Pratulin: Stations of the Cross, Icon and Martyr Sites

Pratulin brings together sacred buildings, religious objects and places of remembrance, along with two routes described in different ways. Points of interest include the parish church of Saints Peter and Paul, the foundations at Plac Męczeństwa Unitów, the Uniate cemetery and the Martyrium Pratulińskie. The sites highlight different things: a reliquary and an icon, structural traces, chapels by the pond and the museum function of a wooden church. When planning your trip, it is helpful to consider these highlights as distinct historical and religious points of reference.

Church and Sacred Objects

The parish church of Saints Peter and Paul houses a reliquary of the Blessed Martyrs of Podlasie. The same church also displays the image of Our Lady of Pratulin, “Nadziei i Jedności”: an 18th-century icon that survived the destruction of the Uniate church in Pratulin. Both objects form part of the church’s tradition of remembrance, but they refer to different things. The reliquary is associated with the Blessed Martyrs of Podlasie; the icon’s age and its survival of the destruction shape its historical significance. Thus, the veneration of the martyrs and the history of a particular image come together in the same church.

Stations of the Cross, Cemetery and Dróżki Pratulińskie

At Plac Męczeństwa Unitów, the uncovered foundations of the Uniate church can be seen—the church at which Uniates lost their lives defending their faith. The Uniate cemetery contains a stone cross. A Stations of the Cross route, approximately 1,100 metres long, connects the square with the cemetery. Its length and endpoints give this route a clearly defined framework. Dróżki Pratulińskie follow a different course: they run around a pond, with 13 chapels containing wooden figures of the martyrs along the way. The two routes can therefore be compared by different features. For the Stations of the Cross, the approximate length and the connection between the square and cemetery are specified; for the Dróżki, the route around the pond and the number of chapels define its character. If you choose one focus, you can distinguish a route with clear endpoints from a route area featuring chapels and figures of the martyrs.

The Martyrium Pratulińskie

The Martyrium Pratulińskie adds the story of a relocated building to the places of remembrance. It is an 18th-century wooden church that was brought from Stanin to Pratulin and installed there after extensive renovation in 2009–2012. The dates refer to different periods: the 18th century relates to the church’s construction history, while 2009 to 2012 describes its later installation in Pratulin following renovation. The building serves as a documentation centre and museum of the Martyrs of Podlasie. Thus, Pratulin brings together the structural traces at the square, the objects in the parish church and a museum with its own building history as distinct ways of remembering.

Discover more destinations: Leśna Podlaska, Mokrany Nowe, Konstantynów, Horbów, Meseritz, Cieleśnica, Wisznice, Janów Podlaski

For the broader travel overview: Bialski.