Synergy of architecture and theology on the example of wooden Orthodox churches in the Podlaskie Voivodeship with blue façades

Katarzyna Woszczenko, Adam Musiuk

doi:10.37190/arc230402

Abstract

The article presents research results regarding the importance of the synergy of theology and aesthetics of the architecture of blue Orthodoxchurches in the Podlaskie Voivodeship. The research was conducted using manuscript sources, subject literature, private communications and Internetsources. Photographic inventories of the sacred buildings under study were also carried out.The Podlaskie Voivodeship has the largest number of Orthodox churches in Poland. Due to the good availability of wood, these areas are associated with wooden construction. A characteristic feature of wooden Orthodox churches located in the analysed area is the colourful finish of theirfaçades. Colours have rich theological symbolism, especially visible in icons. Blue is often associated with the Theotokos, but also universally withdivinity. The study covered 17 parish churches that currently have blue façades in the following towns: Augustowo, Bielsk Podlaski, Dubicze Cerkiewne, Koterka, Kożany, Narew, Pasynki, Ploski, Puchły, Podbiele, Rajsk, Rogacze, Saki, Stary Kornin, Suwałki, Szczyty-Dzięciołowo, Werstokand 4 facilities with blue façades in the past – in Kuraszewo, Malesze, Milejczyce and Orzeszkowo. The churches were described in terms of the dateof construction and the colour of the façade finish. The majority of the buildings are oriented, have a tripartite interior visible from the outside andwere built in a log construction. Exceptions to these rules are included in the text.Our research has shown a connection between the blue colour of the façade and the Mother of God and theological symbolism. When designingnew churches, the use of blue should be taken into account in accordance with the symbolism adopted in the Orthodox Church and the traditionprevailing in a given area.

Keywords:
architecture
orthodox church
blue
theology
symbols

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2023

4(76)

Katarzyna Woszczenko*, Adam Musiuk**

Synergy of architecture and theology on the example

of wooden Orthodox churches in the Podlaskie Voivodeship

with blue façades

Introduction

One of the characteristic features of a building is its

colour, and while in the case of secular buildings it is

most often related to aesthetics, in the case of churches,

especially Orthodox ones, the choice of the colour of the

façade may depend on theology. The conclusions con-

tained in this study may become useful to designers creat-

ing new religious buildings of this type.

Scope and content of the study

The Podlaskie Voivodeship is home to the largest con-

centration of Orthodox churches in Poland. This region is

often called Podlasie, but its historical boundaries are not

clearly dened and have changed over the years. For this

reason, the territorial scope of the research was dened in

the area of the current Podlaskie Voivodeship, where the

Orthodox churches are part of two Orthodox dioceses

Białystok-Gdańsk and Warsaw-Bielsk Podlaski.

Orthodox churches located in the analysed area are

wooden buildings with dierent façade colours, some-

times changing over the centuries. Blue is a common co-

lour and the authors of the article focus on it. Their aim

is to determine the reasons why this colour was chosen

* ORCID: 0000-0001-5442-9994. Faculty of Architecture, Bialy-

stok University of Technology, Poland, e-mail: k.woszczenko@pb.edu.pl

** ORCID: 0000-0001-9685-9597. Faculty of Architecture, Bialy-

stok University of Technology, Poland.

A diocese is a unit of the administrative division of the Polish

Autocephalous Orthodox Church, subordinate to the bishop. There are

six dioceses in Poland, they are not related to the administrative division

of Poland into voivodeships, they often cover areas of several voivode-

ships [1, p. 156].

for nishing the façades of the churches, with particular

emphasis on the theological aspect. As shown in the work,

this aspect is very important when it comes to the deco-

ration, but also the external image of Orthodox churches.

After conducting research and photographic invento-

ries, the authors determined the number of all such church-

es, compared their basic features, and then veried the

thesis regarding the inuence of theology on the choice of

blue colour for nishing a large number of wooden Ortho-

dox churches in the Podlaskie Voivodeship.

Due to the nature of the article, the study includes all

blue parish churches, regardless of the period of their con-

struction, located in the Podlaskie Voivodeship; branch

churches, cemeteries and chapels are omitted. They will

be the subject of subsequent publications.

The topic of blue wooden parish churches in the Podla-

skie Voivodeship was undertaken due to the lack of stud-

ies related to this topic.

The state of research

The main part of the study focused on issues related

to the inuence of theology on shaping the colours of

the architecture of blue wooden parish churches in the

Podlaskie Voivodeship. There are few publications on re-

search on this interdisciplinary topic. The only item is an

article by Katarzyna Woszczenko, in which the author de-

scribed the theological reason for using the green colour

when nishing the wooden façades of Orthodox church-

es in the Podlaskie Voivodeship [2]. A church is at the

same time the house of God and an architectural structure

[3]. Despite this obvious synergy of theology and archi-

tecture, these issues are presented separately in studies.

Most of the studies on which this article is based are con-

cerned with theology or broadly understood architecture.

