Big Sviryanki (bel – Vyalikiya Sviranki) is a picturesque village in the Ostrovets district, where the main attraction is Church of St. George. The temple has a long and interesting history, it has seen many reconstructions and rebuildings, so to answer the question “What year does the church in Bolshiye Sviryanki date from?” - difficult. It is known that the first wooden church on this site was built under Prince Svirsky, back in the second half of the 15th century.
The temple that can be seen today is certainly later. There are several versions, the most common of which is from the mid-19th century. However, no less popular is the version where the church dates back to the beginning of the 18th century, after restoration work, which was initiated by Maciej Józef Antzuta.
The dating of wooden temples is always quite problematic - any major renovation makes its own changes and the paradox of the Ship of Theseus arises (If you replace all the wooden elements, will it still be the same ship or a different one?).
On the church grounds there used to be a stone bell tower, built in 1910; it can be seen in old photographs. Unfortunately, the object was not preserved, and the ruins of the tower were dismantled.
After 1953, the church in Bolshie Sviryanki was closed, and the building itself began to be used as a warehouse. The temple was returned to believers in 1998, and through the efforts of parishioners, local residents and caring people, the church was restored.
The architecture of the church is interesting: on the one hand it is simple, but at the same time full of interesting details. If you look closely at the facade, it becomes clear that the temple once had 2 towers, which were probably dismantled during the reconstruction (rebuilding) of the 19th century.
The building ends with a 5-sided apse, the walls are decorated with arched windows, the roof is pitched, and above the main entrance there is a small 8-sided drum-tower.
Below is a point marking this landmark of Belarus on the map:
In these parts I also recommend visiting a unique Baroque church in Michaliski.
