Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church of Dormition of Blessed Virgin Mary (Basilians' Monastery)

Main data:

Year of construction: 1784
Year of reconstruction: 1948
Designer: Dominik Merlini
Location: ul. Miodowa 16

This classicist building does not look like a church from the outside. It seems to be an ordinary house, in fact the church was composed into it. We can get to know about its sacral function only if we spot the cross on the top of the facade.

The faithful of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church appeared in Warsaw in 17th century. But for their own church and priests they had to wait until the next century. Basilian monks were brought to Warsaw from Suprasl (a town near Bialystok, in eastern Poland) in 1721. Initially, wooden monastery and church were built in this place. Today's building was constructed 60 years later. The cornerstone was laid on 12th of May 1781 and the consecration of the temple took place on 25th of August 1784. A well-known architect Dominik Merlini was the designer of the building.

In the second half of 19th century, when repressions after January Uprising took place, the temple was converted into eastern orthodox church (under the suzerainty of Moscow Orthodox Church) and Basilian monks were displaced. They came back here in 1930. During Warsaw Uprising the building was burned up. Its reconstructions took place in years 1946-48.

The interior of the church is spacious, light, with white walls. It has an octagonal shape and is covered with a dome. The original iconostasis unfortunately did not survive, the one we can see today comes from 1991. It consists of four large paintings (with the figures of Blessed Virgin Mary, the Christ, St. Basil and St. Josaphat) and four small ones. Three paintings by Franciszek Smuglewicz are historical items: the one in the middle portraits the dormition of Blessed Virgin Mary and the ones on both sides: figures of St. Onuphrius and St. Basil the Great, the founder of Basilian order.

Today the temple is owned again by the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. It is also a kind of a centre for Ukrainian inhabitants of Warsaw. Next to the entrance to the church, in the hall, there is a table where some announcements for Ukrainians who seek for a job in Warsaw can be found. The monastery belongs again to the Basilian monks. Pope John Paul II had visited the church twice: in 1987 and in 1999.

The church from the outside:

The interior: