Description of Historic Place

Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church, erected in 1904, is a log structure on a large rural site in the Rossburn area. The municipal designation applies to the church, its bell tower and cemetery, and the grounds they occupy.

Heritage Value

Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church, a well-preserved structure invitingly set back from an isolated grid road against a backdrop of dense bush, is one of the oldest surviving rural churches in the Rossburn area and one of the few log Ukrainian churches that remain in Manitoba. Its rectangular gable-roofed cells, small central dome and handcrafted interior draw on architectural traditions from the Ternopil plains region of Western Ukraine and complement the rustic charm of its site. Now used for special annual services, the restored structure recalls the determination of the area's early Ukrainian Catholic settlers to preserve and practice their faith.

Source: Rural Municipality of Rossburn By-law No. 1217, February 14, 1991

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of the Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church site include:
- the heavily wooded location in the Rossburn area, with the church removed from the grid road within a large L-shaped clearing fronted by a cemetery and with the church sanctuary oriented to the east
- the adjacent wooden bell tower composed of three tiers, including a faceted roof and louvred belfry

Key exterior elements that define the building's vernacular interpretation of traditional Western Ukrainian church design include:
- the compact, rectangular, three-volume massing, including the entrance porch, nave and sanctuary under forward-facing gable roofs, etc.; and the log construction, covered by horizontal wood siding
- the small metal-clad dome centred over the nave on an octagonal wooden drum
- the orderly array of single, pointed arched windows on three sides, set in plain wood surrounds, with upper sashes of clear glass divided by cross-shaped glazing bars
- the unpretentious materials and finishes, including white-painted siding and dark-coloured trim, plain return eaves, entrance doors of panelled wood, vertical plank construction, etc.

Key elements that define the church's intact pioneer-era interior include:
- the modestly scaled plan incorporating a narthex, centre-aisle nave, slightly narrower, raised sanctuary, small vestry and west-end loft on heavy columns of turned wood
- the sanctuary's intricately detailed iconostas with painted icons and scrolled details
- the striking colour palette, including the rich blue paint of the barrel vault ceiling, upper walls and loft balustrade, the dark brown on the lower walls, the dark pews, the white door and window trim, etc.
- other modest features, including the narrow ladder-like loft stairs, the panelled double nave doors, the vestry's glass and wood door, etc.