Privalki. The Church of St. Judas Thaddeus the Apostle.

The village of Privalki has two versions of its name. The first version connects it with the location next to the shaft, and the second — with the legend of the lost city of Raygorod. According to legend, this city was swallowed up by the earth for the sins of its inhabitants, and a depression formed in its place. The bells ring here every evening, symbolizing the atoning for sins by the locals.

The history of the church begins in the 16th century, when a wooden Catholic chapel was built here, which in 1609 became the church of the Gozha Parafia. In 1766, the village passed into the possession of the Oginsky princes, and the first owner, Frantishek, restored the church. In 1792, thanks to the decree of Stanislav August Poniatowski, Privalki received Magdeburg rights, which is confirmed by the preserved royal charter and coat of arms.

Unfortunately, in 1866, the church was closed by the authorities, and the parafia was liquidated. In 1913, the church burned down, but in 1918 it was restored by parishioners, and on August 16, 1920, it was consecrated. Throughout its history, the church has changed its appearance several times.

The modern church, built in 1919 from wood, has a rectangular shape with a pentagonal apse and is flanked by two sacristies. The roof is covered with tin, and the triangular pediment of the main facade is framed by two four-tiered tent bell towers. There are two bells on one of the bell towers — the old one, dating from 1870, and the new one, installed in 1996.

The interior of the church is also impressive: the hall is covered with a folded wooden ceiling, and the walls of the three altars are decorated in neo-Baroque style. The main altar depicts the Mother of God with the Infant Jesus, and the side altars are dedicated to St. Nicholas. Joseph and the Crucifixion. Above the vestibule is a balcony with an organ choir supported by two columns.

The Church of St. Faddey the Apostle is a monument of the third category of value and is included in the State List of Historical and Cultural Values of Belarus. Its rich history and architectural features make it an important site for studying and preserving the cultural heritage of the region.

In the town of Privalki, Grodno region, there is a wooden Catholic church in honor of Judas Thaddeus. The first Catholic chapel in the village has been known since the 17th century, since the time of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

A church was built on the site of the chapel with the money of King Sigismund III Vasa in 1609. The temple was consecrated in honor of St. Judas Thaddeus. Initially, the church was considered a branch of another church, and then it was enrolled by the king at the request of Bishop Benedict Voina of Vilna, to the parish church.

The Oginsky magnates were the owners of the town in the 18th century. Prince František Xavier Oginski spent money on the renovation of the church in 1777. The church had a rectangular shape with two sacristy and a triangular apse. The main facade was decorated with two four-pointed bell towers. The temple was covered with a gable roof made of wood chips.

During the time of the Russian Empire, after the suppression of the anti-Russian uprising in the 19th century, the church was handed over to the Orthodox. Local Catholics are attached to the parish in the town of Gozha. For some time the temple stood abandoned, and in 1913 it was rebuilt as a church. During the First World War, the old building burned down.

In 1919, Catholic believers built a new wooden church. The church was built in the Neo-Gothic style, and was consecrated in the summer of 1920 by Father Francis Bernat in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary Shkaplernaya and Saints Simeon and Thaddeus.

During the war, the Nazis arrested the priest, and the parish was left without a priest. After the war, in 1962, the Soviet authorities closed the church.

In 1990, the shrine was returned to the faithful.