Ascension Church, Luzhany
The oldest church of Bukovyna, whose frescoes hide paintings of the 13th century.
The masonry three-part church of the house type is dated to 1453–1455, when the boyar Fedir Vitold bought the village by deed of sale; his donor portrait in the guise of a Lithuanian knight survives among the paintings. Restorers of Ukrzakhidproektrestavratsiia uncovered the original frescoes beneath sixteen layers and compare them with Meteora and Sopoćani, while fragments of the 13th century show the church is two centuries older than the document. The bell tower was added in the 19th century; next door the community built a new Ascension church in 1996–2014.
Services in the old church are held up to 10 times a year (Molodyi Bukovynets, 12.08.2025), so visit with a guided tour or by arrangement with the community. Restorers assess the roof as critical and in need of replacement, but the church has no owner, and this blocks funding for repairs (Molodyi Bukovynets, 12.08.2025). The village lies on the N-10 road, about 16 km from Chernivtsi (karpaty.rocks, 23.06.2025).