Key Number:	HS 24626
Site Name:	Szypenitz - Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of St. Mary
Other Names:
Site Type:	1603 - Religious: Church, Cathedral or Chapel

Location

ATS Legal Description:

			Twp	Rge	Mer
			55	13	4

Address:
Number:
Street:
Avenue:
Other:
Town:
Near Town:	Two Hills

Media

Type	Number	Date	View	Source

Architectural

Style:	Ukrainian-Canadian Church Style
Plan Shape:	Rectangular
Storeys:	Storeys: 1
Foundation:	Basement/Foundation Wall Material: Concrete
Superstructure:
Superstructure Cover:
Roof Structure:	Medium Gable
Roof Cover:
Exterior Codes:	Towers, Steeples and Domes: Dome
Exterior:	Roof Type: hip/gabled hip; domed (1 very large central dome; 1 very small dome over the narthex, both on octagonal bases) Plan Shape: tripartite with apse. Projecting eaves and verges, plain soffit; int. brick chimney; round wd. on east and west facades; semi-circular windows, 4 on dome, 2 on apse, 1 on each side of narthex, 2 on each side of nave; shaped door trim; datestone. * * * The roof appears to have been reshingled in recent years, and the exterior brick walls have been painted. There is some paint deterioration on the north wall where blistering and peeling are visible. The main dome should also be repainted for better preservation. Excluding the new asphalt shingles on the roof, the exterior of the church exhibits 100% of its original fabrication.
Interior:	3-tiered iconostas, choir loft, chairs (no benches); painted throughout with religious depictions; some subtle evidence of Ukrainianization. * * * Regular maintenance and housekeeping have kept the interior in very good condition. The original paintings on the walls and lantern highlight the unique interior. The floor has been covered with carpet and the west wall of the loft was re-covered with new panelling, otherwise the interior also displays almost 100% of its original fabric.
Environment:	Adjacent shiplap belltower, cemetery across the road; rural setting, situated in large enclosed churchyard; combination of deciduous and coniferous trees in general vicinity; exlusively agricultural infrastructure. * * * The Szypenitz Church is located in a rural area six miles east of Hairy Hill. The landscaping includes a lawn and one shrub, and allows maximum use of the site for parking or church activities.
Condition:	Structurally, this building appears to be sound but has suffered from movement problems. There is a serious crack on the southeast corner of the altar which at the time of our original inspection was widening gradually. The cause of this defect is twofold. To begin with, the structural design is poor and the original foundation did not conform to the building codes requirement. The footing, buried just below the surface, did not extend beyond the frost penetration line to provide the structure with good in-depth support and resistance to ground movement and the freeze-thaw cycle. Secondly, no attention had ever been paid to the finished grade immediately surrounding the building. Instead of sloping away from the delicate foundation, it formed a trench to trap rainwater and melting snow, causing all sorts of movement as the weather changed. Apart from the above-mentioned crack, years of differential settlement had caused many other cracks on the brick walls and foundation. These cracks were not severe enough to cause structural disintegration, but they need to be repaired and repointed to prevent moisture penetration and loose bricks falling off. In response to these problems, foundation stabilization was undertaken on this structure in 1985, and as a result, it is a much more stable building today. Good (1987).
Alterations:	The roof appears to have been reshingled in recent years and the exterior brick walls have been painted.

Historical

Construction:	Construction Date:
Constructed	1917/01/01
Usage:	Usage Date:
Church	1917/01/01
Owner:	Owner Date:
Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of St. Mary	1917/01/01

