Church of St. Cyril and Methodius, Terchová

In the heart of Terchova stands the majestic parish church of Saints Cyril and Methodius, the largest church in Slovakia dedicated to the brothers of Thessaloniki. This imposing structure was built between 1942 and 1949 to replace the smaller Baroque church of St. Martin, which was no longer sufficient for the growing number of worshippers. By the early 1940s, Terchova had a population of over five thousand and the old church had become too small. The local priest Štefan Bitter convinced the faithful of the need to build a new church. The project was created by the renowned architect Milan Michal Harminc, who designed the building in the style of traditional modernism. Financing was a major challenge. The money was raised by selling off Mount Gbezova for one million one hundred and ten thousand crowns, but the total budget was three million crowns. The believers covered the difference with voluntary collections and free labour for the construction. The construction was carried out by the Stavba cooperative from Banská Bystrica. Originally, they planned to import stone from the Spiš Hills, but due to the high cost they ended up using material from the quarry in Vrátna, saving two thirds of the cost. In the autumn of 1944 the construction was completed, but disaster struck in the spring of 1945. One hundred and fifty houses, including the rectory, burnt down during the war. The rough construction of the new church provided shelter for the inhabitants and a place to store crops. After the war, the faithful completed all the work. Inside the church, visitors can admire the unique wooden moving Nativity scene, which is one of the most important attractions of this spiritual place.