Description of the attraction
The old church (Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary) is a church consisting of two interconnected buildings: an old church from the 17th century and a new church from the beginning of the 20th century. The Basilica is the main church of the Archdiocese of Bialystok.
The old church of the late Renaissance, built in 1617-1626 at the initiative of Peter Vizelovsky, was financed by Jan-Klemens Branicki, a famous nobleman. The interior of the church was made in the late Baroque style; the walls of the church were decorated with murals created in 1751 by the artist Antonia Herlike. On either side of the main altar are statues of St. Peter and Paul by Yakub Fontani.
At the end of the nineteenth century, the parish could no longer accommodate all the parishioners, so it was decided to build a new church. The turning point in the construction of the new church was the visit of Tsar Nicholas II to Bialystok in August 1897. During a meeting with representatives of parishes, he reacted positively to the idea of building a new church. But due to the fact that the policy of Russification of the Polish people did not allow the construction of new churches, it was decided to expand the existing old church.
In September 1905, the Bishop of Vilnius Edward Roppa consecrated the new church in a solemn atmosphere. During the Second World War, the church, by a happy coincidence, practically did not suffer. Large-scale renovation of the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary was carried out in the 70s of the 20th century; it included the renovation of the roof and interior decoration of the old part of the church.
Currently, the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is one of the main attractions in Bialystok.
