Zprávy památkové péče 2018, 78(3):203-207 | DOI: 10.56112/zpp.2018.3.03

The Orthodox Church of St. Olga in Františkovy Lázně

Lubomír Zeman

NPÚ, ÚOP v Lokti

The article summarizes the history of the construction of the Church of St. Olga in Františkovy Lázně, the first new sacred orthodox construction in the Czech Republic. The entire project was 17 years in preparation - the committee for the construction of the Orthodox temple was founded in 1870 by Emil W. Hamburger, but the funds for the commencement of its construction were not collected until 1887. Committee member Gustav Wiedermann presented the plans for the new building, based on the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God "The joy of all suffering / The joy of all mourning" from the Kryukovo Neurological Sanatorium of Evdokiya Nikolayevna and Konstantin Vasilyevitch Rukavishnik near Moscow by the Russian architect Alexander Lavrentyeyevitch Ober completed in 1886. The construction of the Františkovy Lázně building began in October 1887 and was completed very quickly; it was consecrated in 1889.
Currently, the Orthodox Church of St. Olga in Františkovy Lázně is undergoing exhaustive repairs and restoration with financial contributions from the MPR regeneration program and the city of Františkovy Lázně with the support of the Orthodox Church. The facade was cleaned, and ceramic tiles were revealed, including decorative elements, followed by the cleaning of the entrance portal which revealed stucco acanthus pillar leaves, the profile of the column bases, and the plastic floral decor of the archivolts. In 2017, the faded icons of Christ the Savior, St. Olga, and St. Vladimir were also restored, set in a fronton and in chapels next to the entrance portal. The gradual repair of the temple will continue in the years to come; the year 2018 will involve part of the nave and the conclusion.

Keywords: Františkovy Lázně, Church of St. Olga, Orthodox sacral monuments, 19th century architecture

Published: September 1, 2018  Show citation