Ukrainian priest paints temples himself, although he has no art education Bashny.Net

The modest Church of the Apostles Peter and Paul in the small town of Khmelnik in Vinnytsia cannot boast of a rich history. The shrine was built a couple of years ago, but now attracts parishioners and tourists from all over the region who want to see the painting of the temple firsthand.

The highlight of the Peter and Paul Church is its interior decoration. Or rather, the fact that all the paintings inside make the priest himself in his free time from worship, and he himself has no artistic education! This priest's name is Ivan Pukas, and we're going to talk about him today.



The painting of the temple is a kind of prayer

As the priest himself admits, at first he took up the brush because he simply wanted to save money. After all, the hired artist must be paid, and the church parish is small and not rich. Ivan Pukas did not have an artistic education, but God fully endowed him with talent, hard work and a thirst for learning. So, with God’s help, the painting of the temple began to move sporadically.



Now to hire an artist from the side of the priest does not want to knowingly. Each author has his own unique handwriting! If several people are engaged in painting the church, it will be noticeable and harmony in the temple will be destroyed. And so all the frescoes are made by one person.



“When an artist looks at a wall, he already knows what he wants to paint on it,” says Ivan Pukas. - First I make a pencil sketch. First I draw the general proportions, then I get to the details and only then I get to the colors.” It takes about a week to create one icon: it takes six days to work on the painting and another to create an ornamental frame.



In addition to painting, the priest also mastered artistic wood carving! He personally made an iconostasis, as well as other interior details. Carved columns were especially difficult. For their manufacture, you first have to firmly glue three boards, and then carefully work with a cutter. If you cheat at any of the stages, the column can easily crack. But each column is a month of painstaking work!



Ivan Pukas admits that at first it was difficult for him to work in the forests under the dome: the fear of heights took its toll. But gradually he got used to such working conditions and now, painting the ceiling at a height of ten meters, only sticks with one hand behind the handrails.



If you look up at the painted vaults for a long time, the viewer can also get dizzy with admiration. By the way, such dizziness can occur not only due to the power of art, but also due to the fact that when you roll your head back, you can squeeze blood vessels. This condition in medicine is called Sistine Chapel Syndrome.



With his enthusiasm, Ivan Pukas infected local residents. So the parishioner Tatiana Marchuk embroidered icons and banners for the church, and her husband carved a shaft for them. When the Holy Father sets an example, the rest of the parishioners work easier and more inspired. With God’s help, all work is possible, you just need to show diligence and patience!