in Context
The former settlement was 2 km from the village’s current location; a Cossack grave and a cross are at its former site. This cross should be distinguished from the memorial cross in Dovzhanka commemorating the abolition of corvée. The two crosses have different locations and themes: one is at the former settlement site, while the other stands in the village and commemorates the abolition of corvée.
Cultural Themes for Planning Your Trip
To help you choose, first consider whether architectural history or commemorative culture is more important to you. The religious buildings have different construction and restoration dates; the memorial sites focus on various historical themes. This makes it possible to explore Dovzhanka based on a specific cultural interest, without grouping all the sites under a single theme. Before adding your chosen sites to your itinerary, check whether they can be visited.
Discover more destinations: Ternopil, Borshchiv, Berezhany, Smykivtsi, Chortkiv, Kremenets, Zbarazh, Kosiv
For the broader travel overview: Ternopil Oblast.