DOI: 10.37190/arc230402

Published in open access. CC BY NC ND license

14 Katarzyna Woszczenko, Adam Musiuk

Theological publications [4]–[16] cover the topics of the

Orthodox faith, church teachings and iconography. The

authors also used works on the history of the colour blue

[17]–[19], studies on sacred architecture and Orthodox

Christianity [20]–[24], and on wooden architecture, in-

cluding Orthodox architecture [25]–[30]. The results of

conservation work found in the conservation oce

and

its online archives, catalogues of monuments [31]–[33],

a radio program [34], as well as articles found in online

sources of Orthodox churches and communes [35]–[38]

turned out to be extremely helpful. Much valuable infor-

mation comes from conversations with Orthodox priests

Theological aspects determining the image

of the blue Orthodox church

The Orthodox church has always looked for a combina-

tion of architecture and artistic expression that best shows

its importance as a symbolic image of the Church and the

universe [4, p. 223]. It is intended to be a reection of the

vision of the Temple of Heavenly Jerusalem [5, pp. 125,

126], which is conrmed by the words of Patriarch Ger-

manos I: The temple is an earthly heaven, in these heav-

enly spaces God lives and walks [6, p. 384]. According to

the Fathers of the Church, God’s Beauty is a fundamental

biblical and theological idea, therefore the beauty of the

world continues in a transcendent reality, similar to beau-

ty and goodness [5, p. 29]. If a church is to be a paradise

on earth, it must also be beautiful and beautifully reect

the teachings of the Church. Its furnishings, decor and

icons express theology through the symbolism of colours,

shapes and numbers [7, pp. 205–209]. Symbols mean con-

nection with the Divine, communication, meeting with the

Creator and His Beauty. The canons of beauty in the case

of Orthodox churches are not dened directly, but based

on the above analysis it can be concluded that a church is

beautiful when it reects theological teachings.

The famous theologian Father Sergius Bulgakov in his

great work emphasized that […] Orthodoxy, especially

in Byzantium and Russia, received the gift of seeing the

beauty of the spiritual world [8, p. 146]. Two natures com-

bine in a church – material and spiritual. The rst one is

available through the senses, the second one through sym-

bols [9]. In the Orthodox Church, one of such portals that

allows you to pass from what is visible to what is spiritual

are icons with their complexity of internal beauty, sym-

bolism of colours, shapes and signs. Colours are not only

a decorative element, but have their own language through

which they strive to express the invisible world. They are

Record cards of monuments of architecture and construction,

11.11.2000, A-57 dated 12.05.2003, A-39 dated 19.11.1976, A-746 dated

31.12.1990, A-144 dated 14.12.2005, A-242 dated 16.07.2009, A-583

dated 19.02.2015, A-64 dated 28.12.1984, A-36 dated 12.01.1993, A-55

dated 27.02.2003, A-385 dated 10.05.1977, A-235 dated 16.06.2009,

A-97 dated 7.12.1994, A-83 dated 3.11.1951, A-620 dated 22.12.1986,

A-104 dated 15.05.1998, 5758, A-497 dated 26.03.1980, 6186.

Information from conversations with Orthodox priests has been

referenced in the footnotes of the article, the authors have their record-

ings and/or typescripts.

mystical, they open the way to the spiritual world. The

iconographer uses various colours, but also the so-called

asystka

[10, pp. 93–96]. Just as those who write icons use

dierent colour intensities, in the conducted research the

term blue will be understood as all its shades, from dark

navy blue, through sapphire, to light blue.

The obvious origins of the connection between blue and

divinity should be sought in the Holy Bible. In the Book of

Exodus, in the story about making a covenant with God,

Moses and his people ascended Mount Sinai, where […]

they saw the God of Israel, and under his feet what looked

like a creation made of sapphire plates, blue as the sky

itself (Exodus 24:10) [11]. There is an obvious connection

between God – His divinity – the blue of precious stones

– the blue of the sky – the heavenliness. The divinity of

Christ is reected in the blue colour of His clothes on icons.

At the Seventh Ecumenical Council, the icon was placed

on an equal footing with the Holy Bible, as a type of the-

ology, initiation into God [12, pp. 120–156]. Icons are cre-

ated according to the canons and principles established by

the Holy Fathers of the Church, nothing is accidental here,

the symbolism of the robes, gestures and attributes of the

depicted saints is specied [10, pp. 3, 4]. In iconography,

according to these canons, blue is an autonomous unity

with red; they symbolize heaven and earth, truth and mer-

cy, goodness and beauty. That is why the Saviour’s clothes

are two-coloured – the shirt directly touching the body is

red, and the outer garment is blue, which causes a greater

share of blue. In this combination, red symbolizes earthly,

human nature, life, martyrdom, suering, blood, but at the

same time it is a royal colour; blue, in turn, expresses heav-

en, divinity, the depth of revelation and the unattainability

of mystery. The colours of the Mother of God’s robes are

the same, but arranged in reverse proportions – the under-

garment is blue and the outer scarf is red. This order re-

ects the combination of virginity and motherhood in Her,

symbolizing the earthly woman who gave birth to God.

In both historical and contemporary iconography, there are

depictions of the Mother of God in completely blue robes,

they were especially common in the Balkans and Byzan-

tium [13, pp. 19–40]. One of such examples of the repre-

sentation of the Theotokos in a blue robe is the Enthroned

Mary with the Child, between Saint Theodore and Saint

George from the 6

century located in the monastery of

St. Catherine on Mount Sinai [12, g. between pp. 16, 17].

