Manitoba Municipal Heritage Site No. 52

Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Transfiguration
NNW 16-18-22 WPM
Menzie area

Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Transfiguration
Designation Date: October 10, 1990
Designation Authority: Strathclair (R.M.)
Present Owner: Church of the Holy Transfiguration

The Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Transfiguration is a fine example of a rural Ukrainian Orthodox church, typically modest in its form and detail, but distinguished by twin facade towers, shining banyas (domes) and complex lines gracing the entrance porch. The building's basic design recalls churches in the Boyko region of Western Ukraine, with emphasis given to the front by the addition of corner towers, an adaptation encouraged in Manitoba by Father Philip Ruh, a prominent church architect as well as a cleric. Built on donated land by a congregation that had been worshipping in nearby homes, the attractive structure, set within the quiet formality of its sheltered, well-kept roadside plot, is a dignified expression of the religious architectural traditions introduced to Manitoba by Ukrainian pioneers.