The architectural arrangement of the 18th-century Uniate church: Tradition and Western borrowings

The aim of this study was to identify the architectural characteristics of the 18th-century Uniate church in Right-Bank Ukraine, with a focus on its confessional, spatial, and structural specificity. The research employed a comprehensive interdisciplinary methodology, combining historical-architectural, spatial-analytical, typological and comparative-stylistic methods. The source base included historical maps, ecclesiastical-administrative descriptions, graphic representations and aggregated statistical data on the confessional structure of 18th-century of Right-Bank Ukraine. The findings demonstrated that the architectural landscape of the Uniate church evolved within a complex confessional environment, wherein the Uniate tradition functioned as a synthetic phenomenon, integrating elements of the Byzantine rite, vernacular timber construction and Baroque influences drawn from the Latin sacred heritage. This interplay fostered the emergence of a distinctive spatial-visual model that affirmed the Uniate church's confessional identity in a region marked by intense religious competition. The Kyiv Uniate Metropolis encompassed the regions of Volhynia, Podillia, Kyiv and Bratslav, where the presence of Uniate churches varied considerably: the highest concentration was recorded in Volhynia and Podillia and the lowest in Kyiv and Bratslav, reflecting political changes and jurisdictional shifts. In the middle of the 18th century, the number of Uniate churches reached approximately 1,500- 1,700, decreasing to 1,200-1,300 by the end of the 18th century. The analysis of single-nave, tripartite, and triconch architectural types revealed that Uniate church interiors were characterised by multi-tiered iconostases with carving and gilding, wall reliefs, frescoes and decorative motifs blending sacred symbolism with local ornamental traditions. Baroque elements – such as vine scrolls, palmettes, and acanthus leaves – played a prominent role in enhancing the ceremonial visual expressiveness of the sacred space. The practical value of the study lies in its potential application to the reconstruction of the 18th-century sacred environment, the preservation of the architectural heritage and the development of scientifically grounded restoration approaches