Churches & monasteries

Orthodox church of the Holy Trinity in Hajnówka

A body of interpenetrating concrete shells crowned by a dome, seating around 5,000 worshippers, this is one of the largest Orthodox churches in Poland. The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity stands in Hajnówka — the gateway to the Białowieża Forest and a heartland of Orthodoxy in the Podlasie region, where church bells are part of the everyday soundscape.

Eighteen years of construction

The church was built between 1974 and 1992 to a design by architect Aleksander Grygorowicz; its visual concept was shaped by the painter Jerzy Nowosielski, famed for his icons. The consecration took place on 11 October 1992. The church has two levels — the lower church holds the altar of St. Nicholas — and in 2023 it was entered in the register of monuments.

The iconostasis and a quarrel over frescoes

The iconostasis and part of the icons are the work of the Greek painter Dimitrios Andonopoulos. Nowosielski himself had to abandon work on the polychromy after a dispute with the parish priest — still one of the most intriguing stories connected with the building.

The music that stayed

From 1983 the church hosted concerts of the "Hajnówka" festival, and since 2002 it has been the venue of the Hajnówka Days of Orthodox Church Music, a competition of choirs from around the world. This is the best time to visit: unaccompanied choral sound filling the shell-shaped body of the building creates an effect no photograph can convey. By day, step inside for the iconostasis, then head straight to the Białowieża Forest, whose entrance is within walking distance.