The replica of the church in Gutech is expected to begin construction around mid-summer

Ostrava - A replica of the wooden church in the Třinec district of Guty is set to begin construction around mid-summer. The construction is being delayed by administrative issues, as the building permit is still being finalized and fire safety measures are being adjusted. Miroslav Hurník from the construction department of the Ostrava-Opava diocese stated this today to ČTK. The construction was originally supposed to start last autumn. Delays have also been caused by negotiations with heritage conservationists.

"Our aim is to start the construction of the brick structures at the turn of July and August. Then we will immediately continue with the wooden structures," said Hurník. He added that the only thing currently holding back the start of construction is administration. "We are dealing with complex issues like fire safety," he noted.

Representatives of the diocese were expecting the construction to begin earlier. For quite some time, a compromise was sought between the ideas of the diocese and those of the heritage conservationists.

Everything is ready for the construction of the church, aside from the project. 450 cubic meters of logs have been cut down. The selected company has already debarked the wood for construction, adjusted it to the necessary profiles, and professionally stored it for future use. The wood has mostly been processed manually, primarily by planing. At the same time, spruce wood is being harvested for the production of shingle roofing. About 150 cubic meters of wood will be used to produce the shingles.

The church from the 16th century burned down on the night of August 2, 2017. Shortly after the fire, detectives charged three eighteen-year-old boys from the Ostrava and Frýdek-Místek areas. According to the police, they intentionally started the fire. The fire caused damage of around 20 million crowns. The regional court in Ostrava sentenced them to 3.5 years, eight years, and nine years in prison for burning down the rare wooden church. The highest sentence was given to the young man who devised the plan. The lowest went to the boy who drove everyone to the location. The boy who set the building on fire received an eight-year sentence.