Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Horostyta

The Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is a historic Orthodox church in Horostyta. It belongs to the parish of the same name, which is part of the Chełm Deanery within the Diocese of Lublin and Chełm of the Polish Orthodox Church. The first church in Horostyta was built in 1521 as an Orthodox place of worship. In 1596, following the Union of Brest, it became part of the newly established Uniate Church along with the entire Chełm Eparchy. In 1702, the Kopeć family, owners of the Opole estate, funded a new wooden church in Horostyta. In 1875, as a result of the Conversion of Chełm Eparchy, the church was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church. Between 1915 and 1923, it remained closed. During the Second Polish Republic, it served as the seat of an Orthodox parish. It was again closed in 1947 when Orthodox residents were deported as part of Operation Vistula. The parish was reestablished six years later. The church is a single-nave, single-domed wooden structure. Inside, it houses an iconostasis from 1880 and older icons dating back to the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The building is located outside the village's dense development, near a road, and surrounded by historic trees. The church grounds are enclosed by an ornate fence.

Church data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).