Religious buildings - Puszcza Białowieska - Zwolnij Naturalnie - LEWKOWO STARE – cerkiew p.w. Św. Św. Piotra i Pawła

LEWKOWO STARE - church under the invocation of Saint. St. Peter and Paul, wooden, erected in 1574.

According to the sources, the first mention of the existence of the Orthodox Parish and the Church in Lewków Stary dates to 1505. The existing Orthodox church was built in 1574. The founders of the Church and the parish were the Kniaziów Masalskich family, which had its headquarters in Dojlidy, while their properties reached up to the edge of the Bialowieza Forest (information comes from the archives of the Kiev parish, from the documentary "Wiedomość", written in 1876 by priest Father Vasily Kraskowsko). The rector of the parish of Lewkowo in 1574 was Fr. Hieronim Kowalewski. This is the contemporary description of the church's appearance:

"A wooden church with a lofty dome and a magnificent cross, two facades without a cross, between which the "choir" for the entire women's porch, a cemetery without trees. Belfry of the speratum from the Church on the tied columns. Windows in the church ten. "

After joining the Union to the Orthodox Church in 1839, the Orthodox Church of Lewkowo returned to the territory of the Orthodox Church and was in the diocese of Lithuania, the deanery of Wołkowice. According to the ordinance from 1842, the parish was included in the fourth class of the salary.

In 1847, the parish registered 1007 men and 1039 women, and this number was constantly increasing.

At the cemetery in Lewkowo in 1853 a small chapel was build for funerals.

In 1869, the existing parish was divided into two: Lewkowska and Narewska. The number of followers in Lewkowo was: 1364 people (1876 year). The Orthodox church was renovated and ordained for the funds of the parishioners: on September 1, 1874 year.

On December 27, 1875, the Lewkowska parish was included in the 5th class of salary, because it was reduced by the villages today belonging to the parish in Juszkowy Gród and Łosinka. The villages of Lewkowo Stare included villages of: Lewkowo, Eliaszuki, Michnówka, Słobódka, Łuka, Biernacki Most, Podlewkowo, Suszczy Borek, Ochrymy and Kapitańszczyzna (1876). The number of followers in 1878 was: 1295 people.

In 1881 a new oak "Ikonostas" was made and on November 8, 1881, the Orthodox Church was ordained, and the main donors were rewarded with the Pastor's Blessing.

In 1861, the parish priest opened a school that was located in the guardhouse, and the study was taken by: 26 boys and 7 girls. In 1880 there were schools in the parish of Lewkowo: in Słobódka and Łuka. The parish had a house for the parish priest, built in 1871 and a house for the psalmist, built in 1861. Clergy used the church ground: 58 plots.

During World War I, as a result of evacuation, almost all residents stayed in Russia for several years.

The Second World War was a great misfortune for the Lewkowska Parish. For cooperation with the partisans, all the villages of the parish were pacified, the young were sent to work in the Third Reich, and the remaining population was deported to the surrounding towns.

After the war, all the villages were rebuilt, but not all returned to the patrimony. After the war, 1/3 of families evacuated to the USSR. In 1949, a belfry was erected at the entrance to the church, because the old standing separatum had collapsed.

Important dates from the renovation and construction of the parish:

• 1965 a cemetery chapel was built.
• 1979, the presbytery was completely renovated.
• In 1981, the church was painted.
• In 1983, an inventory and storage building was built.
• In 1977, an outbuilding with a basement was built.
• In 1987, the construction of a new presbytery began.
• In 1995 a major renovation of the church was carried out.
• 1996 was devoted to the square and cross for the construction of the chapel in Nowa Łuka.
• In 1997 a fence was built around the church.
• 2004, the outer walls of the church were painted.
• 2005 internal painting of the church walls.

As of January 1, 1998, there were 324 families (922 people) in the Old Polish Orthodox Church in Lewkowo Stare.

Villages belonging to the parish: Lewkowo Stare, Lewkowo Nowe, Planta, Nowa Łuka, Stary Dwór, Słobódka, Cieremki, Michnówka, Eliaszuki, Kapitańszczyzna, Ochrymy, Podlewkowie, Biernacki Most.