This is one of the most common iconographic types of Our

Lady – the Mother of God on a throne, the so-called Queen

of Heaven [13, pp. 110, 111]. References to this naming

of the Mother of God exist in paraliturgical Marian songs,

i.e. to Царицe Hебесной

. In Poland, the Mother of God,

treated as the protector of the nation, is even called the

Queen of Poland [13, pp. 104, 105]. In line with the theme

of Our Lady Queen of Heaven, the blue robe may be a ref-

Asystka consists of strokes of increasingly lighter or golden paint

in an area of a given colour, creating the impression of a ne mesh and

thus showing joy and light [1, p. 94].

Царицe Hебесной (read: Caryce Niebiesnoj; Eng. Queen of Heaven);

Mother of God known as Tsarina or Tsarina of Heaven, appears in many

songs in the songbook of paraliturgical songs and religious poetry.

Synergy of architecture and theology on the example of wooden Orthodox churches in the Podlaskie Voivodeship with blue façades 15

erence to the characteristic blue dress of the Byzantine em-

press. The Theotokos did not belong to the aristocracy, and

in the times in which She lived, dyes were expensive, so

dyed clothes were the exclusive privilege of the wealthy

class, so it could not have been from a reection of Her

actual outt [14, pp. 115–118]. Particularly in Byzantine

and Balkan iconography, the depiction of the Theotokos in

completely blue robes was intended to emphasize Her pu-

rity, virtue and virginity, and to expose Her purity. Iconog-

raphers, due to the church’s absolute lack of tolerance for

the painter’s fantasy, often considered old icons as models

[12, p. 137]. In this way, the iconographic patterns created

in the early days of Christianity, recorded in canons and

principles, have survived to this day [15, p. 57].

In the Orthodox Church, individual religious holidays

have their own assigned colour. Blue accompanies ser-

vices related to the Theotokos holidays, i.e. those related

to the Mother of God. The clergy then put on blue liturgical

vestments [16, pp. 148, 149]. Inside the church, decorative

blue tablecloths are placed over the anałoj

. Our observa-

tions also show that some of the faithful participating in

services related to the cult of Our Lady include this colour

in their clothes.

Blue dyes and their function

Blue pigment is quite rare in nature, one example is

natural ultramarine obtained from the mineral lapis-lazuli,

which is the most expensive of blue pigments [17]. Blue

dyes include woad native to Europe and indigo imported

from the Middle East and Africa, both of plant origin, as

well as the mineral azurite [18, pp. 19–28]. For various

economic and functional reasons, in the 1

half of the 18

century, these dyes were gradually replaced by their arti-

cial counterparts, also used in construction [18, pp. 143,

144], [19]

The parish priest in Kożany, Fr. Jana Kojło emphasized

that the sacred building and its furnishings are particularly

important for the church’s faithful

. It can therefore be as-

sumed that one of the reasons for using precious blue dye

to paint the façades of churches and dye the liturgical vest-

ments of the clergy was to emphasize their importance.

Orthodox churches of Podlasie

The areas of the Podlaskie Voivodeship are known for

their multinational and multiethnic, and therefore also

multi-religious nature [20]. Poles, Belarusians, Ukrai-

nians, Tatars and Jews have lived here side by side for

centuries, which was especially visible until the outbreak

of World War II. In no other area of Poland can we nd

churches of dierent religious denominations located so

close together [21, p. 164]. This diversity had a signicant

Anałoj – the name of the church lectern on which a decorative

tablecloth is placed and on it an icon and/or a cross [1, p. 87].

It should be mentioned that blue dyes used in construction were

often whitened, thus obtaining dierent shades [19].

Conversation with Fr. Jan Kojło, parish priest in Kożany,

23.03.2023.

impact on the formation of wooden architecture in the

studied region.

Currently, areas in Poland characterized by a large

number of people of the Orthodox faith are the Podlaskie

Voivodeship and the Lemko region (around Rzeszów,

Przemyśl and Gorlice) [22, pp. 9–11], [23]. However, it

is in the Podlaskie Voivodeship that the largest number of

believers of the Orthodox Church live and it reaches over

85% of all its faithful in Poland [23], [24, p. 5].

In the Podlaskie Voivodeship, until the mid-19

centu-

ry, almost exclusively wooden structures could be found.

This is conrmed, among others, by the fact that around

1930 in Narew most of the buildings were made of wood,

except for the only known example of brick construction,

i.e. the chapel of St. Wawrzyniec at the ecumenical cem-

etery [25]. In rural areas until World War II, only wooden

construction was common [26, p. 7]. Due to the richness

of primeval forests, wood as a building material was eas-

ily available here [27, pp. 85, 86] and at the same time

cheaper than stone or brick [28]. There was no shortage

of experienced carpenters in the Podlaskie Voivodeship.

They combined the method of building generally accept-

ed in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth with local re-

gionalism, characteristic of a given village. The patterns

of architectural styles coming from abroad were not well

received in wooden construction, which is why it retained

its national character and regionalization for the longest

time. Methods of construction and decoration were passed

down from generation to generation. This is how the typi-

cality prevailing in a given area at a given time developed

[29, pp. 24, 25, 136–138].

