W sprawie zabytkowej drewnianej architektury cerkiewnej powiatu Tomaszów Lubelski

This article was prepared as a result of field surveys carried out in the years 1970—1971 as a part of work on documentation of the wood sacred buildings which is conducted by the Institute of Art of the Polish Academy of Sciences and is supplemented by data taken from the “Catalogue of Monuments of Art in Poland” which were collected in 1954—1955. The author points to the deplorable state of preservation of the orthodox churches in territories of the Lublin and Rzeszów Voivodships. These objects, already considerably damaged by natural wear and entirely deprived of protection are very fastly turning into ruins. It may be expected that within a relatively short period of time, unless suitable measures will be taken, it will come to a total disappearing of objects belonging to this category of wood-constructed buildings. The data characterizing the number of orthodox churches in the first post-war years, when confronted with those pertaining to the actual state are best illustrating this disastrous situation. As an excellent annex to the article may be regarded the attached “Description of the wood-constructed orthodox churches and belfries that are endangered or have been demolished in Tomaszów Lubelski District”. In his attempt to find an answer to the question what should be done to stop the disappearance of the wood-constructed sacred buildings in this country the author puts forward a proposal that the most representative objects should be transferred to open-air museums of wood building. In addition, he is of opinion that the problem deserves to be popularized among both local authorities and communities. One form of their protection and preservation could consist in their adaptation to modern requirements or their overhanding to administration of the Roman Catholic Church, of schools etc. For objects whose preserving has already become impossible should be prepared a full documentation in form of inventorying surveys, drawings and photographs, thus allowing to obtain the only means forming an evidence of their existence. Such measures, however, are to be considered as the last extremity. It must be borne in mind that every historical monument being a specimen of cultural property and a witness of the past periods of the Polish culture should be preserved at any cost for the forthcoming generations.