Church of St. Michael Plyasheva

Battle Berestechko the biggest battles during the liberation war led by Bohdan Khmelnytsky. Through treason Tatars Ukrainian hetman lost the battle.

Before the fight Khmelnitsky prayed in the Church of St. Michael. Here he also took the sword from the Metropolitan Corinthian Iosaafa which is dedicated to the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

History of St. Michael`s church

Church of St. Michael in Plyasheva is more than 100 years. The fate of the house can be divided into two periods. The first relates directly to events Berestechko 1651. The second - with the reserve "Cossack graves", where the church was moved to the nearby village of the island.

However, there are legends in the third period of the house. It turns out that the original church of St. Michael was built in the village Tesluhiv Radyvyliv area. In this village in the 16th century lived Zhuravnytskyy John, who is considered the founder of satirical poem in Ukrainian literature. Zhuravnytskyy for his satire paid v`yidlyvu life. In the church books records found that Zhuravnytskoho buried in his estate in Tesluhovi at the Church of St. Michael. It is likely that later tesluhivsku church was dismantled and sold to the island as a base for a new church.

Through the efforts of John Berehovycha Ostrivske priest faced the Church of St. Michael. A year later the temple destined to be in the midst of historical events. June 20, Metropolitan Iosaaf blessed the Ukrainian Cossacks to fight.

Metropolitan also showed heroism in the Battle of Berestechko. When the Cossacks betrayed Islam Giray, retreated Metropolitan Iosaaf went to the Polish army over the head with a raised cross in an attempt to stop the attack. Polish priest killed by arrows. Commonwealth King Jan II Kazimierz was impressed by the courage of the Metropolitan, so ordered to bury him with full honors in the pews of St. Michael`s Church.

In 1912 St. Michael church was dismantled and moved to the island Zhuravlyha, where he is reserve "Field Berestechko battle" .

According to legend, the name of the island comes from two words - "Jura" and "evil." After the battle field was literally strewn with the bones of the fallen soldiers here. Farmers vyoryuvaly bone plows through 100, 200 years after the battle.

Church of St. Michael in Plyasheva connected by underground passage from the St. George church , where the sarcophagi are the remains of Polish and Ukrainian soldiers.

The main decoration of the church of St. Michael wooden carved iconostasis ages 17-18. If you`re in the house, be sure to look for ancient icons "The Lord of hosts", "Holy Martyr Ahafonik." The last icon - a gift to the church on the day of its opening. Symbolically, the martyr Ahafonika day (July 10) coincides with the day of one of the bloodiest and most heroic battles simultaneously Berestechko battle.

And one old image of "St. Barbara" gave Fr Alex, who is healed from a serious illness.

Today the temple partially restored, but the service is performed only on the feast day of Archangel Michael.

How to get there

Plyasheva located on the border of Rivne and Volyn regions. More or less decent road leading to Plyasheva with Brody . With Dubno , Lutsk and Demidovka way to put it mildly, not very good. Before the village can be reached by bus from Demidovka.

St Michael is in reserve "Berestechko battle field" near the river Plyashivky.