Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church
NW 33-19-22W, Seech Area

Designation Date: January 13, 2003
Designation Authority: R.M. of Park
Present Owner: Trustees of Sts. Peter and Paul Wisla Roman Catholic Church

Sts. Peter & Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church is an elegant structure that melds traditional Byzantine forms with the local materials and skills available in rural Manitoba after the Great Depression of the 1930s. The Byzantine influences, including distinctive onion domes and a sophisticated cross plan, are met by a hardy wood-frame structure built using lumber milled from logs obtained in nearby Riding Mountain National Park. The interior similarly blends rich detailing, much of it hand-painted, with simple furnishings. The church expresses the commitment among Ukrainians in the Seech area to overcome limited resources and training to establish a place of worship that reflected their unique religious identity. Devoted community members contributed in various ways, including Michael Swystun, who directed a volunteer construction crew of ten, and Olga Moroz, a noted icon painter who was commissioned in 1947 to paint many of the interior surfaces.