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ID: POL-002268-P/165095

Przydruisk (Piedruja) - St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Orthodox Church

ID: POL-002268-P/165095

Przydruisk (Piedruja) - St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Orthodox Church

Piedruja (the Polish historical name is Przydrujsk) is located within the borders of the Latvian state.

The history of the town is linked to Druja. The two towns are separated by the river Dvina and the state border (Latvia and Belarus). In 1506. Druja and the surrounding lands were granted to Anna of Sapieha, Duchess of Massalskaya, widow of Timothy killed in the Battle of Vedrosha in 1499, and their sons Peter, George and Ivan. On 11 January 1611, Duke Lev Sapieha, Grand Chancellor of Lithuania, acquired the land from Timothy's great-granddaughter Dorothea, and in 1824, Duke Franciszek Sapieha sold the estate to Jozef Milosz, who first ruled the area himself, followed by his son Eugene.

The Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Przydruisk stands on the high bank of the Marku River (a tributary of the Dvina). A cobbled street leads to the church.

The brick church was built by the Russian authorities in 1883-1885, when the old wooden Uniate church, founded by the Sapiehs in the 17th century, could no longer serve the Orthodox faith. The project was designed by Aleksandrs Klementjevs (1852-1919), architect of the Vitebsk Theological Consistory. On 29 June 1883, a ceremony was held to lay the foundation stone of the brick church. Construction took two years. On 6 October 1885, the newly built church of St Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra of Lycia, was consecrated. In 1887, a new fence with a gate was also erected around the entire site, replacing the old brick one.

During the First World War, the tented dome of the bell tower was destroyed. The then supervisor, Nikon Zalivskis, started collecting donations between 1924 and 1929, and with the funds raised he renovated the temple externally and internally, for which he received a golden cross as a reward.

Over the years, the number of parishioners changed. In 1890, there were 1,429 parishioners, and in 1910 there were fewer - 1,369; by nationality, the majority of parishioners were Belarusians. When Latvia became independent (1918), some Orthodox remained abroad - in the Belarusian state, and their number was almost halved. In 1921, there were 452 parishioners, and in 1938 only 591.

The Church of St Nicholas the Wonderworker survived the years of the Second World War and the times of the Soviet regime and continues to function to this day.

The building was designed on the basis of Russian and Byzantine style churches. The temple is built on a cruciform plan, with five bulbous domes rising above its main body, each supported by a base. The walls of the central body are enclosed by zakomars (a part of the upper half of the outer wall of the building, characteristic of old Russian architecture, which encloses the adjacent cylindrical vault and repeats its curved line). A two-storey bell tower resembling a tent was added above the vestibule. The church, with walls covered with decorative elements, is decorated with arched windows.

Major repairs were carried out between 1924 and 1929. In 2011, further extensive renovation work began. The roof was replaced, timber was purchased to repair the supporting structures and a new metal sheet was purchased. With the help of the faithful, the church's surroundings were cleaned up.

It is worth mentioning that the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is one of the most architecturally interesting Orthodox churches in the Kraslaw district.

Time of origin:

wooden church from the 17th century, brick church 1883-1885

Bibliography:

  • „Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich”, t. XI, Warszawa 1890, s. 208.

Supplementary bibliography:

Uzsākta Piedrujas Sv. Nikolaja pareizticīgo baznīcas restauracja, http://www.ezerzeme.lv/lv/zinas/noderigi/12006/uzsakta-piedrujas-sv-nikolaja-pareizticigo-baznicas-restauracija [ accessed 18.08.2024].

Publikacja:

13.10.2024

Ostatnia aktualizacja:

17.10.2024

Author:

Katarzyna Węglicka
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