Churches & monasteries

Church of the Dormition in Kleszczele

A 19th-century masonry Orthodox church

The Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God at 2 1 Maja Street is the parish Orthodox church of Kleszczele. It was built in the 1870s as a larger masonry church for a growing community. It stands on the site of St Sigismund’s Catholic church, closed in 1866; timber from the demolished church was reused during construction.

Architecture and interior

The church represents 19th-century Russian-Byzantine architecture. It is joined to a bell tower and crowned with one large dome and four smaller cupolas, making it one of Kleszczele’s tallest buildings. Inside is a valuable icon of St Nicholas the Wonderworker, painted by an unknown master in the 16th century and transferred from the older Church of St Nicholas.

War damage and rebuilding

In July 1944 the church was damaged during wartime operations: the roof was destroyed, most furnishings were lost and the iconostasis was damaged. Local residents soon began rebuilding it. Together with the churches of St Nicholas and St George, it forms an unusual cluster of Orthodox heritage.

Visiting information

The church is at 2 1 Maja Street, 17-250 Kleszczele; parish phone: +48 85 681 80 43. No regular sightseeing hours or ticketed visits have been confirmed. View the exterior while walking through the centre; arrange interior access with the parish or visit during a service. Kleszczele is also a stop on the Hajnówka–Piaski cycling route at the edge of the Białowieża Forest.