Church of Krestovozdvizhenskaya in Suhopol

Sukhapol Church of the Exaltation of the Cross is an Orthodox church in the village of Sukhapol, not far from the Belavezhskaya Pushcha, approximately 30 km from Pruzhany. The present brick church was erected in 1903 and belongs to the monuments of the pseudo-Russian style. The parish is known for its uninterrupted liturgical life and venerated relics.

History of the Sukhapol Church of the Exaltation of the Cross

On 14 August 1680 royal commissioners permitted the construction of the first church on parish land in Sukhapol—against the backdrop of population growth in the eastern part of the Belavezhskaya Pushcha. Earlier, the surrounding villages were spiritually connected to the Shershevа Church and were influenced by the Narew Orthodox monastic estate of the Massalski princes.

The first wooden church (within the Pruzhany deanery) was consecrated in honor of the Exaltation of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord; the first rector is considered to have been Priest Iosif Vasileuski.

After a fire the church lost its property, but, according to tradition, the especially revered icon of the Mother of God was miraculously found in the ground and transferred to a chapel. On a new site the parishioners erected a more spacious wooden “ship-shaped” church; in 1794–1799 a particle of the Wood of the Lord’s Cross was donated here.

During the 1812 military campaign the church escaped arson thanks to the intercession of the estate lessee Engelhardt; in 1878 a fire severely damaged the building and the archive.

The present stone church was built in 1903 under Fr. Mikhail Vinogradov; from the 1960s to 1996 the parish also ministered to believers of the Murawski parish, the church was never closed, and in 2003 it celebrated its 100th anniversary. Two chapels are attached to it: St. Alexander Nevsky (v. Krynica) and St. George (v. Roubitsk).

Architecture and spiritual life of the Sukhapol Church of the Exaltation of the Cross

The Sukhapol Exaltation-of-the-Cross Church has a four-part longitudinal-axial composition: a three-tier bell tower, a rectangular refectory, a cuboid main volume, and a pentagonal apse with side sacristies. The silhouette is formed by onion domes of the faceted tent of the bell tower and the octagonal drum above the gently sloped hipped roof. The portal-vestibules are emphasized by pilaster-strips and tooth-like cornices; the segmental-arched windows in two tiers are decorated with flat architraves; the volumes are encircled by profiled and dentil friezes. Inside, the refectory space opens into the nave with a wide arched span.

The main relics are the venerated icon of the Most Holy Theotokos (with a wondrous story of discovery) and a particle of the Wood of the Lord’s Cross; the continuity of services sustains a living parish tradition.

Excursions with a visit to the church

The Sukhapol Church of the Exaltation of the Cross is included in various excursion routes across Belarus, including tours of Orthodox shrines. Pilgrimage programs make it possible to attend services, venerate the relics, and learn more about the region’s spiritual life.

For visitors from the capital, an excursion from Minsk is available with a visit to the church and other sites of the Brest Region. During the trip guides will talk about the history of the church, its architecture, and its significance in the Orthodox culture of Belarus.

Anyone can book an excursion that includes a visit to the Sukhapol Church of the Exaltation of the Cross to admire its beauty, feel the atmosphere of comfort and peace, and deepen their knowledge of the country’s religious heritage.