TEXTUAL GRAFFITI ON THE ST. PANTELEIMON CHURCH: PHENOMENON, CONTENT, INTERPRETATIONS

Abstract

The article is focused on analyzing the textual graffiti of St. Panteleimon Church in Shevchenkove village (Ivano-Frankivsk region, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Ukraine). It examines different types of inscriptions and their possible meaning in sacred space. It is argued that the graffiti were not acts of vandalism, but a complex, multifaceted phenomenon that served as a means of communication between the earthly and the divine. The content of the inscriptions, including names, prayers, and commemorative notes, is analyzed. It is assumed that some of the texts were expressions of piety and symbolized the prayers of believers. It is likely that certain graffiti served as commemorative inscriptions by pilgrims and stonemasons. Others were memorial records of events important to the collective memory of the community. The inscriptions of St. Panteleimon Church have been compared with similar inscriptions on European sites. The importance of further comprehensive study of the phenomenon of graffiti as a valuable historical source in the context of the history of ideas, cultural studies, and epigraphy has been emphasized.