Hervyaty Trinity Church

The Trinity church at Hervyaty was built between 1899 and 1903 to a design in the northern Gothic manner, and its scale is out of all proportion to the village: a red brick church with a tower rising over sixty metres, flying buttresses, pointed arcades and a ribbed vaulted interior, built with brick fired on site and timber brought from a distance. It is usually said to be the tallest church in Belarus. The surrounding grounds are planted and kept, with sculptures of the apostles along the path and old trees, and the whole ensemble is unusually well maintained for a rural parish. The village is small and there is little else in it.

What you actually see

• The brick tower - the spire rising over sixty metres above the village.
• Flying buttresses - the external structure supporting the nave.
• The vaulted interior - the ribbed vaults and pointed arcades.
• The grounds - the planted churchyard with its sculptures.

When to go

May to September for the grounds in leaf; the church is open year round though interior access follows service times. Morning and evening light suit the brickwork. Sunday services fill the church.

Honest expectations

Interior access depends on service times and whether the church is unlocked. The village has no facilities. It is a single-building visit taking under an hour. It is a long drive from Minsk or Grodno.

Nearby

Astravyets lies south; the Lithuanian frontier is close.