Constructed in the northwestern part of Ancient Rus in the 12th century, the Kolozha Church is not like any other church in the world. This Christian halidom was nominated for the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is unknown when the construction of the church began. It is believed that the church was erected on the steep bank of the Neman River in Grodno in 1140-1170. The church was founded by the sons of Grodno Prince Vsevolod and named in honor of the first Russian saints - Princes Boris and Gleb. The church has another name - Kolozha Church and this name is more common now. The name “Kolozha” derives from the Kolozhan district in Grodno where the church was built. The word “kolozhan” meant a place overflowing with spring wells. Others believe that the name Kolozha has to do with the resettlement of residents of the Kolozha fortress after the victorious campaign of Duke Vitaut to Pskov in 1409.
Historie a zkáza i obnova kostela
A devastating fire of 1184 destroyed the Lower Castle Church. Thus the Boris and Gleb Church became the main church of the town. As a result of numerous Crusader attacks in the 14th century, the church fell into disrepair. To make it worse, the church was badly damaged by the troops of Ivan III during the wars with the Grand Duchy of Moscow. The church was restored in the 16th century but it continued to suffer from natural disasters. The major threat to the church came from washaways and landslides. On the night of 2 April 1853 the southern wall, part of the western wall and the ceiling of the church collapsed and slid into the river. The church remained neglected for the subsequent 40 years. The landslides of 1864 and 1889 inflicted even more damage to the church. However, this unique church survived through thick and thin. In 1894-1906 the bank of the river was buttressed, light wooden walls were built in place of the wrecked stone walls and a cupola with a laced gold-plated cross was mounted on a new roof. This way the church survives to this very day. A renovation project was developed by the start of the 20th century, however it never came into fruition as the First World War broke out. No church services were conducted in the Kolozha Church during the Soviet period.
Sts. Boris and Gleb Church kept the Orthodox relic - the wonderworking Kolozha Icon of the Mother of God, a copy of Hodigitria Icon of Vilnius. According to the legend, the image of the Holy Mother was willed to the church by a bagger who carried the wonderworking icon votively on his chest. They say that since the 17th century the icon has cured many people from different ailments. The icon was evacuated to Russia in 1915 and got lost there. Today the church keeps its replica while the search for the original image continues. 25 May is the day of the icon worship and dedication of the Church of the Kolozha Icon of the Mother of God. The day is celebrated with a liturgy and a prayer service.
Kolozha kostel a jeho architektura
The Kolozhskaya Church in Grodno is one of the oldest temples in Belarus, a unique monument of Old Ruthenian architecture from the 12th century. Located on the bank of the Neman River, the church is built of brick with decorative inserts of stone and ceramics, and its double walls contain pitcher-resonators that create a special acoustic effect. Despite damage and landslides, the temple has been repeatedly restored, with the last major work completed in 2019. The church was founded by the sons of Grodno Prince Vsevolod and named in honor of the first Russian saints - Princes Boris and Gleb.
Sts. Boris and Gleb Church is unique due to the large number of ceramic vase-like indentations built into the walls. This architectural feature provides the temple with a wonderful acoustics. Besides, its bearing columns with circular cross-section are unusual for Orthodox temples. Thanks to these columns, the church seems spacious despite its small size (21.5m long and 13.5m wide). Today the Kolozha Church is one of the oldest functioning temples in Belarus. Apart from services and religious celebrations, the church also runs a Sunday school and a house church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God of Kolozha.
Současné obnova a význam
In the 1990s with participation of foreign specialists the riverbank was solidified to prevent landslides. The scientists also came up with several projects to restore the Kolozha Church to the way it looked in the 12th century and before the disaster of 1853. But the complicated geological structure and the lack of reliable information about the original design of the temple slowed down the pace of work. The reconstruction project of the pre-1853 Kolozha Church has been substantiated by architects. There are few documents about the 12th century sanctuary which looks changed many times over the decades. There are also plans to build a miniature replica of the 12th century Kolozha next to the church.
Since ancient times Sts. Boris and Gleb Church kept the Orthodox relic - the wonderworking Kolozha Icon of the Mother of God, a copy of Hodigitria Icon of Vilnius. According to the legend, the image of the Holy Mother was willed to the church by a bagger who carried the wonderworking icon votively on his chest. They say that since the 17th century the icon has cured many people from different ailments. The icon was evacuated to Russia in 1915 and got lost there. Today the church keeps its replica while the search for the original image continues. The Kolozha Church gave its name to one of the biggest international festivals of Orthodox singing in Belarus - Kolozhsky Blagovest, which gathers the best church and secular choirs in Grodno every February.
Vztah Kostela k okolí
The Kolozha Church is situated not far from the Old Castle of Grodno, which was the residence of Grand Duke Vitaut many centuries ago. The church’s influence extends to cultural events, for example Kolozhsky Blagovest festival and the Nations Friendship Alley in Kolozha Park. Grodno is one of the few Belarusian cities that have managed to preserve most of their old buildings. The region also features historic religious sites like the St. Church of the Annunciation and the Monastery of St. Gilibert Park, as well as the Farny Cathedral and the Grodno Pharmacy Museum. The Vitaut Fara was the largest church of Grodno built in 1389 by order of the Grand Duke, surviving several fires until 1961 when it was blown up. In 2014 a sculpture in the shape of a half-destroyed arc with a commemorative inscription was erected at the place of the former church.
Unikátní konstrukce s keramickými rozměry a otevřeným vnitřním prostorem dává kostelu charakteristický akustický profil a prostorovou vzdušnost.
Archiv ČT24 - Veřejné stravování
Historie a architektura Kolozha kostela v Grodnu ukazují na souběh náboženské oddanosti, kulturního dědictví a hydraulických a geologických výzev, které formovaly jeho současný vzhled a funkčnost.