Vawkavysk - is a city of Grodno region of Belarus, the administrative center of Vawkavysk district. One of the main attractions of the city of Vawkavysk is the Catholic church of St. Wenceslas. This temple is made in the style of late classicism with elements of eclecticism. The Catholic church in Vawkavysk was erected with funds raised by parishioners. The construction of the temple began in 1841, in 1845 the construction of the walls was completed, in 1846 the church was covered with a roof. The construction of the temple was completed in 1848. In 1850, the Catholic church in Vawkavysk was solemnly consecrated. The church was erected not far from the place where the more ancient wooden temple was located earlier.
The area around the Catholic church is fenced with an old stone fence, made in the 1870s. Previously, the central entrance to the temple territory was decorated with a three-tier bell tower. To our days, unfortunately, this bell tower has not been preserved, only a small element of it was already rebuilt in the 1930s into the entrance three-span stone brama (it means gate). It is this brama that has survived to our time. On the territory of the temple there is also a small but very expressive chapel-tomb. This chapel was built of yellow brick in Neo-Romanesque style in the 1880s.
In 1929, the Catholic church of St. Wenceslas in Vawkavysk was badly damaged by a fire. In those years, the city of Vawkavysk was part of the interwar Polish Republic. Therefore, immediately after the fire, in the 1930s, a large-scale restoration and reconstruction of the temple was carried out. In particular, two towers were built on the sides of the pediment, and the stone fence was decorated with openwork metal bars. The Catholic church has been continuously functioning throughout its history. During the Second World War, the Church of St. Wenceslas in Vawkavysk was badly destroyed, but the locals were able to quickly restore it on their own.
In the second half of the 20th century, in Soviet times, the temple was not only not closed, but also in the early 1970s received the status of an architectural monument and went through several stages of repair work in 1956 and 1985 years. The temple was also renovated in the 1990s. At the moment, the Catholic church of St. Wenceslas in the city of Vawkavysk is in excellent condition and is a working temple, an architectural monument of culture and history of the 19th century, as well as an important attraction of Belarus.
Another important landmark in the city of Vawkavysk, which can attract tourists and travelers, is the manor house of the XVIII century, which in 1812 housed the headquarters of Bagration, for this reason, this house is also known as the "House of Bagration", although, of course, this manor house never belonged to him.
There are two Orthodox churches in the city of Vawkavysk. One of them, the Orthodox church of Saints Peter and Paul, is a completely new one, built in 2004 (pictured left). The other, the Orthodox church of St. Nicholas, was built in 1874, and therefore is an interesting architectural monument of the XIX century and a landmark of Belarus (pictured right).
Also in Vawkavysk preserved historic urban quarter related to the late 19th, early 20th century. This quarter has a very distinctive look for Belarus. Looked about as central parts of many Belarusian cities and towns in this historical period. Unfortunately, at the moment, not all houses in this historic quarter have been restored. Nevertheless, tourists and travelers who find themselves in the city of Vawkavysk should also see these attractions.
Vawkavysk at the old photos:
