The association Under the Roof is fighting to save the church in Skoky

Toužim (Karlovy Vary) - The association Pod střechou from Toužim is not giving up the fight to save the baroque church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary in Skoky near Žlutice. Although time-worn heritage has been further devastated by metal thieves, part of the damage has already been removed, and the restoration of the church continues this year as well. Therefore, the association is reaching out to volunteers willing to help rescue the structure. Jiří Schierl, the chairman of the association, said this to ČTK today.
    Volunteer help is probably the only way to revive what was once a famous pilgrimage site. The estimated five million crowns needed for the restoration of the church are not available to the church as the owner. Schierl considers it a success that, thanks to fundraising and some grants, they have managed to secure at least around 400,000 crowns for the partial repair of the towers damaged by thieves. "However, we cannot offer money to the volunteers. Nevertheless, we hope that there will be enough people who are primarily concerned about doing a good deed," Schierl noted.
    Although in the past volunteers helped in Skoky, their activities were not as coordinated as they should be this year. The association wants to announce specific dates each month when volunteers can come to Skoky. The series begins on March 2, 8, 15, and 28. "The goal of our efforts this year is to make the church accessible and to provide basic services to visitors. We are not only looking for volunteers for workdays but also to ensure operation during the summer holidays," Schierl said.
    He further stated that this year the rescue work will primarily focus on removing invasive tree species and cleaning the land, repairing part of the access road to the church, modifying the area for events by the church, and restoring the water reservoir in the former village square below the church. "Those who decide to help must be prepared for demanding conditions. Skoky is a deserted village; there is no electricity, railway, or road leading here. There is no sewage system, no shop, and no pub; the nearest civilization, the settlement of Polom, is three kilometers away," Schierl stated.
    In addition to workdays, several events for the public will take place in Skoky this year. The first is planned for March 22, Easter pilgrimage to Skoky along a route of 18 kilometers. Traditional Marian pilgrimages are scheduled for May 1 and July 1. Their organization involves a partner in the church's rescue, the civic association Svaz Němců v Čechách - region Chebsko, Schierl said. "As far as their limited financial capabilities allow, the Premonstratensians from Teplá, to whom the church belongs, also help," he added.
    The church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary, built between 1736 and 1738, arose on the site of the original old chapel. It is a massive building with a rectangular presbytery, a two-tower façade, and iron gates with star motifs in a diagonal grid. The settlement developed in the 18th century around the church. Even at the beginning of the 20th century, there were 26 houses with 144 inhabitants, a single-class school, a parsonage, and a mill in Skoky. Now it is only recalled by a few partly demolished farm buildings and a completely abandoned and overgrown cemetery.