Bystrica is a village in the Ostrovets district, not far from the border with Lithuania (a settlement in the border area), and the main and perhaps the most interesting attraction is Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The temple has a long and rich history, which goes back deep into the 14th century. Then the Grand Duke of Lithuania Jagiello dreamed of building a wooden church with a monastery in these lands. During the same period, Lateran canon monks (Augustinian order) arrived in Bystrica.
Of course, that first wooden temple could not survive to this day. In its place, by 1523, by order of Zhigimont the Old, a stone church was erected.
The architecture of that temple was different from the appearance that can be seen today. It is believed that the modern church was rebuilt in the second half of the 18th century.
The work was carried out by a famous architect, one of the most famous representatives of the style vilno baroque, – Johann Glaubitz. He has many churches on the territory of Belarus: the Carmelite Church in Glubokoe, St. Sophia Cathedral in Polotsk, temple in Ivenets and many others.
From 1863 to 1929, the Bystritsky Church was used as an Orthodox church. During this time period, the temple was partially rebuilt: an onion drum was added in the center of the roof, canonical Orthodox domes were installed on the towers.
In the first half of the 20th century, the building was returned to the Catholic community, the church was reconstructed according to its original appearance (as it looked in 1761).
The church in Bystritsa is single-nave, with high 4-tiered towers. The façade is without decorative frills and is distinguished by an arched window. The walls are dissected by columns with a cornice, and the temple itself ends with a 5-sided apse.
The entire appearance of the church shows its age and severity. It is a curious and pleasant fact that the church was not closed during the times of active anti-religious policies. The believers were able to defend the walls of the temple even when they did not have a priest. Below is a point with a mark on the map where the church is located:
If you are in these parts, I also recommend visiting the neighboring ones. Kemelishkito look at the unique wooden temple.
