STARY KORNIN - St Michael the Archangel Orthodox Church

The church was built in the years 1630-31. Its completion is documented by a stone with an inscription in Church Slavonic. In the next century, when the Mother of God appeared here, its importance grew among the faithful.

3D WALK History

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ORTHODOX CHURCH/span>

IN STARY KORNIN

This is another blue gem on the map of sacred monuments in Poland. You will come across it while visiting the commune of Dubicze Cerkiewne in the Podlasie Region. This region is where cultures and nationalities meet as shown by the declarations of the inhabitants during the census in 2002. Statistically speaking, it was the commune with the lowest rate of population declaring Polish nationality, approximately 16%. More than 80% declared Belarusian nationality and around 1.5% said they were Ukrainians. Therefore, it is not surprising to see the presence of the Eastern Orthodox Church community and its beautiful churches. Yes, there is more than one. This time we will concentrate on the Orthodox Church of St Michael the Archangel in Stary Kornin

The church was built in the years 1630-31. Its completion is documented by a stone with an inscription in Church Slavonic. In the next century, when the Mother of God appeared here, its importance grew among the faithful. The icon, called the icon of Stary Kornin, is an approved miracle in the Uniate Church tradition as well as in the Eastern Orthodox Church tradition. Thanks to the icon, the church became the place of pilgrimages and its priests were able to count on generous support of the mighty and the influential. Unfortunately, soon after the icon was presented in the church, it turned out that the building was in bad condition and could not guarantee safety of the miraculous image or the visiting pilgrims. Therefore, it was decided to build a new church, which was finalized in the third decade of the 18th century. The new structure lasted until the middle of the 19th century and when its technical condition no longer allowed for safe service, this led to the construction of another church with the same patron saint. The structure managed to last through the loss of its faithful during the time of bieżeństwo /mass evacuation/ in 1915 and after World War I was handed over to State Forests, and in 1940 it became a parish church again.

Today the church delights with lightness stressed by the blue colour. This colour of paint is a symbol of being closer to God and it shows that it is precisely thanks to the church that the faithful can set the right direction for their life and the beyond. It is worth having a look inside, as we will see there a beautiful and antique iconostasis executed by Jegor Mołokin from Vilnius.

When visiting Stary Kornin, try to find some time to visit the second antique Orthodox Church situated in the vicinity of this one. The St Ann Orthodox Church dates back to the 18th century even though it was rebuilt several times. The parishioners call it “the little church” (in contrast to the big one, that is St Michael the Archangel Church). It is worth paying a visit, especially on the day of the Nativity of St Ann and of the Conception of the Virgin Mary when occasional service is being held.