The Church of the Holy Great Martyr George in the village of Rostan in the Shatsk region is a church built by the community in 1993–1996 on the site of the old 18th-century church. Its history is about how the village lost its ancient shrine and rebuilt a new one.
The 1791 Church
The first church in Rostan was built by Roman Catholics and consecrated on 30 September 1791. The main altar featured an icon of the Holy Trinity, and the side altars featured Saint Joseph and the Mother of God. The visitation of 1793 noted that the church was in good condition. Later, the church became Greek Catholic, and in 1873 it was transferred to the Orthodox as the cemetery church of Saint George, attached to the Mykhailivka Church in Pulemets. In 1875, a three-tiered bell tower was added to it. In the 1930s, the Saint George Brotherhood operated at the church.
Destruction
On 25 August 1961, the church was closed. It was supposed to be converted into a club, but for many years it was used as a collective farm warehouse, and the building fell into disrepair. In 1982, an order came to dismantle the church. Local residents refused to do so, so soldiers from a military unit were brought in. They started with the roof, but after several soldiers were injured, the work was stopped. Yet already in 1983, the church was dismantled, and later the bell tower as well.
The New Church
After the proclamation of independence, the community decided to build a new church. In March 1993, the construction site was consecrated, and within three years the villagers built the church with their own efforts. Services began in it in 1996, and on 26 October 1998, the church was consecrated.
School and Brotherhood
At the beginning of the 20th century, a school with two departments operated at the parish. In 1911, in one of them, peasant woman Mariia Shyshkina with home education taught for 50 rubles a year, and in the other, reserve non-commissioned officer Havrylo Denysiuk for 40 rubles. In the 1930s, a brotherhood in memory of Saint George operated at the church, and its patron from 1936 was village resident Karpo Lonchuk. The parish had cemeteries in Pulemets, Vulka Khrypska and Koshary.
Who Built the New Church
The new church is the work of the Rostan residents themselves. Collective farm chairman Mykola Vovk, forester Yaroslav Rasevych and village head Volodymyr Drozd helped with the construction, and community elder Andrii Onishchuk managed the work. The site for the church was consecrated by Archpriest Kyrylo Prylepa, rector of the church in Ostrivia, who came to serve at the new church for a year. In 1998, the church was consecrated by Bishop Symeon of Volodymyr-Volynskyi and Kovel.
How to Get There
Rostan is not far from Pulemets and Shatsk. Nearby are the church in Pulemets and the wooden church in Pishcha, so it is convenient to visit them in one trip. More can be found in the article Kovel Raion.
