World Monuments Fund
The four log churches of Krempna County in southeastern Poland and the twenty-eight log churches of Eastern Slovakia are each about two hundred years old. They were built by the Lemkos—Ukrainian-speaking minorities in southern Poland who were largely deported to Ukraine and Siberia following the Second World War. The two regions are located adjacent to each other. In addition to the church structures, the fine craftsmanship of the iconostasis and the interior decorative painting adds to their rich historic fabric. The churches are typologically similar, intact, contextual, and still part of the living village life. They are also distinct to the region, yet related to similar churches in western Belarus and western Ukraine.
WJE performed a historic survey of the Polish and Slovak churches and developed a database summarizing the condition of each structure. As part of the work, WJE directed an international workshop in PreŠov, Slovakia, where participants from Poland, Slovakia, Canada, and the United States met to develop a master preservation plan for the buildings. Participants included church representatives, architects, conservators, contractors, and government representatives. Following the workshop, WJE wrote the Master Preservation Plan, which included prioritized restoration measures and associated cost estimates. The Master Preservation Plan was later published.