Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Rakowa

The Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Rakowa is a Greek Catholic wooden church, built around 1779, whose architecture is an example of log construction. The structure consists of two parts and features a tripartitely closed chancel, while a ridge roof crowned with a helm dominates the nave. A vestibule was added on the western side around 1900, above which rises a framework tower with a brogue roof housing bells from 1680 and 1715. The interior of the church is adorned with an iconostasis painted by Zygmunt Bogdański in 1894, highlighting its significant cultural importance as a site of Greek Catholic liturgy. The church is surrounded by old-growth trees, and on the hill above lie two Greek Catholic cemeteries with few remaining tombstones, adding a further historical dimension to the site. After World War II, in 1947, the church was repurposed and used as a Roman Catholic church, but following the construction of a new church, it now stands abandoned. Interestingly, the church has not only retained its original architectural features but also serves as a testament to the history of the Greek Catholic community in the region, and its fate reflects the turbulent history of these lands.