St Nicholas Orthodox Church in Kleszczele

The oldest building in Kleszczele was not built as a church. It is a former wooden bell tower from the 18th century that outlived the church it was built for and became a chapel itself. Poland's National Heritage Board describes it as one of the few well-preserved examples of traditional Orthodox church architecture from that century, with an unusual history of three successive roles: bell tower, church and chapel.

History: from bell tower to chapel

A parish dedicated to St Nicholas existed in Kleszczele by 1560. In 1648 the church was taken over by the Uniates (Eastern Catholics), and after the Synod of Polotsk in 1839 it returned to the Orthodox Church. The parish had a merchants' brotherhood which, according to some sources, built the bell tower in 1709; the heritage board's record dates it more cautiously to "shortly before 1784".

The old St Nicholas church remained the parish's main place of worship until 1877, when the brick Church of the Dormition was completed. Sources differ on what happened next: the heritage board says it was taken down in the 19th century, other sources that it burned during the First World War. The bell tower survived and was converted into a church by adding a makeshift sanctuary and internal galleries. It was listed as a monument on 16 September 1959 and renovated in the 1980s and in 2012.

What to look for

• Two construction methods in one building – the lower storey is of log construction (horizontal beams), the much narrower upper storey is post-built.
• Windows in the former bell openings – four windows on each side of the upper storey. Originally these were sound openings closed with arches; after 1930 the corner arches were removed and windows fitted.
• The pyramid roof of wooden shingles with an iron Orthodox cross; the shingles were laid in 1980.
• The small annex to the east housing the sanctuary, added when the tower became a church.

Visiting

The chapel stands in the centre of Kleszczele, on the east side of national road 66, set into the western stretch of the wall around the church grounds. It belongs to the Dormition parish and is an active filial church. You can see it from outside free of charge at any time; the easiest way to see the interior is during a service.

Tripto tip

15–20 minutes is enough. Walk all the way round and compare the lower and upper storeys: the change in construction is the clearest sign that this was once a bell tower. The brick Church of the Dormition, to which the chapel belongs, stands right next to it, so you can see both on one stop along road 66 between Bielsk Podlaski and the border.