Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Horostyta

The Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Horostyta is a historic Orthodox church with a rich history dating back to 1521, when the first church was built as a branch of the parish in Opole. The first church underwent the Union of Brest in 1596, and a new wooden church was founded by the Kopieć family in 1702. In 1875, the church became part of the Russian Orthodox Church, and from 1915 to 1923, it was inactive due to the evacuation of the local population. After World War II, it experienced a complex history, including closure in 1947 as part of Operation "Vistula," and the subsequent restoration of the parish in 1953. Architecturally, the church is wooden, single-nave, and single-domed, with a gable roof covered with wood shingles, capable of accommodating 100 worshippers at a time. The church's furnishings include an iconostasis from 1880, which is polychromed and decorated with bronze, as well as valuable icons, including a late Gothic icon of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The interior is also adorned with processional banners featuring icons of various saints. Between 2004 and 2010, the church underwent a major renovation with support from the Ministry of Culture and the European Union. In 2021, to mark the 500th anniversary of the church, a commemorative stone with a cross was placed next to the bell tower. The church in Horostyta is an important place of worship and preserves interesting elements of cultural heritage, making it a valuable landmark in the region. It was listed in the register of monuments in 1967.