The most common type of wall construction in wooden

buildings in these areas is log construction, also known as

log construction. In this type of construction, the length

of the building walls corresponded to the length of the

available beam, which resulted in a high demand for raw

material. This is the reason why, as Elżbieta and Piotr Mar -

ciniszyn emphasize, buildings in log construction were

built in areas rich in wood, such as the regions of the Pod-

laskie Voivodeship, where buildings of this type were erect-

ed for the longest time [21, pp. 7, 8].

Therefore, parish churches made of log constructions

with blue façades were selected for research.

Research methodology

Our research consisted of several stages. It began with

research in the records of the Provincial Oce for the

Protection of Monuments in Białystok, which has been

ongoing since October 2022. 75 buildings that met the as-

sumed criterion were analysed – they were supposed to be

wooden Orthodox churches. At that time, it was found that

these facilities were clearly divided into groups in terms

of the colour of their façades. For this reason, the research

was fragmented into colour ranges, which included,

among others: green [2], white, blue and brown church-

es (Table 1). Among these groups, buildings that changed

their colour were also noticed. After selecting the most

numerous, blue group of churches, four functional groups

were distinguished – parish churches, branch churches,

16 Katarzyna Woszczenko, Adam Musiuk

cemetery and chapels. The next stage was to narrow the

scope of research to blue (28) and then to 21 parish

churches. In a further stage, basic information about the

buildings was analysed, divided into churches with blue

façades at present (Table 2) and in the past (Table 3). The

next element of the research was photographic invento-

ries carried out from February to April 2023 and getting

to know the current condition of the facilities. The last

stage was a comparison of the number of blue churches

in particular centuries against the number of other colours

of the wooden façades of Orthodox churches in the Pod-

laskie Voivodeship.

Results

The information presented in this chapter (also in tables)

was prepared on the basis of data contained in the records

of architectural and construction monuments men tioned

(see footnote no. 2) and in the literature on the subject [31,

pp. 351, 357, 358, 364, 374], [32, pp. 5–7, 39, 188–190,

193–195, 228–230], [33, pp. 54, 77].

Town Patron Saint Date of construction* Wooden façade colour Colour of details

Augustowo near

Bielsk Podlaski

Saint Ap. John

the Theologian

1813–1814 (or 1870–1876) blue natural wood, dark blue

Bielsk Podlaski Saint Archangel Michael before 1789 blue dark blue, green, red

Dubicze Cerkiewne

Protection of

the Mother of God

1946–1953 blue white

Koterka

(parish Tokary)

Icon of Our Lady of

All Afflicted Joy

1912 blue dark blue, brown

Kożany

Exaltation of

the Cross of the Lord

1886 blue white

Narew

Exaltation of

the Cross of the Lord

1881–1885 blue white

Pasynki

Nativity of Saint John

the Baptist

1892 blue white, dark blue

Ploski Transfiguration of the Lord end of the 18

century blue white

Podbiele Saint Prophet Elijah 1876 blue white

Puchły

Protection of

the Mother of God

1913–1919 blue white, brown

Rajsk Saints Peter and Paul

1910 or 1912 in Poturzyn

1962–1963 in Rajsk

blue white

Rogacze

Nativity of

the Blessed Virgin Mary

century or

half of 19

century

blue white

Saki Saint Demetrius 18

century blue brown

Stary Kornin Saint Archangel Michael 1892–1893 blue dark blue, white

Suwałki All the Saints 1891 blue white

Szczyty-Dzięciołowo

The Beheading of

Saint John the Baptist

1785 blue white

Werstok

Exaltation of

the Cross of the Lord

1768 blue white

* In brackets is the number of churches that were blue in the past, but

are now in a different colour.

Table 1. The number of researched existing Orthodox churches

that are currently blue compared to the number of

Orthodox churches with façades in a different colour

depending on the time of their construction

(elaborated by K. Woszczenko)

Tabela 1. Liczba zbadanych istniejących cerkwi obecnie niebieskich

w porównaniu z liczbą cerkwi z elewacjami w innym kolorze

w zależności od wieku ich budowy

(oprac. K. Woszczenko)

Time of

construction

Orthodox churches

that are currently

blue

Orthodox churches with

façades in

a different colour now

1 0

0 2

7 7 (1)*

14 21 (2)*

5 14 (2)*

1 3

Table 2. Researched parish wooden Orthodox churches from the Podlaskie Voivodeship that currently have blue façades (elaborated by K. Woszczenko)

Tabela 2. Badane parafialne drewniane cerkwie z województwa podlaskiego mające obecnie niebieskie wykończenie elewacji (oprac. K. Woszczenko)

* The construction date was given in three formats depending on the one given in the sources as: specific year, period or century of construction

completion.

Synergy of architecture and theology on the example of wooden Orthodox churches in the Podlaskie Voivodeship with blue façades 17

Comparative analysis of the number of churches

that are currently blue

and those with façades in other colours

depending on the age of their construction

The number of blue wooden façades of Orthodox

churches in the Podlaskie Voivodeship in relation to the

number of other colours of façades in particular centuries

is presented in Table 1. Churches that probably had blue

façades at the time of construction were also taken into

account (see * in Table 1). Due to the frequent lack of

descriptions regarding the original colour of the façade in

the sources, the principle of the oldest available descrip-

tion or photographic documentation was adopted.

