The church in Komańcza was almost two hundred years old when it was destroyed by fire. Fortunately this story does not here but gains another chapter. But let us start from the very beginning.
The wooden Orthodox Church of the Protection of Our Lady in Komańcza was built in the years 1800-1803. What is interesting, it was built in the place of the previous church which was also destroyed by fire. In the fourth decade of the 19th century, the church was given an iconostasis executed by Afanazy Rużyłowicz. Until World War 2, the Lemkos gathered in the church, but after the Operation Vistula they were resettled. Some families returned in the fifties. Despite a much smaller Greek Catholic community, services were held in the church until 1961 when the authorities closed it down. This was done within the framework of a far-flung operation aiming at converting the Uniates to Eastern Orthodoxy. Within this operation, in 1962 the church was passed onto the East Orthodox parish. In the second half of the sixties, the building was refurbished and in the eighties the iconostasis underwent restoration works. Subsequent decades brought about new repairs and roof reinforcement after it was damaged in 2001 by a storm wind.
The picturesque church located on the outskirts of Komańcza shows how you can recreate historical heritage, faithfully and with respect, after a tragedy. The original church burned on 13 September 2006. Its exact replica was erected in the years 2008-2010 and it was consecrated on 13 October 2010. Unfortunately, the antique iconostasis burned together with the church in 1832. The State Forests actively participated in the reconstruction by offering the precious lumber.
The current church faithfully imitates the Lemkos style of the previous church. The wooden structure is based on a foundation made of stone. The building is divided into three parts: the sanctuary, the nave and the women’s gallery. Each part has its own tower topped with an onion-shaped dome. The tripartite structure reflects the human path from the sin (women’s gallery) through the prayer (the nave) to God (sanctuary).
The church originally built in the years 1800-1803 left behind a wooden bell tower from 1834, which together with the neighbouring cemetery and the fence surrounding the area were entered in the national register of monuments.
This Orthodox church is one of the more important stops on the Wooden Architecture Route.