The Likitsary village, Perechyn region

The Likitsary village (ua: Лікіцари, sk: Likičar, Likicary, hu: Kuruczvár). The village is located in the mountain of Perechyn region. It is known by its church. The church of St. Vasyl` the Great (Vasylya Velykogo) with the belfry is the monument of wooden architecture. It is of Boykov style. It was built in the 17th century of spruce wood. In 1748 it was rebuilt. In addition, you can see the inscriptions "1980" and "1930" on the turrets of the church.

Despite the fact that the area of the village is 13 square kilometers only a few people live there. According to the latest information there are only 54. Several years earlier there were just two dozen people. There are 26 houses in the village.

Translated from the Romanian language the word "Lіkіtsary" means "the place for trade". Sometimes it is erroneously translated as "medicine for the king". But it is wrong interpretation. Once, the village was really a big trade center. There was the collective farm "Verkhovyna" in the village where over hundred people were working at that time when two hundred lived in the village.

There are a few attractions near the village in addition to the unique low number of people living there and the old church. For example, the geological place (monument) of the local significance "Lipovetsky rocks" consists of two very beautiful rocks (andesite-basalts of Neogene age, the remnants of a volcanic eruption). It is above the stream on the road to Likitsary / Lipovets. The stream on the banks of which there are rocks "monuments" is in the photo below. Most of the bottom of the stream is not the gravel but basalt slabs which was washed unique paths and canals by water over the years. A rock in the background is one of the monuments.



By the way, what association will you have when you will look at it directly? Personally I see a mouth and a nose and eyes with eyebrows and hair...



On the photo below you can see how water flows in the washout of basalt slabs and forms a small creek.



And this is some other rock above the stream. It is directly above the stream and almost covers it. The rock is overgrown with moss and ivy.



If you will pass the crossroad «Likitsary- Lipovets» in one hundred and fifty meters you can see some other place of interest which is the rocky formation «Vedmin grib» («The witch`s mushroom»). If you will look narrowly and will stand on the right place you will not be able to distinguish the mushroom from the rock. Unfortunately, the recording conditions were very difficult as the slope was steep and slippery and it was dark in the forest.



By the way, if you turn to the divarication in the direction of the village Lipovets it is possible to reach "Betonka" (an old military road of concrete slabs) which begins in the village and ends at an old military place on the polonina "Rovna" (in local: Polonyna Runa). The information about visit to the polonina is in the article on this site.

Do you think these are all the sights of Likitsary? Oh, no. There is a small waterfall in 100- 150 meters. Its height can reach 2- 2, 5 meters in dependence of water. It is very beautiful waterfall, I must say. It is on the photo below.



And this is a church. Such view it has after the reconstruction which was at the end of 2008. When we were coming to the church there was very persistent smell of varnish throughout the county. It's unpleasant but there is no other way to preserve the national wealth. It is ten times more logical to varnish new lath than to cover all the roof of the church in the metal plates. Such thing happened with many wooden churches in Transcarpathia.

By the way, the lector in this church is ... a woman. Once a month, a young priest comes to the church to hold service from a nearby village. There are several people on the service.



The church looked like this in February 2008. It is difficult to recognize it. If you see it for the first time you can`t recognize it. Please note, on the domes and turrets of the "new" church where the metal plates were removed and replaced on the lath. The green window "returned" to normal "wooden" color.



And this is new lath which is placed under the visor and is waiting to be installed on the roof of the church. In 2008 it will be installed on the roof.



And this is some other belfry of the church. It is with new lath and old door. The «old» means previous one. And this is some other belfry of the church. It is with new lath and the old door. The "old" term means the "previous" one. Frankly speaking, people should varnish it. After we have visited the church we went through the village. We have noticed that a lot of things are varnished such as fences or roofs of the barns.



The Holy image is nailed together with the wreath on the old lime tree in front of the church. By the way, it was noted that oaks and lindens have always been planted on the contour (path) of the old wooden churches in Transcarpathia. The other trees are rare.



Near the church is the rural cemetery. Between the church and the cemetery is the gate then a path that goes into a thicket of bushes. We went on the path and got into the upper part of the village. There were few huts and bad condition of the roads. Such a small shed we have seen on the top. There we saw pumpkins, wild grapes and ... a satellite antenna which was nailed to a shed. The silence is all around. Psychedelics.



The old lady met us near the shed. She was surprised. The tourists visit the village very rare. But if they visit it the only thing they do is visiting the church and then they continue to go. The first old lady`s words were "Oh, are you those who have bought the land over there?". "No, we have not" We answered. She cheered up and showed us the village, along the way she was telling us terrible stories.

There is no shop, no hospital, cafe or post office in the village. There is nothing. There are only two dozen houses and five dozen people. There were once a primary school, shops and clubs but they were closed many years ago. A building of paramedical points (dispensaries) was destroyed by snow in one winter. There is no youth in the village. There are some old people. There are two telephones there. If something happens the first place where the shop and paramedical point (dispensary) is it is in the village Turichki but it is over 5 kilometers. The road is very bad. It goes just before the first level of the houses. The next is the grass with the traces of the wheels of the cars. Only few cars can reach the second level of the houses "Kopejka" and "Niva". The third level you can reach only on foot. Even Gaz-66 can`t drive there as the paths are too narrow and steep. We were going along the village, listening to the stories and it was sad. The village is dying. Despite the fact that the property has risen in it after rumors of buyout of the meadows (polonyny) "Rovna" and the plans for the future construction of the ski resorts there.

19.04.2011. 08:11

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