Results of the analysis of parish blue wooden

Orthodox churches in the Podlaskie Voivodeship

The research began with churches that currently have

blue façades. Basic information such as the church’s name,

dating, colours of wooden façade and details are summa-

rized in Table 2.

Orthodox churches have a tripartite interior: rst from

the entrance is the women’s gallery (called the vestibule,

intended for catechumens and penitents), then the nave

(for the faithful) and the presbytery (for the clergy) [30,

pp. 19–22]. It was noticed that the tripartite division of

the interior is visible in most of the researched buildings

also in their external shape. The exception to this rule are

the two smallest buildings – the Orthodox church in Au -

gustów near Bielsk Podlaski (Fig. 1a) and in Szczyty-

Dzię ciołowo (Fig. 1b). It is concluded that the small vol-

ume of the churches mentioned is the reason for this.

The Orthodox churches included in the analysis were built

in wooden log constructions. These are also oriented church-

es, with the exception of the parish church in Ploski (Fig. 2)

Town Patron Saint Date of construction* The colour of the façade in the past The current colour of the façade

Kuraszewo Saint Antoni Pieczerski 1868 blue (wooden façade) dark natural wood

Malesze Saints Peter and Paul 1946 light brown, blue (wooden façade) light natural wood

Milejczyce Saint Barbara 1899–1900 blue (wooden façade) natural wood

Orzeszkowo Assumption of the Lord 1955 light blue (siding) brown

Table 3. Researched parish wooden Orthodox churches from the Podlaskie Voivodeship that have blue

façades

in the past (elaborated by K. Woszczenko)

Tabela 3. Badane parafialne drewniane cerkwie z województwa podlaskiego mające w przeszłości niebieskie wykończenie elewacji

(oprac. K. Woszczenko)

* The construction date was given in three formats depending on the one given in the sources: specific year or period of construction completion.

Fig. 1. Views of the smallest researched Orthodox churches:

a) parish church of St. Ap. John the Theologian in Augustów (near Bielsk Podlaski),

b) parish church of the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist in Szczyty-Dzięciołowo (photo by K. Woszczenko)

Il. 1. Najmniejsze obiekty wśród badanych: a) cerkiew parafialna pw. Św. Jana Teologa w Augustowie (k. Bielska Podlaskiego),

b) cerkiew parafialna pw. Ścięcia Głowy Św. Jana Chrzciciela w Szczytach-Dzięciołowie (fot. K. Woszczenko)

a b

Fig. 2. View of the western façade of the parish church dedicated

to Transfiguration of the Lord in Ploski (photo by K. Woszczenko)

Il. 2. Widok na elewację zachodnią cerkwi parafialnej

pw. Przemienienia Pańskiego w Ploskach (fot. K. Woszczenko)

18 Katarzyna Woszczenko, Adam Musiuk

and the temporary church of St. Anna

, located next to the

parish church in Stary Kornin. The Orthodox churches in

Saki (Fig. 3a) and in Stary Kornin (Fig. 3b) are examples

that do not have a tower over the vestibule in their archi-

tectural shape. However, the Orthodox churches in Koża-

ny (Fig. 4a) and Rajsk (Fig. 4b) have the above-mentioned

towers.

The analysed churches included those that underwent

various types of transformations. The Orthodox church in

Rajsk (Fig. 4b) was moved in 1962 from Poturzyn to its

current location, while the current parish church in Suwał-

ki, although it was not moved from another place, until

1940 served only as a cemetery church.

The most interesting building in terms of the richness of

colours seems to be the Orthodox church in Bielsk Podlas-

A temporary church was built during the construction of the main

church, from material from the old bell tower, to maintain the continuity

of services, see: record card of monuments of architecture and construc-

tion, register of monuments No. A-630 from 31.12.1986.

Fig. 4. Views of the researched buildings with a similarly shaped body with a tower above the vestibule:

a) parish church of Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord in Kożany, b) parish church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Rajsk (photo by K. Woszczenko)

Il. 4. Badane obiekty mające analogicznie ukształtowaną bryłę z wieżą nad przedsionkiem:

a) cerkiew parafialna pw. Podwyższenia Krzyża Pańskiego w Kożanach, b) cerkiew parafialna pw. św. Piotra i Pawła w Rajsku (fot. K. Woszczenko)

ki (Fig. 5a), which was renovated many times (1895, 1971,

1998) and since 1971 has had an interior and façades made

according to the colour design of Wiktor Gutkiewicz

It is the only structure that combines several colours in

a decorative way – the blue boarding of the façade creates

a background for window and door details in red, green

and dark blue. It is also one of the largest studied buildings.

The largest and most decorated building is the Ortho-

dox church in Puchły (Fig. 5b), characterized by an ex-

tremely fragmented body and rich carving decorations.

