200 Years of the Uman Catholic Church

Today, for most residents and guests of Uman, this building is primarily associated with the art gallery. However, it is one of the oldest stone structures in Uman and an architectural monument of national significance, with a history filled with dramatic turns. Recently, the local Roman Catholic community marked a symbolic milestone — 200 years since the consecration (solemn dedication) of the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which took place on August 15, 1826.

The history of the building's construction spans over four decades:

• Background: In the 18th century, a wooden Church of Saint Anthony operated in Uman, built in the 1740s at the expense of Franciszek Salezy Potocki. During the events of the Koliivshchyna uprising in 1768, it was damaged, subsequently fell into decline, and was dismantled.

  Construction: In 1780, the new owner of the city, Stanisław Szczęsny Potocki, laid the foundation for a stone church on the grounds of the Catholic cemetery. The architect Tomasz Ettlinger is considered the likely designer of the project. Due to a lack of funds and changes in ownership, construction was repeatedly halted and was completed only in 1825.

  Consecration: On August 15, 1826, the church was consecrated by Father Paweł Wiliński. The building had a different appearance than it does today: its roof was topped with two rectangular towers with crosses, and above the entrance was a triangular pediment with the symbol of the "Eye of Providence." Nearby was a cemetery with family crypts, where architect Tomasz Ettlinger and Dyzma Bończa-Tomaszewski, author of the poem Jagellonida, were buried.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the church served as the administrative center of the Uman deanery:

• Karol Zakusylo: Served in the church for over 50 years. Following the Polish Uprising of 1863, he was arrested by the tsarist police. Although his guilt could not be proven, he remained under secret surveillance for the rest of his life. He was a co-founder of the local Roman Catholic charitable society.

  Jan Przysiecki: Led the parish starting in 1910 and taught Scripture in local gymnasiums. In 1913, he was arrested for organizing a secret Polish school in his home (known in police records under the codename "Christian Laundry"). In 1937, he was arrested by the NKVD; his subsequent fate remains unknown.

In the 1930s, Soviet authorities closed the church, demolished the towers with crosses, and completely destroyed the adjacent cemetery. For a long time, the premises were used for storage and utility purposes.
In the 1960s, Uman historians, local experts, and museum enthusiasts — notably Hryhoriy Khraban, Nadiya Surovtsova, and Mykhailo Komarnytskyi — initiated a project to open an art gallery in the former church. Thanks to their efforts, the building was saved from destruction and radical reconstruction, and in March 1974, the art department of the Uman Museum of Local History was opened here.

At the turn of the 1980s and 1990s, the Roman Catholic parish resumed its activities (the first services were held directly on the building's steps).

Today, the building is an architectural monument of national significance and remains state-owned. The art gallery continues to operate inside, yet every Sunday and on feast days, parishioners gather here for the celebration of Holy Mass.