Description of the attraction
The garrison church, which is currently consecrated in the name of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Queen of Poland, was previously the Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas. It is located near the center of Kielce on the site between Karchevskovska and Khetsinska streets. The temple was erected in 1902-1904 at the initiative of the city authorities in response to the construction in 1901 of the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Cross. For the Orthodox Christians in Kielce not to feel deprived, they also had to build a church for them. St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg was used as an example for the construction of a new church. The Orthodox Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Queen of Poland was already the second such sacred object on the territory of Kielce, so it was made a garrison. This temple was intended primarily for soldiers from the 6th Rifle Regiment, which was located in the barracks nearby in the 70s of the XIX century.
The architect Stanislav Shpakovsky decided to build a temple in the Byzantine style. Its shape resembles a Greek cross, its nave is crowned with a large dome. The entrance to the church is through the vestibule, which is located in the bell tower adjacent to the temple on the west side. The building of the church can accommodate up to 900 people at a time.
The church has 80 windows and is covered with terracotta tiles. The pearls of the high iconostasis are copies of the icons stored in the Vladimir Cathedral in Kiev. In one of the niches there is a fresco depicting a scene of Calvary. Its author is considered to be one of the soldiers who attended this church. By the way, he also painted the dome and the space above the main altar of St. Nicholas. In the side altar there is an icon of the Mother of God "Sign", painted in Novgorod.
In 1925, the temple was handed over to the garrison of the Polish army. From that moment on, Catholic services began to be held here.
