Nicholas Church, Kealia

Orthodox church of St. Nicholas in Kealia (Odessa region), locals often called the Nikolaev church. Opinions of the date of construction of the temple are very different: if you believe the date above the southern entrance to the building, the temple was built in May 1647; according to other construction date - about 1485, that is the beginning of Ottoman rule on the banks of the Danube.

With all of this the Turks did not forbid Christians to build their temples, the only requirement was that by their height they should not exceed the mosque. Of this situation was found out: the building sat in the ground at 2.1 m, and thus, the church became a semi-underground. Today, among the churches belonging to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, St. Nicholas Church - a rare type of monument of religious architecture semi-underground type.

In 1891, to the main building was attached three-storey high tower, porch connects with a short transition. Without a doubt, Nicholas Church - one of the most interesting sights Chilia, where masses of tourists every year come and historians of religion, to see with my own eyes the present evidence of a bygone era.