St. Nicholas Church in Zabłocie

St. Nicholas Church in Zabłocie is a historic Orthodox temple dating back to the early 20th century. It is part of the St. Nicholas Parish within the Lublin-Chełm Diocese of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church. The history of the church traces back to before 1580, when the first Orthodox temple existed on this site. Following the Union of Brest in 1596, the church came under the jurisdiction of the Uniate Church until it was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1875—a move that met with resistance from the local population. The new brick church was built between 1904 and 1907 based on a design by architect Vladimir Pokrovsky. It features architecture inspired by the Russian-Byzantine style, with a single-nave layout, a bell tower above the narthex, and an onion dome. During the interwar period, it served as the parish seat, and in World War II, it was one of the key Orthodox centers in the region. After the war, the church was inactive but resumed its functions in 1951. In the 1970s and 1980s, it underwent renovations and renewals, including the restoration of wall paintings and the installation of a new bell. Interestingly, the church in Zabłocie stands out architecturally compared to other temples from the same period in the region, making it a unique landmark of Orthodox culture. In 1988, it was entered into the register of historical monuments, underscoring its cultural and historical significance.