Grodno. The Lower church of the 12th century.

In the city of Grodno, on the territory of the Old Castle of Stefan Batory, there is an interesting historical object - a fragment of the Lower church of the 12th century. The lower church is considered to be the oldest Christian church in Grodno. It is a monument of the Grodno School of Architecture.

          The ruins of the temple were found during excavations during the period of the Polish state in 1932-1933. These excavations were led by Jozef Jodkovsky (1890-1950), the founder of the Grodno State Historical and Archaeological Museum, a numismatist and archaeologist, and an architect. During the research, two walls and foundations were unveiled. A wooden pavilion was erected over the monument.

           After the war, Soviet archaeologist Nikolai Voronin continued his research on the lower church. The exact date of the church's construction does not exist. Some researchers believe that the monument was erected around 1116. Others were in 1128-1141. The stone temple was small, 18 by 11 meters in size. With six pillars and three naves. The facades of the building were decorated much more than the prince's palace. The floor of the church was made of green, yellow and brown tiles laid in a checkerboard pattern.

               It is believed that the temple was destroyed by fire during a lightning strike in 1183. Later in the 13th century, a castle chapel was built on the site of the destroyed church, which is known as the Upper Church.