Description of Historic Place

The Babulynci Church is a Municipal Heritage Property located approximately 10 kilometres southeast of the Village of Fosston in the Rural Municipality of Ponass Lake No. 367. The property consists of a one-storey, wood-frame church with a large central dome, a small wood-clad log belfry, and a cemetery situated on two hectares of maintained grounds.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Babulynci Church lies in its association with Ukrainian architecture and the Ukrainian pioneers who settled in the area. Constructed in 1931, the church replaced a log hall which had served as a place of worship for Ukrainian settlers in the area. Named after the Ukrainian Village of Bobylynci, where the first settlers in the area came from, the church was built in a style similar to the Greek Catholic churches of the settlers’ native Ukraine. These features include the large central dome, cruciform plan, and interior murals and paintings done by Ukrainian artist Paul Zabolotny.

The rural church and belfry are situated on two hectares of maintained grounds, which are used as a place for social gathering. The grounds also feature a cemetery containing the remains of many of the early Ukrainian settlers to the area, thereby providing a link to the past.

The high degree of historical integrity of the church's interior also contributes to the heritage value of the property. The large open nave is decorated with religious paintings, murals, and stylized ornamentation. The central dome is particularly striking with vibrant murals of the 12 apostles. The interior religious decorations speak to the building's function as a place of worship.

Source:

Rural Municipality of Ponass Lake No. 367 Bylaw No. 5, 1990.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the Babulynci Church resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those elements that reflect the Ukrainian heritage of the property, including the cruciform plan, large octagonal metal central dome topped by a cupola and cross, arched and square windows, commemorative plaques, crosses, and cemetery features, such as the Cyrillic characters used on many grave markers;
-interior elements that reflect the historical integrity of the church, such as the large open nave, arches, columns, paintings and murals, including the murals of the 12 apostles, religious ornamentation, such as the statues of Jesus and Mary, the chandelier, sanctuary light, and choir loft;
-the cemetery, including the arrangement of the grave markers;
-the spatial relationships among the church, belfry, cemetery, and grounds, and the rural location of the property.