Polski

Białowieża

ORTHODOX CHURCH OF ST NICHOLAS

Owing to the project, the following works were done :

  • renovation of the church’s roof
  • renovation of the church’s elevation – I stage
  • preservation of the iconostasis
  • renovation of the church’s fence (northern and eastern side)
  • stiffening of the ground near the church
panorama 3d

Video

Before and After

Photos show the monument before and after renovation. The slider allows to see the results of work

The outside view the church of St. Nicholas in Bialowieza before and after the renovation
The scope of repairs and reconstruction of the facade of the church of St. Nicholas in Bialowieza. The view of the dome of the church
Restored wall fence around the church of St. Nicholas in Bialowieza. The view from the east
Restoration of porcelain iconostasis in the church of St. Nicholas in Bialowieza. Architectural detail

Gallery

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About parish

Orthodox Church of St Nicholas in Bialowieza was established in the years from 1894 to 1897. It owes its present appearance to its sponsor – tzar Alexander III and an architect Pimienowow from Vilnius. Before the modern building came into being probably at least three Orthodox churches were built in Bialowieza. According to local documents, in the XVII century there was a small church which was burnt together with the whole settlement during an epidemic of the plague which decimated people in 1710. The first documented church in Bialowieza was a wooden church from 1793. Soon after that, an independent parish was created in the town (what probably happened in 1800 or in 1801). In 1853, with the effort of the believers, a new wooden church was built in Bialowieza and St Nicholas the Miracle Worker was chosen as its patron (that church was located on the north side of the present church). On 7th October in 1860 the church was visited by tzar Alexander II, who was hunting in Bialowieza Forest, and 25 years later (11 XII 1885) by the great prince Michael Mikolajewicz. The later, having seen the then fatal condition of the building, started making his efforts to faster a formation of the new, brick-built church.

Building the brick church was started in 1894, soon after the start of the construction works with the tzarist palace in Bialowieza. On 20th August in 1894 the construction was visited by the sponsor of the church – tzar Alexander III. The consecration of the new church, considered at that time as the most beautiful in the whole The Grodno Governorate, was on 22nd January 1895 (according to Julian calendar, and on 4th February 1895 according to Gregorian calendar). The act of St Nicholas church in Bialowieza was built of red brick produced on the spot by Julius Carol Miller who came from Górny Slask. It was placed on the foundation made of the local lumber – ashlars from Bialowieza Forest. Two domes surmounted the church, one of which served as its bell tower. The iconostasis brought from Petersburg is worth the attention as it is the monument of zero class which was ornamented with Chinese porcelain (majolika) by Nicolas W. Sultanow (1850-1908). At present, it is the only monument of this type in Poland; there are only three porcelain iconostasis in the world (except Poland, in Russia and the Czech Republic – all in the cities where Russian tzars used to rest). Finally, the works with the construction and the decor of the church were accomplished in 1897, before the visit of the successor of tzar Alexander III – tzar Nicolas II.

Till 1900 the church was under the Vilnius and Lithuanian Diocese, and later till 1915 (till the time of biezenstwo i.e. dislocation of the Orthodox people inside Russia) under the Grodno Diocese. Together with the mass deportations, some of its accessories were transported from the church. In 1918, after the return of Bialowieza inhabitants to their native town the parish was reactivated. On the first day of the II World War the church was bombarded; one of the bombs exploded inside the church damaging it considerably. The north wall together with the adjacent coping was completely damaged. All the windows and doors were pulled. Elements of the bomb destroyed 50% of the iconostasis. The church served its congregation again in October 1943 and then its second consecration was held.

In the after war period, the church was renovated many times, in the 80s of the XX century the interior of the church was renewed, and in the 90s the roof was replaced, the interior repainted and the frescos renovated. The range of the renovation works in the years from 2014 to 2016 was one of the greatest in the history of the church of St Nicholas in Bialowieza.

www.bialowieza.cerkiew.pl




Beneficjent:

Prawosławna Diecezja Lubelsko-Chełmska

eea grants Konserwacja i rewitalizacja dziedzictwa kulturowego Ministerstwo Kultury i Dziedzictwa Narodowego

Wsparcie udzielone przez

Wsparcie udzielone z funduszy EOG, pochodzących
z Islandii, Liechtensteinu i Norwegii oraz środków krajowych

Supported by a grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway
through the EEA Grants and co-financed by the Polish funds