Historical outline

Kulikow is an urban settlement located on the road from Lviv to Zhovkva, about 50 km from the Polish-Ukrainian border. St. Nicholas Church has a rather complex history. Its first figure appeared in the village long before it gained municipal rights. It was as early as 1399, when the then leaseholder of the estate, Mikolaj Herbut, founded the first Roman Catholic shrine in this location. In 1469 Kulik闚 was granted town rights. With time, the village became quite an important centre, where blankets and carpets were produced, and later shoemaking and fruit growing were developed. But coming back to the origins of the Roman Catholic parish: it was founded in 1546. The building still standing associated with it dates back to 1538. Interestingly, the consecration of the parish did not take place until 1766. It belonged to the Lviv archdiocese and included many villages. Among them were: Artasów, Blaszczywody, Doroszów, Dzibułki, Hrebeńce, Koszelów, Kukizów, Sulimów, Mohylany, Nadycze, Nahorce, Nowesioło, Podliski, Przedrzymiechy Wielkie, Przedrzymiechy Małe, Smereków, Stroniatyn, Sulimów, Odnowo, Wierzblany and Zwertów. Kulików is linked to the Sobieski family. After all, it was our King John III Sobieski who, in the 17th century, established manufactories there where Tatar prisoners of war worked. Unfortunately, the turmoil of history led to many different perturbations.

During the German occupation, the town was deprived of its municipal rights. In July 1945, Poles left Kulikowo. After the Second World War, St. Nicholas' Church was closed and converted into a backroom for the local bakery. It was only at the beginning of the 21st century that it was returned to the Roman Catholic community, unfortunately not in large numbers, so the initial plans for a major renovation proved too difficult to realise. Thanks to the help of Polish students, it was possible to restore the altar and the valuable frescoes. Unfortunately, the general condition of the building still leaves much to be desired, and given the uniqueness of the building and the fact that the church is the oldest in the Lviv archdiocese, renovation measures would be advisable.

Architecture

The church is situated on a square in the slope of the land. The presbytery is oriented to the north. Stylistically, the building can be described as an intimate meeting of Gothic and Renaissance. The most important decorative element of the building is above all the amazing façade, which immediately draws attention to its unusual geometric shape. This type of solution is a unique example of architecture when considering the background of religious buildings in the Ruthenian lands. The church consists of three naves. Chapels adjoin the main body on two sides. The narrower presbytery is closed with a straight wall. The windows are rectangular, closed with a semicircle. The music choir is located at the west wall. It was built of brick and plastered. The exterior elevations are plain.

The most important elements related to the decoration, furnishings and surroundings of the church include:

- The foundation plaque of 1538, located in the chancel,

- Gothic portal in the church porch,

- Polychromy made in 1854 by A. Kaczmarski.