Voŭčyn - is a large village of Kamenets district, Brest region of Belarus. The main attraction of the village Voŭčyn is Trinity Catholic church, built here in 1733. This church has a very interesting and unusual appearance, but even more interesting story. Let's start with the history of the building itself. So, after the defeat of the uprising of 1863-64's church in the village Voŭčyn was converted into a Orthodox church. In 1918 the church was returned to Catholics again. During World War II, the church in the village Voŭčyn badly damaged. After the war, the church building was warehouse of fertilizers and pesticides. By the 1970s years, the church building is so dilapidated that it collapsed the roof, and then it was just boarded up and empty. In 2007 the church building was again returned to the believers. In the same year he began the restoration, which lasted a long time, but have now been virtually completed. Now the church in the village Voŭčyn again pleases the faithful, as well as travelers and tourists for its excellent condition and, of course, is an important architectural monument, historical value and attraction of Belarus.

Voŭčyn

But in the history of the church in the village Voŭčyn there is still some very interesting pages. Let's start from afar. The fact that the village Voŭčyn in the 18th century housed the residence of the two major magnate families: Czartoryski and Poniatowski (by their magnificent palaces, unfortunately, remained only a few undistinguished outbuildings, of which below). So it was here in 1732 was born Stanislaw August Poniatowski - the last king of the Commonwealth. Apparently, he was baptized is in the Trinity Church in the village Voŭčyn, and in the same church metric book was kept from his birth record.

Died Stanislaw August Poniatowski in 1798 in St. Petersburg. Originally, he was buried in the same place, in one of the churches. However, in 1938 it was decided to demolish the church and the body of the King, it was decided to send Poland. This gesture by the Soviet authorities had a double subtext, as in Poland, Stanislaw August Poniatowski, then mostly remembered as a man who if was not the main reason, then at least one of the reasons for the decline of the Commonwealth. For this reason, the Polish side decided not to transfer the remains of the king in Krakow, where Polish kings are buried and the other heroes of the nation, and to return his body to the small home and bury it in a crypt of the Trinity Church in the village Voŭčyn, which was then part of Poland. What it was done in 1938 without proper rituals and make this event a public publicity. Since Trinity Church in the village Voŭčyn has become not only a place of baptism, but also the burial place of the last king of the Commonwealth.

As already mentioned, after the Second World War the church in the village Voŭčyn, which became part of the Belarus, was converted into a warehouse. And the fate of the remains of the king is not precisely known. According to the most common and plausible version the tomb was looted in the 50s (the coffin with the remains of Stanislaw August Poniatowski contained some jewelry, including a bronze crown). Then one of the locals, who could not see such an attitude to be upon the king reburied him in the local cemetery 500 meters north of the church. The exact burial place has not yet been established. But it is known more when in the late 80's, the fate of the remains of the king again interested authorities, they found at the burial site only a few pieces of clothing and shoes of the King. All the found fragments were again transferred to the Polish side, which placed them in one of the central churches of Warsaw.

But back to the attractions of the village Voŭčyn. Another interesting attraction of this village is the parish administration building located next to the Catholic church. According to some reports, this building was built in the village Voŭčyn already in 1586. However, apparently, from the 16th century, in question, it is preserved only small fragments of the foundation and the building itself was rebuilt several times in the same place. Before our time the main features of the building preserved 19th century. By the way, this building again substantially completed and renovated in recent years.

Voŭčyn

Another attraction of the village Voŭčyn is the Orthodox church of St. Nicholas. According to different versions, the building was rebuilt in 1841, or from a more ancient Uniate Church of the 18th century, or from the town hall. The first assumption seems much more plausible, as evidenced by not only the appearance of the temple, but also the fact that the village Voŭčyn never been self, she was privately owned various magnate families, so the very fact that she could be here Hall is great doubts.

Voŭčyn

In addition to these, in the village Voŭčyn there are still a number of small sites, namely the buildings of the 19th - early 20th centuries, which can be attributed to the historical building of the village. Among the historic buildings are: several outbuildings refers to the earlier manor situated in the village Voŭčyn, a former water mill, several former administrative and commercial buildings. Also worth mentioning is that the local cemetery there is an orthodox chapel of St. Vladimir built in the 19th century. However, in recent times it has been reconstructed so much, that now looks like a modern building. Finally, next to the Orthodox, in the same cemetery, in our time it has been erected and the Catholic chapel. Summarizing, we can say that the village Voŭčyn has a rich and interesting history and has some important architectural landmarks and can be very interesting for tourists and travelers in Belarus.

Voŭčyn

Voŭčyn

Voŭčyn