Hrubieszów
The church of the Dormition of the Theotokos
Owing to the project, the following works were done in the church :
- renovation of the elevation of the bell tower
- renovation of the interior and exterior polychrome
- renovation of the roof of the bell tower
- renovation of the stairs, floors, window and door frames
- renovation of electric and teletechnical installations
Video
Before and after
Photos show the monument before and after renovation. The slider allows to see the results of work
Gallery
About
The church of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Hrubieszow came into being in the II half of the XIX century and it is at least the ninth Orthodox church in over 600-year history of the city. The church of St Nicholas the Miracle Worker, existing today as the Roman Catholic church, constituted the centre of the religious life from the XIII to XVI century, as well as others: The Elevation of the Holy Cross, Piatnicka, St Daniel Stołpnik, the Dormition of the Theotokos (Uspienska), Nowo-Uspienska, St Alexander Newski and St George (garrison church in Brodzica vel. Bohorodyca).
The oldest printed notice that mentioned the existence of the first Orthodox church in Hrubieszow was the privilege from Zygmunt I Stary (1510) which confirmed the right of the townspeople to use the town’s pond (Nowa Grobla) located nearby the “Russian church” close to Chrust suburb. However, one may surmise that much earlier, because in the XIII century Hrubieszow could be a place of worship associated with the Orthodoxy (chapel or a cross?), what the Chronicle of Hipacow notes by describing that in 1255 Prince Daniel from Chelm came to forest settlement with the hunting manor (called Rubieszow) and, after a successful hunt, „raised a prayer to St Nicholas”.
The present church was consecrated on 13th May 1876 by Archbishop of Chelm and Warsaw Leontios. From 1876 there were two Orthodox parishes in Hrubieszow: of St Nicholas and of the Dormition of the Theotokos at which worked a branch of a church fellowship. In the years of 1915-1921, during forced deportations (biezenstwo) the church of the Dormition of the Theotokos was closed. However, already in 1921 the pastoral activity in the church in Hrubieszow was resumed. After its reactivation, since 1924 the parish of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Hrubieszow became the seat of the dean. After the World War II the parish network of the Orthodox Church in Lubelskie Voivodship ceased to exist almost completely. After the deportation actions, and above all the “Wisla” action, the church in Hrubieszow was abandoned but in 1951 resumed its functioning and since then has been open continuously.
More extensive renovations in the church the Dormition of the Theotokos in Hrubieszow were done at the end of the 50s of the XX century, however the church underwent a major overhaul at the beginning of the XXI century. The choir, the coating of the domes, fence and some of the icons inside were renewed.
The church in Hrubieszow represents Byzantine-Russian style, it is an oriented, tree-section church. Comparing to other churches of Chelm region from the second half of the XIX century it distinguish itself owing to its monumentality and the number of the domes – it is the only one which has thirteen of them (over the nave and presbytery and over the vestibule and bell tower, built in together). Consequently, it is the only Orthodox church with thirteen domes within the borders of Poland and one of two (Finland) in the world. The domes together with the bell tower are ornamented with crosses.
Inside the church a double-row iconostasis made of oak tree with gold-plating attracts your attention. The icons were written by an iconographer Silajew from Petersburg; he is also the author of the images of the Saints who are in the altar part of the presbytery which were framed in impregnated, oak wood and primed with dark matt bronze. There are also four older icons from the turn of the XVIII and XIX century, and also an altar cross from the first half of the XIX century.
