Saint Nicholas chapel in Shmankivtsi

About

Saint Nicholas Chapel (Ukrainian: Каплиця святого Миколая) orthodox (PCU) chapel, a newly-discovered architectural monument in the village of Shmankivtsi, Zavodske settlement hromada, Chortkiv Raion, Ternopil Oblast of Ukraine. It is located on the eastern outskirts of the village.

In 1869, a chapel of St. Nicholas was built in the eastern suburbs, in honor of the abolition of serfdom. Mykola Karpinsky was the founder of the construction.

In 1926, after returning from working in Canada, villagers Martyn and Anna Vavrynevych restored the chapel and donated a figure of St. Nicholas.

But in the Soviet era, the shrine was destroyed. Yosyp Syvak and Mykhailo Vavrynevych built a cover for the figure with their own hands and moved it to the courtyard of the Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian.

The abandoned chapel was later damaged again.

In 1989, the idea of restoring the shrine was proposed by women who worked in the fields. Repairs were started, floors were covered and plastered. Volodymyr Ziatyk (roofing), Petro Zakharchuk (doors), Orest Vavrynevych (framing and throne for the image of St. Nicholas) and many people who donated to the fundraiser contributed to the work. Two of the most active villagers, Anna Matskiv and Melaniia Vavrynevych, planned to buy an icon of St. Nicholas. They went to the town of Sokal in the Lviv Oblast to meet Zinovii Tymoshyk, one of the church's painters. He painted an icon and donated it.

On May 26, 2019, a festive prayer was held on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Chapel of St. Nicholas.

The chapel is cared for by the Halyna Ushii. Every year on December 18–19, villagers come to light a candle for a good year and the harvest. The chapel is believed by some to protect the village from natural disasters and calamities.