Hradec Králové has reopened the wooden church from the 17th century after renovation

Hradec Králové - The city of Hradec Králové today opened the wooden church of St. Nicholas from the early 17th century after nearly three years of reconstruction. The church will be open to the public for the first time on July 2. This monument-protected church is among the oldest wooden ecclesiastical buildings in Central Europe. To protect against potential fire, the church is equipped with a modern fire extinguishing system. Jan Falta, head of the heritage protection department of the city hall, stated this to ČTK. The renovation cost 14.5 million crowns excluding VAT.

The church was originally built in the village of Habura in eastern Slovakia. In the mid-18th century, Habura sold it to neighboring Malé Poľany, from which it was purchased by Hradec Králové in 1935. The already significantly dilapidated church was then dismantled and, after being transported by train, was rebuilt in Hradec Králové’s Jiráskovy sady as a memorial to the fallen in World War I. Since then, it had not undergone any significant repairs.

The builders replaced the shingle roof, repaired the floors and beams. The painted decoration and inventory underwent complete restoration. The gem of the church is the iconostasis, that is, the decorative painted wall that separates the choir from the altar area in Orthodox churches.

The entire church has been treated against wood-destroying pests through a process called thermosanation. The building was equipped with air conditioning regulating temperature and humidity, a modern security system, and a gas-based fire extinguishing system. The system, consisting of pipes, hoses, sensors, and valves, is routed in the hollow space between the outer cladding and the log structure.

Mayor Alexandr Hrabálek (for ODS) reminded that the church was purchased in 1935 from the reward for the tenure of Mayor Josef Pilnáček, which he did not take as payment. The current renovation was primarily funded by the city’s own resources, with a grant of 760,000 crowns from the Ministry of Culture.

The church was built in Slovakia from fir beams. According to dendrochronological studies, the trees were felled between 1598 and 1607. The city of Hradec Králové purchased it before the war for the then sum of 12,000 crowns. "The entire operation in 1935 from the offer, selection on site, approval from the authorities in Slovakia and the municipal council in Hradec Králové, disassembly, transport, and reconstruction in Hradec Králové until the completion of construction took only three and a half months," said city hall spokesperson Kateřina Šmídová.

From Tuesday, visitors can look forward to guided tours that will last until the end of September. In the week from July 2 to July 7, tours will start on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 14:00, 15:00, and 16:00. From Friday to Sunday, tours will be at 13:00, 14:00, and 15:00. Subsequently, until the end of September, tours will be held from Friday to Sunday. Adults will pay 80 crowns for a half-hour tour, children 50 crowns. The reduced admission for seniors, students, and persons with disabilities will be 70 crowns.