The Abandoned Greek Catholic Church ‘The Dark Temple’ [Poland]

That’s just another decaying Greek Catholic church in Southeastern Poland. However, situated in an idyllic Subcarpathian village landscape, it makes the area around even more beautiful and forces to stop for a while to have a look on the great old building. Its grey wooden walls are the witness of the life in the village since more than a century and hide behind an impressive interior.

The temple is filled with the darkness which is a perfect background for the sacral things left inside, like pictures or sculptures, and creates an impression of a mystical place, so different from the world outside.

However, the most impressive detail in the temple is the colourful light from the windows. Cross-shaped reflections make this place even more beautiful and remind that it was (or maybe still is) is the home of God.

On the other hand, there’re a few signs inside showing that it has been quite a long time as the church is not in use. Missing glass in some of the windows, making it possible to see from the inside too much of the sky, sculptures of angels with broken wings put beside, because of this injury rather similar to human beings than a mystical creatures, cobwebs on the lamps, letting assume how long ago they were turned on for the last time—all that shows that the decay is already taking over this place.

At first sight it may sound as one more sad story about once beautiful temple. However, different from many decaying churches in the area, this one will be saved, as it’s going to be turned into a funeral chapel. And, no matter how gloomy are thoughts coming to the mind thinking about the place which is the last stop before leaving the world, thanks to this gloomy purpose this temple will be rescued from being buried and will get the deserved second life.