Orthodox Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God in Bielsk Podlaski

Beneath the chancel of this wooden church lies its founder, who died more than five hundred years ago. In the 15th century Princess Wassa founded a church at Bielsk castle, and when the church was moved from Castle Hill into the town in 1562, her body was solemnly moved with it. Today's Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God, also known as the Preczystieńska church, is the oldest wooden place of worship in Bielsk Podlaski, the co-cathedral of the Orthodox Diocese of Warsaw and Bielsk, and home of the venerated Bielsk Icon of the Mother of God.

History: from castle church to co-cathedral

The first church of this dedication is linked to the Bielsk stronghold, destroyed in a Tatar raid in 1240. Before 1289, the rebuilt church received books and icons from Prince Volodymyr Vasylkovych of Volhynia, as recorded in the Galician-Volhynian Chronicle. In the second half of the 15th century, Princess Wassa founded the castle church. In 1506 King Alexander Jagiellon ordered it to be moved to the Old Town, but this only happened in 1562.

From 1596 it was a Uniate (Eastern Catholic) church, and in the 17th and 18th centuries it was repeatedly recorded as being in poor condition. The present building dates from the 17th century or from a major renovation in 1774. An annex with a side altar of St Anne was added in 1790, and in 1839 the Russian authorities handed the church to the Orthodox. In 1944 it was partly damaged by bombing. Since 1951 it has served as the second cathedral of the Diocese of Warsaw and Bielsk.

What to look out for

• The Bielsk Icon of the Mother of God, regarded as miraculous and the church's most important object of devotion.
• The log-built, weatherboarded body on an elongated rectangular plan, with a front tower and onion domes added in 2002.
• The free-standing wooden bell tower, also of log construction.
• The masonry gate with pillars on ul. Jagiellońska, a good spot to photograph the whole church.

Did you know?

• Until 1968, an 18th-century Baroque bell turret with scrolled volutes rose above the roof; today it is known only from photographs.
• The church has been visited by two patriarchs: John X of Antioch in 2016 and Theodore II of Alexandria in 2018.
• It was entered in the heritage register in 1966 under number A-38.

Tripto tip

The church stands at ul. Jagiellońska 6A in the town centre. It is a working parish church: the Sunday Divine Liturgy begins at 9:00, and on Fridays at 17:00 an akathist hymn to the Mother of God is sung. To visit outside services, arrange it with the parish and dress appropriately for a place of worship. The most festive time is around 21 September, when the parish celebrates its feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God. Nearby you can see Castle Hill, where the church originally stood, the Orthodox church of St Michael the Archangel and the Baroque town hall with its museum.