St. Demetrius Church in Saki

The Church of St. Demetrius in Saki is a wooden Orthodox temple that serves as a parish church in the Kleszczele deanery of the Warsaw-Bielsk diocese of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church. It was built at the end of the 18th century by the noble Sakowski family as a filial church of the Protection of the Mother of God parish in Dubicze Cerkiewne. The first church on this site dates back to the 15th century, but it burned down, and another one from 1595 in Dubicze Cerkiewne was also destroyed. Since its consecration in 1890, the use of the temple has increased, and it underwent renovation in the 19th century. In the 20th century, the church was repeatedly repaired and modernized, including between 2009 and 2013, which improved its technical condition. The church, its bell tower, and the surrounding cemetery were entered into the register of monuments in 1994. Architecturally, the church features a log structure, is clad with siding, and has a pentagonally closed presbytery, two sacristies, and a distinctive turret. The interior is adorned with a new iconostasis, whose icons were painted on Mount Athos. Interestingly, the site where the church stands resembles the Holy Mount Grabarka, and around it lies an active cemetery established in the 18th century, featuring richly decorated crosses and tombstones. The church is a place of worship and prayer, and its significance to the local community and Orthodox culture is invaluable.