UKARAINAN GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF ST MARY

UKRAINIAN GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF ST. MARY (SZYPENTIZ DISTRICT)

Hairy Hill, Near

Other Names:

Szypenitz Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of St. Mary

Szypentiz Church

Szypentiz Ukrainian Church, Two Hills

Szypentiz Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church and Graveyard Bell Tower

Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of St. Mary, Szypentiz

U. G. O. of St. Mary - Szypentiz

U.G.O. of St. Mary - Szypentiz

UGO of St. Mary - Szypentiz

Statement of SignificanceDescription of Historic Place

The Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of St. Mary (Szypenitz District) located on 21.4 hectares of land, near Hairy Hill in the County of Two Hills No. 21, is a brick church building built in the style of the Eastern rite Churches of western Ukraine. It features a large central dome over the nave of the church and a small cupola over the entrance. 

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of St. Mary lies chiefly as a unique example of brick construction atypical of rural Canadian Eastern rite church architecture. The site is additionally significant for its association with Eastern Christian worship and Ukrainian settlement in Alberta. 

Built in 1917 as the parish's third church after outgrowing its first church, and losing its second to fire, the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of St. Mary stands as a rare example of a rural Eastern-Rite church employing brick construction. Most rural churches built for these communities were of a much simpler wood-frame construction. Built for endurance, St. Mary's was constructed under the auspices and plans of Harry Osiecki, a well known church-builder based out of Vegrevillle. 

The historical significance of the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of St. Mary lies in its representation evidence of the Bukowinian culture that prevailed in the northern reaches of what has been termed the Ukrainian Block of east central Alberta. The interior decoration, including the iconostasis, was painted by Peter Lapinski in the popular Ukrainian iconographic style. Its style and upkeep, in an area with many other Eastern Rite churches, prominently illustrates the faith and religious dedication of the Ukrainian immigrants who settled north of the North Saskatchewan River after the turn of the twentieth century. The Ukrain

HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE

The Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of St. Mary, Szypenitz is part of a rural community located between present-day Willingdon and Two Hills, an area settled by people from eastern Europe at the turn of the century. These immigrants came from the Chernivitsi area of Bukovyna, including the villages of Luzhany, Kitsman, Lashkivka and Shypyntsi.

The first social institution created by the people from Shypyntsi was a Russo-Orthodox Church, which later adopted Ukrainian Greek Orthodoxy about 1941. The congregation erected a one-room log building in 1907 and partitioned the room to represent the iconostas. In approximately 1915 this building was replaced with a larger and more ornate structure built with materials purchased from the Charles Gordon Lumber Yard in Vegreville and designed by Harry Osiecki. The actual construction of the church was undertaken by members of the congregation.

The church and its contents were totally destroyed by fire, apparently in 1916. In 1917 the congregation constructed the church and bell tower which now occupy the site. It was also designed by Osiecki who may have used the plans originally prepared for the first since both the buildings are known to have been similar. After completion of the church, the noted artist and painter Peter Lipinski was hired to paint the icons.

While the other buildings associated with this rural community have either been abandoned like the hall or dismantled like the school, the Szypenitz church continues to be used actively. Its historical significance arises from its link with the early migration of people from Shypyntsi, Ukraine; its distinction as one of the first buildings constructed by Osiecki, whose work is being studied and preserved at the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village. The adjacent cemetery is equally important, and is one of the best preserved older cemeteries in east central Alberta.