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Eastern European Churches (1898-1940)

History

Ukrainian, Romanian and Russian immigrants to Manitoba constructed church buildings with reference to the varied architectural traditions of their homelands. Some of the earliest settlement churches closely followed old-country traditions. Most churches, however, and especially later examples, employed a combination of Eastern European traditions with North American building technologies and western architectural influences.

Eastern European Churches

Click on the characteristic buttons below or on the building to explore the characteristics.

Onion dome above façade with towers on both corners
onion dome façade towers Gable roof

onion dome

Onion dome

Onion Dome

a bulbous dome with a pointed peak on top of a cupola, tower or turret; typical of Eastern European architecture

Styles with this characteristic

Buildings with this characteristic

façade towers

Tower

Turret / Tower / Crenellation / Spire

a building, either freestanding or attached as a prominent element of another building, of great height compared to its floor area; a slender, tall structure usually rising above the building to which it is attached

Styles with this characteristic

Buildings with this characteristic

Gable roof

Gable roof

Gable roof

a roof with gables at each end

Styles with this characteristic

Buildings with this characteristic

Characteristics

  • the churches are usually distinguished by the use of onion domes (also called banyas); a variety of such shapes were used, ranging from squat to tall and slender, with the majority being a distinctive bulbous shape
  • round-arched windows are common
  • detailing may be in Romanesque, classical or even Gothic Revival styles
  • smaller churches are usually built on a rectangular plan and usually feature a gable roof topped with a small onion dome at the roof ridge; many of these churches also feature façade towers topped with small banyas
  • larger churches are often cross-shaped and more complex, with reference to the grand urban churches of eastern Europe; the external character of the structure is expressed by the number, size and variety of domes; many of these churches have large domes that open into the interior, filling the space below with light
  • interiors are often richly decorated, featuring murals, banners, icons (religious paintings on wood) and icon screens