St. John the Theologian Church in Pawły

The Church of St. John the Theologian in Pawły is an Orthodox cemetery church belonging to the Parish of Saints Cosmas and Damian in Ryboły, within the Bielsk Podlaski deanery of the Warsaw-Bielsk diocese of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church. The initiative to build the church was undertaken in 1824 by Father Lew Markiewicz. Initially, the church was a Uniate temple, and its patron was Saint Josaphat Kuntsevych. After the parish converted to Orthodoxy in 1839, the church began to be named after St. John the Theologian. Over the years, the building underwent various renovations and reconstructions, including a major renovation in 1869 and another in 1883, when an onion dome was added and the bells were replaced. The church also housed icons from the Monastery of Saint Panteleimon on Mount Athos. During the period of the "bieżeństwo" (mass exodus during World War I), the church fell into ruin, but thanks to the efforts of local Orthodox believers, it was restored. In 1964, a collection of historic icons from the 18th and 19th centuries was identified, and in 1966, the church was entered into the register of historical monuments. Interestingly, in 1993, a theft occurred, resulting in the loss of nine icons. In 2015, a storm caused significant damage to the cemetery, felling trees and damaging tombstones. The church, as an object with a rich history and historic furnishings, plays a significant role in the cultural heritage of the region and the local Orthodox community.