What do Belarusians and tourists from other countries know about such a Belarusian town as Volkovysk? This place is familiar to many solely in connection with the rest on chalk quarries, which are called the Belarusian Maldives. However, the city and the whole Grodno region can boast not only natural places of unique beauty. The Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker has been considered the main attraction of the town for several centuries.  

This historical monument is an embodiment of local Orthodox architecture. A wonderful merging of several cultures of the East and West of Europe is combined in the town, as indeed in all over the country: Catholic and Orthodox churches are located close to each other, creating a unique architectural ensemble and giving a special mood to the town. The proximity to Poland, by the way, did not go unnoticed, so today tourists visiting Volkovysk can not only swim in the clear waters of the chalk quarries, but also touch the history of the development of religion on the territory of modern Belarus.

The Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Volkovysk was built in 1874. The place for it, by the way, was thoroughly chosen – in the very center of the historical part of the town. Crowns of the adjacent trees have safely harbored the temple for several centuries. The temple does not stand for fanciful architectural solutions, combining several forms and features of late classicism with some bright elements of the retrospective–Russian style. In the time of the Polish power, the church was closed and the building housed a Garrison Catholic Church. But the construction was returned to the Orthodox Church some time later. It happened after a terrible fire that completely destroyed the local Church of Sts. Peter and Paul, which had been the only monastery for Orthodox believers for a long time.  

Today the Church of St. Nicholas runs also a Sunday school. In addition, restoration works are constantly carried out in the church, in order to save one of the few “living” monuments of the development of Orthodoxy in Volkovysk for a long time. Many tourist routs start with this historical monument. By the way, there is another Church of Volkovysk, which locals are proud of – the Church of St. Wenceslaus built slightly earlier than the Church of St. Nicholas.

The church itself is quite small. Here tourists can see several massive domes of different sizes and differ in height. One can walk leisurely and enjoy the fresh air, sit on the benches and feel the unity with God on the territory of the Orthodox Shrine. The whole territory is surrounded by a massive fence, as if protecting the temple. Residents of Volkovysk town consider this place unique – filled with a special pleasant and soothing atmosphere. Worship services are conducted in the church on holidays and Sundays, they are always attended by townspeople. You can very often meet here tourists who are interested in ancient Belarusian architecture.