Description of Historic Place

Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church, a picturesque wooden structure constructed in 1939, stands in contrast to the prairie horizon with its bulbous onion domes and stark white exterior. Situated near the intersection of two country roads in the vicinity of Seech, the church is surrounded by open fields dotted with stands of trees. The municipal designation applies to the church, bell tower, cemetery and the grounds on which they sit.

Heritage Value

Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church is an elegant structure that melds traditional Byzantine forms with the local materials and skills available in rural Manitoba after the Great Depression of the 1930s. The Byzantine influences, including distinctive onion domes and a sophisticated cross plan, are met by a hardy wood-frame structure built using lumber milled from logs obtained in nearby Riding Mountain National Park. The interior similarly blends rich detailing, much of it hand-painted, with simple furnishings. The church expresses the commitment among Ukrainians in the Seech area to overcome limited resources and training to establish a place of worship that reflected their unique religious identity. Devoted community members contributed in various ways, including Michael Swystun, who directed a volunteer construction crew of ten, and Olga Moroz, a noted icon painter who was commissioned in 1947 to paint many of the interior surfaces.

Source: Rural Municipality of Park By-law No. 1208, January 13, 2003

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the site's heritage character include:
- the west-facing church on a grassed lot, with the cemetery to the south, bell tower to the northeast and a stand of trees to the east

Key elements that define the influence of Byzantine and local sources on the exterior design of the church building include:
- the lively massing of multiple volumes of varying heights and roof configurations, including a one-storey gable-roofed entrance porch and a two-storey rectangular main section, with twin towers and a gable roof, intersected by a perpendicular rectangular volume with a hipped roof
- three metal-clad onion domes topped by Greek Orthodox crosses, including a large dome set on a circular drum on the roof ridge near the east end of the main section, encircled with windows and smaller domes atop the west towers
- the use of narrow round-arched windows throughout, their light casings contrasted by darker wooden decorative elements; also square-headed, bull's eye and octagonal openings
- the restrained, graceful exterior finishes, including horizontal siding painted white and playful detailing found in the bargeboards, an arched element under the front gable end and the bases of the smaller domes

Key elements that define the church's unrestrained internal heritage character include:
- the formal cross plan with three frames (sections), including an unobstructed nave and sanctuary distinguished by changes in level and dimensions, a modest two-opening iconostas to screen the altar area from the congregation and a balcony at the west end
- ample lighting provided by stained-glass windows throughout, the large dome above the altar and an ornate chandelier hung from the cupola
- richly detailed surfaces, including wainscotting, plaster walls, barrel-vaulted wood plank ceiling and cupola, all extravagantly hand-painted, with the sky-blue nave ceiling dotted with gold stars, intricate stencil work of multicoloured primary shapes bordering all surfaces, a large image of Jesus above the entrance, other holy icons, murals, banners, etc.
- the contrasting unadorned elements, such as painted wood plank flooring and plain wooden pews