Cerkiew pw. Świętych Apostołów Piotra i Pawła, Wasilków
Facts and practical information
Church dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul - an Orthodox parish church in Wasilkow. It belongs to Bialystok deanery of Bialystok Diocese of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church.
The temple is located at 17 Adama Mickiewicza Street, on the road from Bialystok to Grodno.
The first mention of the still wooden church comes from 1566. The present brick church was built in 1853 in Byzantine-Ruthenian style. Inside there is historic iconostasis from 1836. The building was erected on wetland, so the ground was strengthened with wooden piles and stones with lime mortar.
Twenty years after the church was built, a late-classical monumental gate of unique architecture was constructed, which is also the church bell tower.
The consecration of the church took place on May 22, 1853 by Bishop Joseph of Vilnius.
In 1866 a copy of the miraculous icon of the Holy Water Mother of God, also known as the Wasilkowska Mother of God, was placed in the church. In 1867 the church was partially burned down, and a year later it was completely destroyed by a lightning strike. The fire was so hot that it even melted the church bells. In 1871 a project of a new church was ready. The reconstruction was finished in 1875, and the consecration took place on September 8 of that year.
In 2007, due to the increasing number of believers, a vestibule with an area of 50 m² was added to the church.
The church and the bell tower were entered in the register of monuments on November 19, 1993 under the number A-506. The pastor of the parish is priest Anatoly Hajduczenia.
Cerkiew pw. Świętych Apostołów Piotra i Pawła – popular in the area (distance from the attraction)
Nearby attractions include: Galeria Jurowiecka, Museum of Folk Culture, Aleksandr Węgierki Drama Theatre, The Ludwik Zamenhof Centre.