Zelzin. Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

In the village of Zelzin, Pruzhany district, there is a stone Orthodox church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in the local cemetery. The easiest way to get to the village of Zelzin is from the town of Ruzhany.

The first church in Zelzin is mentioned in documents during the era of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 1420s and 1430s. According to local legend, the temple was built at her own expense by the princess, who almost drowned in a swamp and was rescued by hunters.

During the time of the Russian Empire, Zelzin was part of the Grodno province of Volkovysk district. In the 19th century, there was an estate of the Bykhov family, an Orthodox church belonging to the temple in Podorosk.

Holy Cross Church was built in 1878. The monument was erected in the eclectic style on the land of the parish cemetery. The icon of the Mother of God, which was greatly revered by the locals, and a wooden cross made of oak were moved here from the old temple.

In 1900, a stone chapel was built near the church, which was consecrated in honor of the Holy Vilna Martyrs Anthony, John and Eustace. The chapel was built at the expense of Priest Anthony Radkevich.

In Soviet times, after the Great Patriotic War in 1962, the church was closed and the premises were adapted for a village club. And all the church items were transferred to another church, and some to the church in Ruzhany. Then the building was severely damaged by fire and stood in ruins until the collapse of the USSR. In the 1990s, the church was restored and services began in it.