The Assumption Church, which residents of Zhytomyr have long called the Podil Church, stands on Podil Hill in the historic Podil neighbourhood at 9 Podilska Street. It is one of the oldest Orthodox parishes in Zhytomyr: a church at this site has been known since 1700.
The church of the old suburb
Podil developed in the 17th and 18th centuries as a northwestern suburb of Zhytomyr along the ancient road to Troianiv, which comprises today's Troianivska and Podilska streets. It lies in the valleys of the Kamianka and Rudavka rivers, bordered by Castle Hill to the south and Okhrimova Hill to the north. The Assumption Church became the heart of this suburb.
The first wooden Church of the Assumption in Podil was built in 1700. In the second half of the 19th century, the church was rebuilt, and it is in this form that it has survived to the present day. Today, it is an active episcopal cathedral of the UOC (MP).
Podil around the church
At the beginning of the 19th century, Zhytomyr's first wooden bridge across the Kamianka was built in Podil. In the 19th century, many poor Jewish families settled here, and in 1878, Czechs Joseph Macháček and Bohdan Jansa opened the Slavic Brewery in Podil. Podil is one of the few parts of Zhytomyr where the charm of 19th- and early 20th-century architecture can still be felt, so a walk to the church is also a stroll through the old town.
Tip
The church is active: if you visit during a service, please dress according to church customs and do not take photographs.
How to get there
Podil is adjacent to the centre of Zhytomyr: the church can be reached on foot via Troianivska and Podilska streets. Other city churches are featured in the article “Architectural Pearls of Zhytomyr Region”, and the Local Lore Museum and Castle Hill are also nearby.
