Boris and Gleb Church in Novogrudok

Boris and Gleb Church (the official name - The Church of Saint Martyrs Nobleborn Grand Dukes Boris and Gleb) - an example of Gothic architecture that was common for the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the XVI century. It is considered a temple that at the same time was used for defense.

The church was built in 1519 on the place where an ancient temple was situated in the XII century. The fragments of its foundation were found during excavations in the 1960s. From 1317 the temple of the XII century had been the cathedral of Lithuanian-Navahrudak metropolis that had a functioning monastery. In 1451 St. Jonah, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia visited the church.

In 1517 they started building of a brick church on the place where an ancient temple was located many years ago. All works were financed by a big magnate - Hetman Constantine Ostrozhskiy and Metropolitan Joseph Soltan.

In 1620 Boris and Gleb Church was given to the Uniates. A few years later, Metropolitan Joseph Rutskiy founded the temple of male and female Basilian monasteries. During the beginning of the XVII century the church was rebuilt in the Sarmatian baroque style on the money of the local magnate Alexander Hreptovich. Towers-loopholes and spiral staircases appeared in the church. And it got a warlike air.

In 1839 the church moved to the Orthodox church. At the end of the XIX century it was rebuilt again. The building acquired features of Russian architecture.

In the middle of the XX century the church was closed. On its territory was located a branch of State Archives of Grodno region. Only in 1996 the church was returned to the Orthodox Church.

Boris and Gleb Church - a striking example of orthodox gothic of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania of the XVI century. Originally it was a three-nave church with a wide pentagon apse. The towers on the facade were added during the renaissance reconstruction. The architectural plan of the church reminds early Catholic churches of the principality, but looking at its Gothic facade elements you can feel strong influence of the Byzantine-Orthodox tradition.

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