A slightly smaller building with a similar shape is the Or-

thodox church in Koterka (Fig. 6). Another example of two

buildings with an identically shaped body are the Ortho-

dox church in Narew (Fig. 7a) and the Orthodox church

in Pasynki (Fig. 7b). The Orthodox church in Podbiele

(Fig. 8) is architecturally shaped in a similar, but simplied

Wiktor Gutkiewicz (1913–2007) – a famous Białystok painter and

set designer at the Białystok Dramatic Theater. Aleksandra Węgierki [34].

Fig. 3. Views of the examined structures that do not have a tower over the vestibule:

a) parish church of St. Dmitri in Saki, b) parish church of St. Archangel Michael in Stary Kornin (photo by K. Woszczenko)

Il. 3. Badane obiekty nieposiadające wieży nad przedsionkiem:

a) cerkiew parafialna pw. Św. Dymitra w Sakach, b) cerkiew parafialna pw. św. Archanioła Michała w Starym Korninie (fot. K. Woszczenko)

a b

Synergy of architecture and theology on the example of wooden Orthodox churches in the Podlaskie Voivodeship with blue façades 19

Fig. 5. Views of the largest researched buildings: a) parish church of St. Archangel Michael in Bielsk Podlaski,

b) parish church of Protection of Mother of God in Puchły (photo by K. Woszczenko)

Il. 5. Obiekty największe wśród badanych: a) cerkiew parafialna pw. św. Archanioła Michała w Bielsku Podlaskim,

b) cerkiew parafialna pw. Opieki Matki Bożej w Puchłach (fot. K. Woszczenko)

way – including the fact that there are no side entrances

with decorated porches, and the drum above the nave is

lower and covered with a less complicated roof. Analysing

the appearance of the buildings’ shapes, it was noticed that

the church in Dubicze Cerkiewne (Fig. 9a) and Rogacze

(Fig. 9b) were the most solid.

It was found that some facilities changed the colours

of their façade nishes during their existence. The church

in Narew changed its colour at least twice – initially it

was blue, then it was green, until in 2019 the original blue

colour of the wooden façade was restored. It should be

assumed that not all details of the changes in the colour

of the façade are known due to the re that took place in

1990, when – as the current parish priest says – part of the

church’s documentation burned down

In addition to the Orthodox church in Narew, four other

churches had dierent façade colours in the past, and cur-

rently they are blue. These will be the following Orthodox

churches: in Ploski – until renovation in 2020 it was brown

in colour [35]; in Puchły – until 2014 it was grey-green (al-

though archival photos available in sources suggest that it

was a light blue colour, which was destroyed over the years

and consequently changed its shade to grey-green) [36]; in

Rogacze – brown until 2011 [37] and in Suwałki – where

the façades were originally green, later blue-grey until ren-

ovation in 2013–2021

Four buildings should be distinguished which have

czasownia

or branch churches related to the cult of the

Conversation with Fr. Michał Dudicz, parish priest in Narew,

15.03.2023.

Conversation with Fr. Łukasz Ławreszuk, parish priest in Ełk and

Suwałki in the years 2011–2018, 08.04.2023 and a conversation with Fr. Ma-

rek Kozłowski, current parish priest in Augustów and Suwałki, 12.06.2023.

Czasownia (colloquially) – a chapel, i.e. a small Orthodox church,

usually without a separate place for a presbytery [1, p. 232].

Virgin Mary in their parish. These are: parish in Kożany

– branch of St. Kazan Icon of Our Lady in Pańki- Zajączki,

where, by the way, […] the biggest feast in the parish is

on the day of the Kazan Icon of Our Lady

; parish in Na-

rew – chapel of St. Kazan Icon of Our Lady in Narew; par-

ish in Ploski – cemetery chapel of St. Kazan Icon of Our

Lady in Knorozy and the parish in Werstok (parish church,

Fig. 10) – branch of St. Blessed Virgin Mary in Opaka

Duża [37], [38]. Thanks to this, in the parishes mentioned

above, the Mother of God is particularly worshipped and

additional celebrations related to Her are held.

Conducting numerous conversations with clergy, the

authors often came across statements regarding the asso-

ciation of the colour blue with the sky and/or the Theot-

okos, while Father Paisjusz, a monk from the monastery

of St. Demetrius in Saki also added that […] the colour

blue was also easily available

The next group studied are wooden Orthodox church-

es, which had blue façades in the past, but today have dif-

ferent façade colours (Table 3).

When looking at the buildings from this group, it should

be mentioned that during the renovation of the church in

Kuraszewo, the blue roof was left, despite the change in

the colour of the wood on the façades.

The experience related to the inventory of the Ortho-

dox church in Malesze, which was undergoing renovation

at that time, also seems interesting. A new form work in

the colour of light natural wood was noticed on the side

and rear façades, while the previous one – blue – was still

present in the entrance part (tower). Sources show that the

church originally had light wood façades.

Conversation with Fr. Jan Kojło, parish priest in Kożany,

23.03.2023.

