Historical outline

Kobyllova lies about 20 kilometres south-east of Trembowla. The Soviets, during their period of domination, changed the name of the village to "Жовтневе" (October). Historical sources are very scanty in information about the history of the village. It is known that among the owners recorded were Jan of Kobyloko and his wife Catherine, Mikolaj Broda, Andrew of Kobyloko, and Jan Kobyloko (15th century). The village is also mentioned in the 1564 conscription list, and in 1648 its inhabitants took part in peasants' riots. Further annotations come only from the 19th and 20th centuries. At that time the estate was part of the Janov estate. Until the 19th century Kobyloko was subordinate to the parish in Janov Trembowel. In 1891 an exposition was established in the village. A church was built and consecrated at that time, but it was not consecrated until 1902, when Archbishop Jozef Bilczewski visited the village. It did not become an independent parish until 1925.

Little is known about the fate and furnishing of the church due to a lack of archival material. As Andrzej Betlej writes in his study of the building, there is only information about the "disastrous condition of the parish" at the height of 1926.

In 1944-1945, the building served as a defence against attacks by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. According to available sources, sixteen people of Polish nationality were killed in the village at that time. In February 1945, Father Zygmunt Gendziński left the village, taking with him some of the liturgical paraments. He donated what was left to the friendly local Greek-Catholic church. The Soviets arranged a kolkhoz warehouse in the church.

Architecture

The building is located in the northern part of the village. It was built on the plan of a Latin cross, with the longitudinal frame consisting of the nave and the altar section closed with a straight wall, and the transverse single-span arms of the transept. The chancel faces south-west, with a rectangular vestry attached to the left side. The church was built of broken stone and plastered.

The exterior elevations have no articulation. They were set on a low plinth. The only decorative elements were paintings imitating pilasters and lisens in shape and form.

The single-axis and single-storey façade was closed with a triangular gable. In the middle, at the bottom, is the entrance opening, above which were placed two windows: just above the door, a rectangular window closed with a semicircle, and a round window at the very top. Around the latter there were also painting decorations, and above it the motif of the Eye of Providence in a radial gloria.

A gabled roof was used over the nave and triple-pitched roofs over the other parts. All are covered with sheet metal. The signature turret was topped with an onion-shaped cupola with a spire and decorated with a knob with a cross.

The interior also lacks articulation. The altar section and the arms of the transept were separated by one step in height. The interior was covered with a ceiling. Except for the sacristy, where there are square windows, rectangular windows closed with a semicircle were used everywhere.

Among the most important elements related to the furnishing of the building is undoubtedly the fading painting decoration depicting Marian and angelic motifs.

As Andrzej Betlej writes in his study of the building, the building is in poor condition. The furnishings are also missing apart from the brick mensa of the altar. The objects taken to Poland could not be found.

Name: Parish Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Kobylloki

Current name: Former Parish Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Kobylloki

Division: architecture

Localization: Ukraine, district: Ternopil, locality: Kobylloki

Author: Unknown

Date of construction: 1891 r.

Technical data: Stone masonry object