Architect:	N/A
Builder:	N/A
Craftsman:	N/A
History:	Harry Osiecky - Designer. Built by congregation; painted by P. Lipinski ca. 1929. Began as Russo-Othodox Church; dispute in 1916-17, causing part of the congregation to split away and for the Sts. Peter Paul Ukrainian Orthodox parish at Kaleland; St. Mary's itself eventually joined the Ukrainian Orthodox churh in 1941. Third church on site: first built 1907, burn 1909; second buil 1911, burned 1916. * * * Building / Site Description: The Szypenitz church is a one storey brick structure with a large wooden octagonal dome located on the middle portion of the building. It has been used as a church since its construction in 1917. The site includes a bell tower also dating from 1917 and a cemetery which was established when the congregation was first organized. The historical integrity of the church, the bell tower also dating from 1917 and a cemetery which was established when the congregation was first organized. The historical integrity of the church, the bell tower and the cemetery are very high, reflecting the care taken by the congregation in the maintenance of the site over the years. Historical Significance: The Szypenitz Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of St. Mary is part of a rural community located between present-day Willingdon and Two Hills, an area settled by people from eastern Europe at the turn of the century. These immigrants came from the Chernivtsi area of Bukovyna, including the villages of Luzhany, Kitsman, Lashkivka and Shypyntsi. The first social insitution created by the people from Shypyntsi was a Russo-Orthodox Church, which later adopted Ukrainian Greek Orthodoxy about 1941. The congregation erected a one-room log building in 1907 and partitioned the room to represent the iconostas. In approximately 1911 this building was replaced with a larger and more ornate structure built with materials purchased from the Charles Gordon Lumber Yard in Vegreville and designed by Harry Osiecki. The actual construction of the church was undertaken by members of the congregation. The church and its contents were totally destroyed by fire, apparently in 1916. In 1917 the congregation constructed the church and bell tower which now occupy the site. It was also designed by Osiecki who may have used the plans originally prepared for the first since both the buildings are known to have been similar. After completion of the church, the noted artist and painter Peter Lipinski was hired to paint the icons. While the other buildings associated with this rural community have either been abandoned like the hall or dismantled like the school, the Szypenitz church continues to be used actively. Its historical significance arises from its link with the early migration of people from Shypyntsi, Ukraine; its distinction as one of very few brick rural churches in east central Alberta, and its identification as one of the first buildings constructed by Osiecki, whose work is being studied and preserved at the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village. The adjacent cemetery is equally important, and is one of the best preserved older cemeteries in east central Alberta. Architectural Significance: The Szypenitz Ukrainian Greek Orthodox church of St. Mary is an example of the Triple-zrub church plan which has been the one most frequently reproduced in Alberta. This plan is based on a technique of wood construction in which the basic unit is a four-walled structure made up of logs laid horizontally and generally 5.5 to 6 metres square. The building technique is known as blockwork or the log cabin style and each unit is called a zrub. The triple-zrub plan normally refers to a series of three timber units which form the narthex, nave and sanctuary. The only difference in the Szypenitz church is that it is constructed of brick and not wood. Its designer, Harry Osiecki, was born in 1884 in Pidmykhailivtsi Rohatyn, Halychyna, Western Ukraine, which at that time was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. At the age of eighteen he began his term of military service during which he learned all aspects of woodworking from drafting to wood scultpure. Shortly after completing his military service he fled to the United States for political reasons. He was later deported to face trial in Ukraine but was able to again escape to Canada prior to World War One. By the late teens and early 1920s, Osiecki's reputation as a builder was established. His services as designer/carpenter/contractor were very much in demand during this period particularly in the Shandro area where he was reported to have built six homes. He also built such public buildings as churches and schools. The Szypenitz church also is an example of octagonal zrub on a square zrub base architectural motif sometimes employed in the construction of the broader central unit. This design is derived from western Ukraine. * * * Draft Press Release Edmonton, Alberta The Honourable Greg Stevens, Minister of Alberta Culture and Multiculturalism, announced today that the Szypenitz Ukrainian Greek Orthdox Church of St. Mary near Hairy has been designated a Provincial Historic Resource. The Szyppenitz Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church is an important link with the early immigration of people from Eastern Europe to Alberta duriing the expansion of the settlement process between 1896 and 1915. This church is part of a rural community made up of immigrants from the Chernivtsi area of Bukovyna, including the village of Shypyntsi. The first church established by the people from this village was a Russo-Orthodox Church, which later adopted Ukrainian Greek Orthodoxy about 1941. The congregation met first in a log building constructed in 1907. When the building became too small it was replaced with a larger and more ornate structure designed by Harry Osiecki. In 1917 the congregation constructed a third building very similar to the second structure which had been destroyed by fire. Constructed of bricks, this church was also designed by Osiecki, who utilized the triple-zrub plan derived from western Ukraine. This plan is based on a technique of wood construction in which the basic unit called a zrub is a four-walled structure made up of logs laid horizontally and generally 5 to 6 metres square. The building technique is known as blockwork or the log cabin style. Harry Osiecki was born in 1884 in the Western Ukraine. At the age of eighteen he began his term of military service during which he learned all aspects of woodworking from drafting to wood sculpture. Shortly after completing his military service he fled to the United States for political reasons. He was later deported to face trail in Ukrainian but was able to again escape to Canada prior to World War One. By the late teens and early 1920s, Osiecki's reputation as a builder was established. His services as designer / carpenter / contractor were very much in demand during this period, particularly in the Shandro area where he was reported to have built six homes and many public buildings such as churches and schools. This church has the added distinction of having had the icons painted by Peter Lipinski, noted church artist. Althogether, it provides an excellent example of the transition of Ukrainian church traditions to Alberta.

Internal

Designation Status:	Designation Date:
Provincial Historic Resource	1987/12/02

Register:

Links

Internet:
Alberta Register of Historic Places:	4665-0526