One of the largest Orthodox shrines and the most beautiful religious buildings in Chernivtsi is the Church of St. Paraskeva. Its construction began in 1844 near the old wooden church of St. Leka. Now a cross stand in its place, opposite the large church. The sacred building was designed by local architect A. Pavlovskyi and modeled on Serbian churches of the fifteenth century.
The then rector, Andrii Vasylovych, made special efforts in the construction of the church, donating his own money to the pious cause. He completed the building up to the roof, but lacked the money to continue the work. The Bukovyna Orthodox Religious Foundation helped to complete the construction, which lasted almost two decades. The church was consecrated on 5 (17) February 1862 by Bishop Yevhen Hakman in honor of St. Paraskeva of Serbia.
The architectural style of the church is difficult to define. There are features of both classicism and empire. There are also influences of traditional Moldavian architecture. Inside you will find paintings and an iconostasis from the 19th century. After a fire at the end of the century before last, they were restored by the masters Yevhen Maksymovych and Johann Pisler.
The church became a landmark for Ukrainian life in Chernivtsi. In 1864, a solemn liturgy commemorated the 4th anniversary of Taras Shevchenko's death. It was the first time that Bukovinian Rusyns used the term Ukrainians, which was significant for the mental unification of Bukovyna and Ukraine. Father Sydir Martynovych celebrated the anniversary service. Both Orthodox and Greek Catholics took part in the celebrations.
The church remained in operation until 1962, when the Soviet authorities decided to give the building to the city. At first, the church was turned into a warehouse, and in 1986 it became a chess club. At the same time, all the frescoes on the walls were destroyed and painted over. Only in 1992 was the church returned to the Orthodox community. At that time, only the central chandelier (lamp) and a large bell survived from all the church equipment.
The church has a Sunday school where all parishioners' children can take religious lessons in poetry, church singing, and drawing.
The Church of St. Paraskeva is located at 24 Zankovetska Street, on one side adjacent to Holovna Street, which leads from the railway station to the historic center. Walking from the train to the city center, you will definitely see it.
