The wooden Church of Saint Basil stands in the village of Świerszczów in the Cyców commune of Łęczna County, in the eastern part of Lublin Polissia. It is a former Greek Catholic church from the late 18th century, which over two centuries changed three confessions but retained the simple log structure typical of a rural temple. It is now a Roman Catholic parish church of the Siedliszcze deanery of the Lublin archdiocese.
A church that changed confessions
The temple in Świerszczów was first mentioned in 1535: initially it was Orthodox, after the Union of Brest it became Greek Catholic and was dedicated to the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The current wooden church was built on the site of an older one in 1795 (according to other sources — 1801). The founder is named as the owner of the estate, Rulikowski. In 1805, the log structure was clad with boards.
After the abolition of the union in 1875, the church was handed over to the Orthodox and was dedicated to Saint Basil the Great. After World War I, the building was taken over by Catholics: it was consecrated as a church, and in the early 1920s a Roman Catholic parish was established here. The church retained the name of Saint Basil. Between 1927 and 1930, the church was renovated and the vestibule was replaced.
Architecture
The building is log-built, oriented with the altar to the east. The presbytery is not separated from the nave and is closed on three sides; a sacristy is attached on the side, and a vestibule on the front facade. Above the church is a single gable roof covered with sheet metal, with a small tower crowned by an onion-shaped dome with a lantern. Inside, the ceiling is flat, and the choir rests on four pillars.
Near the church stands a wooden bell tower from the early 19th century, and around it is an old church cemetery from the same period. The church was entered into the register of monuments of Lublin Voivodeship in 1966. The village also preserves a manor park established around 1700. The writer and ethnographer Longin Okun comes from Świerszczów.
How to get there
Świerszczów lies a few kilometres northeast of Cyców and about 20 km east of Łęczna; from Lublin — about 45 km. The easiest way to get there is by car. Nearby, it is worth visiting the former church in Cyców — the Church of Saint Joseph, and further north — the lakes of the Łęczna-Włodawa Lakeland, such as Piaseczno, and the Polissia National Park. The church is open during services. For Ukrainian citizens, this is Poland: a foreign passport is required.
