Description of the attraction
St. Nikitskaya Church in the small village of Zditovo is one of the oldest wooden churches in Belarus. She is over 500 years old.
The church stands on the right bank of the Mukhavets river. It was built by Ioann Gurin in memory of his father Nikita in 1502. Nikita Gurin was a warrior of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Alexander Yagelonchik, distinguished himself in numerous battles for his prince and the state, but died in one of the battles. In memory and gratitude to Nikita, Alexander Yagelonchik presented him to his heir, John Zditovo.
The Great Martyr Nikita, in whose honor the church was built, was a Gothic warrior and one of the first Christians to be baptized in Byzantium. He was distinguished by great piety and preached so that Christians would not be afraid of martyrdom at the hands of pagans.
Of course, during its five-century existence, the church has known numerous repairs. Her icons have darkened with time. Looking at them, one can feel all the antiquity of this holy temple, which even Soviet officials have spared. The temple has never been closed in its long history.
The wooden church was built in the tradition of architecture typical for Western Polesie. The government of the Republic of Belarus has included this church in the lists of monuments claiming to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage Fund.
In the Nikitskaya Church in Zditovo, the funeral service for the father of the famous leader of the national liberation movement Tadeusz Kosciuszko, Colonel Ludwig Kosciuszko-Sekhnovichskiy, was performed.
The Church of St. Nikita in Zditovo, together with a two-tiered bell tower, harmoniously blends with the surrounding natural landscape and creates an impression of peace and tranquility.
