Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Bielsk Podlaski

Two white towers with Baroque cupolas on ulica Mickiewicza are one of the most distinctive sights in Bielsk Podlaski. Few churches in Poland have changed roles so often: it has been a Carmelite church, a tsarist Orthodox cathedral, a German grain store and a school church. Beside it stands the former monastery, which for decades served as a prison.

History: from Carmelites to Orthodox cathedral and back

The first wooden church and monastery of the Calced Carmelites were founded in 1641 by Court Marshal Adam Kazanowski. Both burned down in 1779. In their place a brick church and monastery were built in 1779–1794, with two towers added in 1794. Supporters included Izabela Branicka, known as "the Lady of Kraków", and Aleksander Bogusz, a regional official.

After the partitions of Poland the Prussian authorities first limited the number of friars and in 1802 dissolved the monastery, turning it into a prison. In 1851 the tsarist authorities removed the last friars and closed the church. In 1864 Mikhail Muravyov, Governor-General of Lithuania nicknamed "the Hangman", decided to convert it into an Orthodox church. From 1866 to 1920 it served as the Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, and the towers were remodelled in Byzantine style. The monastery became a tsarist prison where participants in the January Uprising of 1863 were held and tortured. During the First World War the Germans stored grain in the church.

On 11 November 1920 the church was returned to the Catholics. In 1923–1931 Father Ludwik Olszewski had it renovated to plans by Piotr Koziński, an architect from Grodno: an extra tower from tsarist times was demolished, the choir loft rebuilt and the original window layout restored. After the Second World War the monastery was taken over by the communist security service, and later by the post office and a music school. In 1959 the towers received the Baroque cupolas you see today. The parish was established in 1976, and in 1992 the monastery building was returned to it.

What to look for

• The tower cupolas – today's Baroque tops date from 1959 and replaced the domes from the period when the building was an Orthodox cathedral.
• The front façade, with the entrance between the towers, and the adjoining monastery building on the left – the former prison.
• The bright single-nave interior, with a marble floor from 1992 and the altar of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
• The wall and gate, which form a historic ensemble with the church and monastery.

Tripto tip

The church is at ulica Mickiewicza 61, a few hundred metres from the town hall. Allow 20–30 minutes for the interior and a walk around. It is an active parish church – the easiest time to get in is just before or after Mass. The best photo of the towers is from across the street in the afternoon sun.