The rare St. Linhart church in Údrč is being successfully saved from destruction

Údrč (Karlovy Vary) - A rare parish church of St. Linhart in Údrč in Karlovy Vary is being saved from destruction by a group of enthusiasts. Over the past ten years, they have managed to secure around five million Czech crowns for its repairs from various sources. For this year, they have obtained about half a million crowns for the restoration of the church and will complete the securing of the building against leaks. Vladislav Krátký, the initiator of the church's rescue, told ČTK this.
    The originally Gothic church of St. Linhart likely dates back to 1384. Since then it has undergone reconstruction and received a new tower in 1734. However, the last renovation of the church took place in 1911, and since then it has only been deteriorating, Krátký mentioned. In 1994, it was registered in the list of immovable cultural monuments in the region, but even that did not stop its devastation, he said. "That is why we decided, with a group of supporters of the community and the church, to try to save the building," added Krátký.
    The main problem, according to Krátký, was obtaining funds. A number of people helped in attracting sponsors, whether it was the former dean of Bochov, František Kolanda, Jan Schmid from Ypsilon Theater, or Prague artist Bohumil Franc. In 1998, when the repairs began, they managed to restore the entrance doors for about 120,000 crowns, replace the most damaged windows, and prepare a project for roof and truss repairs. "About a million crowns were raised by former residents of the Údrč parish who regularly return here," noted Krátký.
    Interest in the church has also been awakened by various cultural and social events organized to support it. Whether it was ceremonial masses for the feast of St. Linhart or performances by members of the Prague Ypsilon Theater, the National Theater, and other artists. This year, on September 1, a jubilee tenth mass will take place within the feast of St. Linhart to support the restoration of the church.
    The church is past the worst, Krátký believes. It already has a completely repaired roof and trusses, and this year the reconstruction of all the cornices should be completed. So there will be no more leaks. After the reconstruction, the tower clock is working again, and one local resident winds it three times a week. There is also a restored bell in the tower. "A lot of work is still ahead of us. Whether it concerns the repair of the facade or the restoration of the altar. How it will proceed depends on the generosity of sponsors and also on granted subsidies," added Krátký.
    The church in Údrč is still owned by the Roman Catholic Church, which has tried to contribute small amounts to its restoration in the past. However, it lacks funds for larger repairs. In the Karlovy Vary region, the Roman Catholic Church has about 130 churches, half of which are in poor technical condition. Therefore, the church is trying to transfer them to other entities. So far, it has done so in ten cases.