Orthodox Church of the Resurrection in Białystok

Its crystal-shaped dome is meant to evoke the imagery of the Book of Revelation, and beneath it parishioners spent years pouring foundations and carrying bricks themselves. The Orthodox Church of the Resurrection in Białystok's Leśna Dolina district is a modern yellow-brick church with an oak iconostasis and frescoes by Belarusian artists. Its dedication recalls a cathedral demolished in 1938, but architecturally it went its own way entirely.

History: successor to a lost cathedral

Before the war the Cathedral of the Resurrection stood on Sienkiewicza Street in central Białystok; it was demolished in 1938, and the regional police headquarters now occupies the site. A new parish was set up in 1989 for the fast-growing housing estates of Słoneczny Stok, Zielone Wzgórza and Leśna Dolina. It was given a 6,603 m² plot on the edge of a small wood on Sikorskiego Street.

First the parishioners built a temporary wooden chapel: despite rampant inflation and shortages of materials, 30–40 people turned up to work every day. The cornerstone of the permanent church was laid on 22 April 1990, and construction began in November 1991 – the faithful dug the foundations and built the underground level themselves. From 1994 a professional firm raised the walls. The cross on the main dome was blessed in 1998, the crosses on the four side domes and the bells in 1999, and the church was solemnly consecrated in 2006.

What to see

• The building itself, inspired by medieval Russian churches of the Novgorod school and by Byzantine Gothic – 25 m high, 600 m² of floor space, a central plan and five domes. Designed by Jan Kabac and Jerzy Uścinowicz, with structural engineering by Władysław Ryżyński.
• The bell tower, 30 m high, with two bells weighing 720 and 450 kg, also topped by a crystal-shaped dome.
• The oak iconostasis (icon screen) by Dmytro Faykov from Ternopil, with icons painted by students of the icon-painting school in Bielsk Podlaski.
• Frescoes by Viktor and Aleksiej Downar and Andrzej Rumma, and the panikadilo – a chandelier with icons of the twelve apostles, made by Jan Tałuć.
• A memorial to the old cathedral, unveiled in 2018, with a miniature of the building and bricks saved from its demolition.

Interesting facts

The church has welcomed leaders of other Orthodox churches: Patriarch John X of Antioch in 2016 and Metropolitan Tikhon of the Orthodox Church in America in 2018. The parish has two feast days – Antipascha, the Sunday after Easter, and the feast of the Pantanassa icon of the Mother of God ("Queen of All").

Tripto tip

This is a working parish church with no set visiting hours – your best chance of getting inside is just before or after a service. The parish publishes its monthly schedule online. Entry is free. Dress modestly, silence your phone and don't take photos during the liturgy without permission. Allow 20–30 minutes for the interior. The church is at ul. gen. W. Sikorskiego 9, in the western housing estates a few kilometres from the centre, and is easy to reach by city bus. It is one of four stops on Białystok's trail of modern Orthodox churches; the same architect, Jan Kabac, also designed the monumental Church of the Holy Spirit, the largest Orthodox church in Poland.