Today Derechin is a modest-sized agro-town in the Zelvensky district, Grodno region. However, the history of this place is rich and eventful, and the first mentions date back to the first half of the 15th century. Enough in Derechin and architectural monuments, among which we can distinguish Church of the Transfiguration.
This Orthodox church was built before 1865 on the site of its wooden predecessor. There are suggestions that the first church was built here at the beginning of the 16th century, when Derechin belonged to Mikhail Sangushka.
The stone temple has a rather interesting architecture: a high square volume covered with a pitched roof and crowned with 5 domed towers. The walls are decorated with cornices and pilasters, the corners are cut with false columns.
Derechin was badly damaged during the Second World War, most of the settlement was destroyed. By a happy coincidence, the church survived, as evidenced by photographs taken closer to 1944.
During the Soviet period, the temple was not closed and remained active, thanks to which both the exterior and its interior with unique murals were preserved. By 2010, cosmetic repairs were carried out, the building was completely repainted.
Around the church territory there is a stone fence made of rubble stone. In the parking lot, pay attention to the boulder with the date 1416 - installed in memory of the founding of the town.
Unfortunately, the ancient Dominican monastery and the palace of the Sapieha family, located on the same line with the temple, have not been preserved in Derechin. Below is a point with a mark of this attraction on the map:
Not far from these places is Zelva with a beautiful Trinity Church and Dyatlovo with baroque Palace of the Radziwills.
