The stones
Blue and green.
Budgawl — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Viktar Palstsiuk — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Philipp Wasserscheidt — CC BY 2.0 · Budgawl — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Budgawl — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Kalozha Church, or Church of Saints Boris and Gleb, is the oldest standing building in Grodno, in western Belarus. It is the only surviving monument of the old Black Ruthenian style, and it stands on a high bank above the Neman River. It was built before 1183. It stands out from other Orthodox churches for its many coloured stones in blue, green and red, set in the walls as crosses and shapes. Six round pillars carry the roof, and many clay jars are built into the walls. Part of the south wall collapsed in the 19th century when the bank slid, and it was rebuilt in wood. From outside you see an old church with walls of brick and coloured stone, scattered with shiny blue and green stones, and parts of the walls clad in brown wooden boards. A grey sloping roof with a small blue dome tops it, a stone forecourt lies in front, and the edge of the bank looks over the river. It is in Grodno, about a kilometre from the centre in a straight line, and it is a working church. The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Belarus, so read the current advice before any planning.
Blue and green.
After the collapse.
Below the bank.
Bank of the Neman, Grodno, Belarus
Part collapsed when the bank slid in the 19th century and was rebuilt in wood.
Yes, the UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Belarus.