Conversation with Father Paisjusz, a monk from the monastery

of St. Dmitri Sołuński in Saki, 28.03.2023.

a b

20 Katarzyna Woszczenko, Adam Musiuk

Among the buildings with blue façades, the Orthodox

church in Orzeszkowo has an interesting history. From the

1990s until the reconstruction in 2009, its façades were

nished with light blue siding, and today they are nished

with brown wooden boarding. According to the current

parish priest Rafał Wawreniuk, the earlier nishing of the

façade could have been due to its good availability and

the inuence of the then prevailing trend. There is also

a possible connection with the feast of the Ascension of

the Lord, which is associated with heaven and heavenli-

ness, like the colour blue itself. It should be assumed that

this is also the reason for the presence of blue clapboard

inside the presbytery

Conversation with Fr. Rafał Wawreniuk, parish priest in Orzesz-

kowo, 12.03.2023.

It was noticed that the colour blue is used not only to

nish the exterior of the churches, but is also present in

their interiors. An example of this is the parish church in

Dubicze Cerkiewne, where the interior has light blue ceil-

ing boarding, or the iconostasis with blue details in the

church in Narew.

Conclusions

The Orthodox Church has been combining theology

and aesthetics for centuries. A temple of beauty is one that

takes into account the richness of theological symbolism

in its aesthetics. The article shows the multitude of mean-

ings of the colour blue. In theology, blue is associated pri-

marily with God and His divinity and symbolizes heaven,

truth, goodness, the unattainable divine mystery, and vir-

tue. The Mother of God, because She is an earthly being

Fig. 6. View of the southern

façade of the parish church of

Icon of Our Lady of All the

Afflicted Joy in Koterka

(photo by K. Woszczenko)

Il. 6. Widok na elewację

południową cerkwi parafialnej

pw. Ikony Matki Bożej

Wszystkich Strapionych Radość

w Koterce

(fot. K. Woszczenko)

Fig. 7. Views of the examined buildings with a similar shape:

a) parish church of Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord in Narew, b) parish church of Nativity of St. John the Baptist in Pasynki

(photo by K. Woszczenko)

Il. 7. Badane obiekty mające analogiczne ukształtowanie bryły:

a) cerkiew parafialna pw. Podwyższenia Krzyża Pańskiego w Narwi; b) cerkiew parafialna pw. Narodzenia św. Jana Chrzciciela w Pasynkach

(fot. K. Woszczenko)

a b

Synergy of architecture and theology on the example of wooden Orthodox churches in the Podlaskie Voivodeship with blue façades 21

who gave birth to God, is often depicted in iconography

in fully or partially blue clothes. This is a reference to Her

purity and virginity.

Among the wooden Orthodox churches in Podlasie,

there are currently and in the past buildings with façades

in various shades of blue. Analysing the possible reasons

why this particular colour was chosen to nish the façades

of the examined buildings, it was shown that the colour

blue is associated with the Virgin Mary and Her cult.

The current research conducted showed the existence of

75 tra ditional wooden religious buildings in the Podlaskie

Voi vo deship. Among all the wooden Orthodox churches

known so far in this area, there are 33 existing buildings as-

sociated with the colour blue (21 parish churches, 4 branch

churches and 8 cemetery churches). They constitute 44%

of all buildings of this type in the ana lysed area. The article

includes 21 parish churches, of which 17 buildings current

ly have blue façades, and 4 had blue façades in the past.

In the group of modern blue Orthodox churches, 13 build-

ings were also characterized by white details on the façades,

which makes the combination of blue and white the most

popular among them.

The studied parish churches come from the following cen-

turies (Tables 2, 3): 18

century (6 currently), 19

century

(7 currently and 1 in the past), 20

century (4 currently

and 3 in the past). Additionally, in the comparative anal-

ysis of the number of blue Orthodox churches in relation

to the number of other churches in particular centuries of

Fig. 8. View of the northern

façade of the parish church

of St. Prophet Elijah in Podbiele

(photo by K. Woszczenko)

Il. 8. Widok na elewację

północną cerkwi parafialnej pw.

św. Proroka Eliasza w Podbielu

(fot. K. Woszczenko)

Fig. 9. Views of the reserached buildings which have a solid shape:

a) parish church of Protection of the Mother of God in Dubicze Cerkiewne,

b) parish church of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Rogacze

(photo by K. Woszczenko)

Il. 9. Obiekty podlegające opracowaniu mające przysadzistą bryłę:

a) cerkiew parafialna pw. Opieki Bogurodzicy w Dubiczach Cerkiewnych,

b) cerkiew parafialna pw. Narodzenia NMP w Rogaczach

(fot. K. Woszczenko)

a b

22 Katarzyna Woszczenko, Adam Musiuk

their construction, a clear dominance of the construction

of wooden churches in the 19

century is visible. The

largest absolute number of blue churches was also built in

the 19

century. This trend coincides with the increasing

popularity of using blue colour for external wall nishing

in rural buildings, the reason for which is most likely to

be sought in the discovery, popularization and widespread

availability of synthetic ultramarine at that time [19].

The churches discussed can be divided into 3 groups in

terms of their patrons: those related to the Mother of God

and Her feasts (4), with Christ (5) and with various Saints

(12). During the research, it was noticed that 4 parishes

have chapels dedicated to the cult of the Virgin Mary.

Therefore, a total of 8 studied buildings are related to the

cult of the Mother of God, which constitutes 38% of all

the examined Orthodox churches.

