Modeliv — a historic village with a unique 18th-century church

The village of Modeliv is located on the bank of the Dranytsia River and is part of the Potiivka rural hromada of Zhytomyr Raion. It is about 30 km from here to the modern border of Kyiv Oblast. Historically, these lands belonged to the Kyiv region: until the 1920s, the village was part of Radomyshl Uyezd of Kyiv Governorate. According to the 2001 census, Modeliv had a population of 394, while in 1900 there were 723 residents.

History of the village

Modeliv often remained in the shadow of neighboring Horbuleve. The village was first mentioned in 1618 under the name Molodyliv. In 1646, it suffered from the quartering of a banner of registered Cossacks under Colonel Stanislaw Kreczowski — a complaint about this has survived in the Zhytomyr City Court, containing a list of property taken from the peasants. In the mid-18th century, the village belonged to Feliks Potocki, the master of the hunt of Ovruch and brother of Maksymilian Potocki, and in 1865 it belonged to the Tshaikovsky estate.

During the years 1917–1920, the residents of Modeliv took part in armed resistance against the Bolsheviks. Insurgents from neighboring Horbuleve, led by the Sokolovsky family, fought against the Russian occupation for several years.

Architectural heritage

Church of Saint Lawrence

The main landmark of the village is the wooden Church of Saint Lawrence, built in 1782. It is a rare example of a cross-in-square, five-bay, single-domed church that has preserved its historical form and has not undergone major alterations.

Features of the church:

• rectangular log structures and a tripartite layout: narthex, nave, and sanctuary;
• massive light octagonal drum that transitions into a smaller octagonal cupola drum;
• the upper octagon is crowned with a gently sloping tent roof;
• hexagonal main entrance door;
• horizontal board siding of the lower tier and side entrances added during a 19th-century renovation.

The church is the only surviving 18th-century temple on the territory of the former Radomyshl Raion and holds the status of an architectural landmark of local significance. The dedication to Saint Lawrence, an early Christian martyr of the 3rd century, is rare for Orthodox churches in Ukraine. It is likely that the temple was originally Greek Catholic, and became Orthodox in 1839.

Nearby stands a wooden bell tower from the 20th century. Its tent-roof finish resembles a Cossack guard tower and harmoniously complements the architectural ensemble.

Why Modeliv is interesting

• 18th-century wooden church with its original appearance preserved.
• Picturesque location on the bank of the Dranytsia River.
• History of the insurgent movement and the estate owners — the Potockis and the Tshaikovskys.

The village has preserved the peaceful atmosphere of Polissia and makes a great stop for lovers of wooden architecture and Ukrainian history. Its Church of Saint Lawrence, preserved architecture, historical events, and the picturesque banks of the Dranytsia make Modeliv attractive to tourists and researchers of Ukrainian culture.

Photo author — architect Ivan Bykov (materials from the book "Architectural Treasures of Kyiv Region and Surroundings").