Description of Historic Place

St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church, completed in 1907 and extended in 1917, is a large wood-frame structure on a secluded site near Menzie. The provincial designation applies to the church, its cemetery and the grounds they occupy.

Heritage Value

St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church, with its cruciform shape and five banyas (domes), is an exceptional example of Ukrainian church architecture adapted to a pioneer setting in rural Manitoba. Based on design traditions from Western Ukraine's Ternopil region, the church is one of the first in the province to incorporate a large structural centre dome that opens on to the interior. There it lights colourful spaces appointed with fine stencil-work, iconography by noted artist Jacob Maydanyk and an elaborately detailed, handmade iconostas. Built by parishioners led by local carpenters Ivan and Petro Koltusky, the church is still used on special occasions and stands as a tribute to its founders' faith and perseverance.

Source: Manitoba Heritage Council Minutes, September 6, 1984

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of the St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church site include:
- its location in the Dolyny district near a country road north of Menzie and the building's east-west orientation within a well-treed plot of land, accompanied by a bell tower and a cemetery to the southeast

Key exterior elements that define the church's traditional Ukrainian design include:
- the five-frame cruciform massing dominated by a large round dome rising from the centre of the cross-gable roof, with modest extensions for the front (west) porch and rear (northeast) vestry
- the smaller onion domes set on octagonal bases at the four points of the cross
- the straightforward materials and finishes, including the wood-frame construction, painted horizontal wood siding with contrasting trim, metal sheathing on the roof and domes, etc.
- the symmetrically placed fenestration, including round-arched rectangular sash windows throughout and a small multi-paned oculus over the front entrance, all in plain wood surrounds
- the modest detailing, limited mainly to return eaves and metal crosses atop the domes and front porch

Key elements that define the church's carefully appointed interior include:
- the central dome at the crossing lit by four windows, its colours and meticulous decorative elements setting the tone for the transepts, nave and apse
- the walls and round-arched ceiling of painted horizontal wood panelling above vertical wainscotting, with a star motif and applied icons on the sky-blue ceiling, stencilled designs and borders in gold on the cream walls, and gold cross motifs on the pendentives
- the delicate hand-carved iconostas of white-painted wood adorned with scrolled doors, gold-painted trim and abundant iconography, etc.
- the narrow choir loft running the full width of the west wall, supported by two shaped pillars and accessed by steep wooden stairs
- functional features such as the dark-stained wood trim on doors, pews, the free-standing wood-burning stove, etc.
- fine religious fixtures and symbols such as the chandelier suspended from the main dome, the icon of St. John the Baptist from Ukraine, the stained-glass windows donated by parishioners, etc.