Summary

The results of the conducted research constitute a strong

argument conrming the thesis about non-aesthetic grounds

for the use of blue colours in the façade decoration of Or-

thodox churches in the Podlaskie Voivodeship, resulting

from theological symbolism. The colour blue is associated

primarily with God and divinity. In the case of the studied

churches, it is also related to the cult of the Theotokos.

This is not a condition that always occurs, but – according

to the study – it applies to 38% of the facilities in question.

When designing new Orthodox churches, the theological

meaning may be expressed in the use of blue in accor-

dance with the symbolism adopted in the Church and the

tradition prevailing in a given area.

Translated by

Katarzyna Woszczenko

Fig. 10. View from the east-south

of the parish church

of Exaltation of the Cross

of the Lord in Werstok

(photo by K. Woszczenko)

Il. 10. Widok od strony

wschodnio-

południowej

na cerkiew parafialną

pw. Podwyższenia Krzyża

Pańskiego w Werstoku

(fot. K. Woszczenko)

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Abstract

Synergy of architecture and theology on the example of wooden Orthodox churches

in the Podlaskie Voivodeship with blue façades

The article presents research results regarding the importance of the synergy of theology and aesthetics of the architecture of blue Orthodox

churches in the Podlaskie Voivodeship. The research was conducted using manuscript sources, subject literature, private communications and Internet

sources. Photographic inventories of the sacred buildings under study were also carried out.

The Podlaskie Voivodeship has the largest number of Orthodox churches in Poland. Due to the good availability of wood, these areas are asso-

ciated with wooden construction. A characteristic feature of wooden Orthodox churches located in the analysed area is the colourful nish of their

façades. Colours have rich theological symbolism, especially visible in icons. Blue is often associated with the Theotokos, but also universally with

divinity. The study covered 17 parish churches that currently have blue façades in the following towns: Augustowo, Bielsk Podlaski, Dubicze Cer-

kiewne, Koterka, Kożany, Narew, Pasynki, Ploski, Puchły, Podbiele, Rajsk, Rogacze, Saki, Stary Kornin, Suwałki, Szczyty-Dzięciołowo, Werstok

and 4 facilities with blue façades in the past – in Kuraszewo, Malesze, Milejczyce and Orzeszkowo. The churches were described in terms of the date

of construction and the colour of the façade nish. The majority of the buildings are oriented, have a tripartite interior visible from the outside and

were built in a log construction. Exceptions to these rules are included in the text.

Our research has shown a connection between the blue colour of the façade and the Mother of God and theological symbolism. When designing

new churches, the use of blue should be taken into account in accordance with the symbolism adopted in the Orthodox Church and the tradition

prevailing in a given area.

Key words: architecture, Orthodox church, blue, theology, symbols

24 Katarzyna Woszczenko, Adam Musiuk

Streszczenie

Synergia architektury i teologii na przykładzie drewnianych cerkwi województwa podlaskiego

z elewacjami w kolorze niebieskim

W artykule zaprezentowano wyniki badań dotyczące znaczenia synergii teologii i estetyki architektury niebieskich cerkwi prawosławnych wo-

jewództwa podlaskiego. Badania zostały przeprowadzone z wykorzystaniem źródeł rękopiśmiennych, literatury przedmiotu, komunikatów prywat-

nych i źródeł internetowych. Przeprowadzono także inwentaryzacje fotograczne opracowywanych obiektów sakralnych.

Na terenie województwa podlaskiego występuje największa liczba cerkwi prawosławnych w Polsce. Ze względu na dobrą dostępność drewna

tereny te są kojarzone z budownictwem drewnianym. Cechą charakterystyczną drewnianych świątyń prawosławnych znajdujących się na analizowa-

nym obszarze jest różnobarwne wykończenie ich elewacji. Kolory mają bogatą symbolikę teologiczną widoczną szczególnie na ikonach. Błękit jest

często kojarzony z Bogurodzicą, ale też uniwersalnie z boskością. Opracowaniem objęto 17 cerkwi paraalnych mających obecnie elewacje w kolo-

rze niebieskim w miejscowościach: Augustowo, Bielsk Podlaski, Dubicze Cerkiewne, Koterka, Kożany, Narew, Pasynki, Ploski, Puchły, Podbiele,

Rajsk, Rogacze, Saki, Stary Kornin, Suwałki, Szczyty-Dzięciołowo, Werstok oraz cztery obiekty z niebieską elewacją w przeszłości – w Kuraszewie,

Maleszach, Milejczycach i Orzeszkowie. Świątynie zostały opisane pod względem daty budowy oraz koloru wykończenia elewacji. Przeważająca

część obiektów jest orientowana, ma widoczny z zewnątrz trójpodział wnętrza oraz została wybudowana w konstrukcji zrębowej. Wyjątki od tych

reguł zostały ujęte w tekście.

Badania wykazały powiązanie niebieskiego koloru elewacji z Matką Bożą i symboliką teologiczną. W przypadku projektowania nowych świątyń

należy wziąć pod uwagę zastosowanie niebieskiego koloru zgodnie z przyjętą w Kościele symboliką i tradycją panującą na danym terenie.

Słowa kluczowe: architektura, cerkiew prawosławna, niebieski, teologia, symbolika