The Ukraine is one of the few countries in Europe where the construction of wooden churches uses a great deal of art. The development of wooden church construction in Ukraine, is documented back to the 10th century.

One ethnic group called Lemko live in mountain areas on the slopes of the Carpathian Mountains. The Lemko people have always been connected to the Eastern Orthodox or Uniate-Greek-Catholic-Church. The Lemkos built their churches out of wood up to the end of the 18th century. In his book Wooden Orthodox Church Architecture of the Lemko People in Poland, Slovakia and Carpathian Rus, Ryszard Brykowski says, "The charm of Lemko churches lies not only in the picturesque of their mass but results from the very substance of the wood material, from moss-grown timbering and shingles covering the roofs, cupolas, roofing, eaves and walls of the church. This picturesque is increased by the harmonious relationship with the landscape." He continues by describing how the "buildings merge with the surrounding landscape." The Lemko wooden churches are usually found in mountain valleys on the banks of rivers and creeks or on nearby hills. These churches are always surrounded by a circle of trees. Around the church were wooden fences. There was a wooden gate even if there was no fence. On the gates and church itself, there were many forms of wrought iron crosses, each with a particular form.

In the Lemko regions of Poland, Slovakia and Carpathia, many of the wooden churches were painted on the outside. No particular pattern of color has been found. It seems that the colors were determined only by the person who was actually doing the painting. The purpose of painting these churches was probably to help protect and conserve the building. In other regions, the wooden churches were often smeared with oil or in modern times sprayed with chemicals.

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