Belarus is a land with deep historical roots and rich spiritual heritage. A vivid confirmation of this is the ancient temples that have withstood the face of time. We present to your attention the ten oldest wooden churches in Belarus, which are symbols of rooted Orthodox, Catholic and Muslim traditions in the Belarusian land. These temples are an important part of the cultural and historical heritage of the country. Built in different periods, they demonstrate the development of architectural styles. Today, they are still beautiful and witness past eras. The wooden temples of Belarus are not only architectural treasures, but also functioning churches. They regularly host services and continue to play an important role in the spiritual life of society. These buildings are a reminder of the talent of folk craftsmen and traditions passed down from generation to generation.

St. Michael's Church was built of wood in the western part of the village of Rubel in 1796. It was built at the expense of parishioners.
The wooden temple is a kind of three-frame wooden temple, having three log cabins of the same height, but of different shapes. The building has a symmetrical structure and vestibules on three sides of the church. There is a three-tiered wooden chapel near the church.

   St. Michael's Church is the main attraction of the agricultural town of Rubel. 

Rubel. St. Michael's Church.

The church was built in the period 1801-1810. It is now officially recognized as a monument of national architecture.
Small, modest, without lavish decorations, the Church of All Saints preserves great revered shrines: the icon of Cyril, Lawrence and Martin of Turov (with fragments of relics), a fragment of the relics of John of Kormyansky, the images of the Mother of God "Turovskaya", "Inexhaustible Chalice" and "Yurovichskaya". The image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker on a metal sheet streams myrrh. One of the main attractions of the church is a two-meter stone cross of the 10th century, which, according to legend, sailed to Turov from Kiev in the year of the Baptism of Rus.

Turov. Church of All Saints.

St. Nicholas Church is an architectural monument, historical and cultural value of the Republic of Belarus. The wooden temple, built in 1818 without a single nail, has a complex and interesting architecture, as well as rich interior decoration.
Of particular value is the two-tiered gilded iconostasis in the technique of overhead carving, as well as wooden sculptures - carved crucifixes and figures of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul.  The church houses a temple icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in a carved 1730 case.

 Wooden Orthodox church, an architectural monument.

Kozhan-Gorodok. St. Nicholas Church.

The construction of the temple was financed by Prince Drutsky-Lyubetsky in the 18th century. At first it belonged to the Uniates, and then it passed to the Orthodox during the time of the Russian Empire. In September 1915, Rimma Ivanova, a sister of mercy who died heroically during the battle and was awarded the Order of St. George, was buried in this church.
The Trinity Church is an architectural monument of folk wooden architecture.  The interior had a 17th-century royal gate, which is now in a museum in Minsk.

Dobroslavka. Holy Trinity Church.

A monument of wooden architecture, the Church of St. Nikita was built in 1502 on the right bank of the Mukhavets River. It was rebuilt several times, including in 1787. After the reconstruction, it acquired the features of the Baroque.
It is included in the List of Historical and Cultural Values of the Republic of Belarus. The church was built in the traditions of Western Polessky architecture, one of the two types of Polessky architectural school, which claims to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
On January 15, 2022, St. Nikita's Church turned 520 years old!

The monument of wooden architecture is the Church of St. Nikita, built in 1502 on the right bank of the Mukhavets River.

Zhabinka. The Church of St. Nikita.

St. George's Church (Yuryev Church) was built in Neo-Gothic style in 1751 and rebuilt twice in the 19th century. There are two four-sided multi-tiered towers on the main facade. The side facades are decorated with tall pointed windows. 
The interior features choirs with a 19th-century organ. The main altar is two-tiered, decorated with carvings and gilding. 
There are 2 memorial plaques dedicated to the Princes Radziwills in the interior. It is believed that Ignat Domeyko (1802-1889), a scientist and public figure, national hero of Belarus and Chile, was baptized in this church. 

Polonechka. Yuryev Church.

The mosque in Ivye is the oldest surviving one on the territory of Belarus. It was built of wood at the end of the 19th century at the expense of the local Catholic landowner Elvira Zamoyskaya.  In 2007, it was included in the State List of Historical and Cultural Values of the Republic of Belarus.

Ivye. Mosque.

Ivye. The mosque.

The Church of the Virgin Mary was built in 1738. It is an architectural monument of wooden architecture and is included in the State List of Historical and Cultural Values of the Republic of Belarus.
Next to the church is the stone chapel-tomb of the Yazvinskys, built by the local landowner Vikenty Yazvinsky in the style of late classicism in 1846-47.
Inside, the decor is restrained and modest. The main altar is decorated with a copy of the icon of the Mother of God with her Son, the original of which has been in the National Art Museum of Minsk since 1963.

The Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a monument of wooden architecture.

Kholkhlovo. The Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

This example of wooden architecture was built in 1826.
The structure of the church stands on a stone base and looks like an ark. It is topped by an oblong cross with a single dome and a bell tower.
An ancient iconostasis, decorated in classical style and decorated with carvings, has been preserved in the interior of the church. Also inside is a two-tiered wooden iconostasis, made in the neo-Russian style of the early 20th century. Another thing that attracts attention is the copy of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, known as "Marinogorskaya", revered by our ancestors since ancient times.

The Trinity Church in Blon' is an architectural monument of the first half of the 19th century.

Blon'. Trinity Church.

The Church of the Intercession, located in the village of Bolshye Lozitsy, is a unique monument of wooden architecture with elements of classicism. Built in 1820, it was consecrated on October 14, the day of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, and is still the only surviving wooden Orthodox church in the Shklovsky district. In 2020, the temple turned 200 years old!
The temple is included in the State List of Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Belarus and is protected by the state as a monument of religious architecture.

In 2020, the Church of the Intercession turned 200 years old! This is the only preserved Orthodox Wooden church in the territory of the Shklovsky district.

TOP 10 ancient wooden temples.

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