Preview - Slovak Churches

Slovak Churches

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Slovak Churches (25:00)

Item# 35324
©2005

This title is part of the following series:

Building Faith: Sacred Architecture

Straddling two worlds of Christian belief, Slovak churches are places where Byzantine and Roman Catholic religious traditions meet and merge. This video analyzes eastern- and western-style Slovak church design in two ways: first, it points out their underlying similarities by tracing their architectural roots back to their common ancestor, the basilica of ancient Rome; then, to explain their very visible differences, it follows the history of Christianity over the centuries immediately following the religion’s division into its eastern and western branches. By reaching out in both directions, Slovak church architecture partakes of Constantinople and Rome in a way that is uniquely its own. (25 minutes)

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Segments in this Video - (7)

1. Slovakia: A Place Where East Meets West (03:01)

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Two different Slovakian churches in Toronto, Canada, combine both Eastern and Western traditions, just like Slovakia's unique culture is a blend of Byzantine and Roman Catholic traditions.

2. Differences in Eastern and Western Designs (02:58)

The Eastern Slovakian church is a plain brick structure with roofs sloping up to the sky. The Western tradition church contains golden domes called copulas on top of three towers. It follows a neoclassical design with a central dome.

3. Similarities in Eastern and Western Designs (04:31)

Both Slovakian churches contain a narthex, nave, and a sanctuary. The sanctuary, the place for the clergy and altar, is the most sacred of the three spaces. These styles come from the first churches built by Christians.

4. First Christian Churches and Eastern Tradition Churches (03:15)

The first Christian churches, called basilicas, followed the pattern of the Roman assembly halls. By the ninth century, the church had divided between East and West. The Eastern tradition, based in Constantinople, changed the church's size and added a dome.

5. Western Tradition Christian Churches (02:45)

The basilica remained the core of Medieval Gothic churches, with an addition of a pair of wings called transepts. The Reformation against the large Catholic churches in the 1500s forced the church to make design changes reflecting neoclassicism.

6. Baroque Churches and the Jesuits (02:59)

The Jesuit society was created to counter the Reformation with baroque churches, built mainly in Germany and Austria. The Jesuits carried this style into Slovakia, where it became very popular, even influencing the Eastern tradition churches.

7. Canadian Slovak Churches: Blending Two Traditions (03:29)

The Western-style Slovakian church uses Byzantine mosaics and not Baroque decorations. Both congregations are a blend of both traditions but recognize the Pope. Two Byzantine monks, St. Cyril and St. Methodius, first brought Christianity to Slovakia.