Government may rent a church and a synagogue in Ternopil region

The building of the synagogue in Gusyatin district center and remains of the church of St. Anthony in Zaliztsi town, Zboriv district, may be rented to those willing by Ternopil regional State Property Fund office.

In both cases there is a restriction of future use of the monuments for purposes of “tourist accommodation facilities and cultural institutions," head of Ternopil regional State Property Fund office Michael Shkilnyak informed RISU correspondent Volodymyr Moroz.

"Now we are talking about the study of demand. That is, whether natural or legal persons are interested in these objects,” says M. Shkilnyak. “The rental payment will depend on market price. The assessment will be carried out when those interested in renting emerge."

The synagogue is in a pre-emergency condition and the church isin a satisfactory condition, they said in the office of the Fund. Everyone who is interested in these proposals are advised to contact the regional office of the State Property Fund in Ternopil region by phone (0352) 52-36-38 or at the address Tantsorova 11, office 701, Rental division of the Fund’s regional office.

Ternopil Roman Catholic Church rector, Father AndriyMalig and head of Ternopil regional organization "Jewish community" Igor Banzeruk learned from a journalist about the Fund’s initiative.

"In Zaliztsi our community has another temple. We have no money to restore it. Once we talked about how to deconstruct the remains of the church and use the material for the construction of the temple in Ternopil. But Cardinal Marian Jaworski said: “What it will be like for people?” -says Fr. Malig. “In a couple of steps from the said church, which has no roof there are also the ruins of the castle. It may be justified to make a hall or library in the chuch, but not a club and disco".

The head of the Jewish community in the region emphasizes that the state should return their former property.

"It's amazing that they did not turn to us on future fate of Gusyatyn synagogue,” said I. Banzeruk. “In fact, now there is no Jewish community in Gusyatyn. But I believe that if we have the rule of law and we're going to Europe, the memorial should be returned to the community. And it would decide its fate. Jews from Germany and Poland get surprised when they come here that nothing was returned to our community.”

 Reference

Church of St. Anthony in Zaliztsiis a monument of the XV century. There was a combination of late Gothic and Renaissance styles. It was rebuilt in 1730 at the expense of Józef Potocki in the Baroque style. In the vaults of the temple princes Constantine and Janusz Vyshnevetskys were buried. The temple ceased to operate after the "population exchange" between the Soviet Union and the Polish People's Republic.

Synagogue in Gusyatyn is a monument dating back to 1431.It was built in Moorish (Renaissance) -Gothic style. Throughout its history it underwent two significant rearrangements and was partially destroyed during the Second World War. In the Soviet period a museum was run at the synagogue. Currently, the monument is empty.