Church of the Dormition, Pylypche, Ternopil Oblast

Church of the Dormition (Церква Успіння Пресвятої Богородиці) is a Greek Catholic parish church (UGCC) in Pylypche of the Ivane-Puste rural hromada of the Chortkiv Raion of the Ternopil Oblast, and an architectural monument of local importance.

History
The stone church in Pylypche was built in 1907 on the site of an old small cemetery. The whole community joined the construction. It was initiated and funded by a resident of the village, Dmytro Kubei. The old wooden church was dismantled.

In 1911–1912, the church was decorated by the artist Mykhailo Shurma.

The religious community was Greek Catholic until 1946. From mid 1946 to 1964, the parish and church belonged to the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1964–1988, the church was closed by the state authorities.

Since 1964, the spiritual needs of the parishioners have been met by Orthodox priests who served in the churches of the villages of Ustia, Horoshova, Shuparka, and Kryvche.

In 1988, the church was opened under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church. The premises were renovated by the community. The local collective farm board provided a lot of financial assistance to the church. The wooden iconostasis was painted by Yakiv Hnizdovskyi, a native of the village (nephew of the world-famous artist Jacques Hnizdovsky), with the help of Roman Stratiichuk, an applied artist, also a native of the village.

In 1991, the parish returned to the bosom of the UGCC and the first episcopal visitation of the parish was conducted by Bishop Mykhailo Sabryha.

On 6 August 2007, the church celebrated its 100th anniversary. On this occasion, Bishop Irynei Bilyk came on a visitation to lead the Divine Liturgy and consecrate the oak cross near the church.

On 10 March 2012, His Beatitude Liubomyr Huzar paid a private visit to the village of Pylypche. He visited the school museum of the famous artist Jacques Hnizdovsky, who emigrated to the United States, and met His Beatitude personally. After visiting the museum and the press conference, a memorial service for the repose of the soul of Jacques Hnizdovsky was held in the village church, led by His Beatitude Liubomyr in concelebration with the pastor, dean, and priests of the deanery.

The parish has a community of Mothers in Prayer.

The parish owns a church, a bell tower, a chapel, and a parsonage.

Priests

 * at. Hryhorovych,
 * at. Ivan Ustianovych,
 * at. Dmytro Palianytsia,
 * at. Roman Tychynskyi,
 * at. Hordiichuk,
 * at. Hunchak,
 * at. Ostap Havryliv (ROC),
 * at. Hryhorii Drebit,
 * at. Oleh Kosovan,
 * at. Vasyl Stasiv,
 * at. Valerii Kandiuk,
 * at. Yaroslav Manchulenko,
 * at. Andrii Senyshyn (since 3 February 2007).