Kalozha Church

It is the only surviving monument of ancient Black Ruthenian architecture, distinguished from other Orthodox churches by prolific use of polychrome faceted stones of blue, green or red tint which could be arranged to form crosses or other figures on the wall.

The interior was lined with innumerable built-in pitchers, which usually serve in Eastern Orthodox churches as resonators but in this case were scored to produce decorative effects.

The church was built before 1183 and survived intact, depicted in the 1840s by Michał Kulesza, until 1853, when the south wall collapsed, due to its perilous location on the high bank of the Neman.

During restoration works, some fragments of 12th-century frescoes were discovered in the apses by the architectural historian, Vasiliy Griaznov.

Remains of four other churches in the same style, decorated with pitchers and coloured stones instead of frescoes, were discovered in Grodno and Vaŭkavysk.