Church in Stalovichy
The first record of Stalovichy dates from the 15th century. In 1596, the place was bought by Prince Mikolay Krzysztof Radziwill nicknamed the Orphan (“Sirotka”).
The name of Mikolay Krzysztof is associated with the arrival of very unusual guests in Stalovichy - Knights Hospitalers who founded their own chapter ((commandery) in the place. In 1608, Martin Sudo, a Chevalier of Malta, persuaded Sigizmund Karol Radzivil (1591-1642), the son of the Orphan (“Sirotka”) who was at the time studying at the famous Bologna university, to join the Order. His father did not only express his consent to it, but also allocated his money for Sigizmund Karol to establish a knights commandery in the estates of Stolovichy and Poteiki.
On the money given by Sigizmund Karol Radzivil, a small chapel was built in Stalovichy for the knights of the Order in 1637-1639, which had a splendid figure of Our Lady of Loreto, as well as a wooden hospital.
After Sigizmund Karol’s decease in 1642, the commandery in Stalovichy didn’t belong to the Radzivils for a long time. It was headed in turn by Nikolay Yudicky, and his brother Tomasz, then Kazimirz Pac, Nikolay Dombrovsky, Count Maurice de Saxe, the illigetimite son of King Augustus II, and Bartholomew Stecky.
It was only in 1776 that Prince Mikhail Hieronim Radziwil took charge of the commandery in Stalovichy. Mikhail Hieronim began to lease the estate in Stolovichy which brought the magnate a sizable yearly income of about 30 thousand zloty. Part of this money was sent to St. Petersburg, where the Russian emperor Pavel had invited the Hospitallers after Malta had been captured by Napoleon in 1798.
In 1804 Stalovichy passed into the ownership of the commander Nikolay Ludwig Radzivil but five years later he gave up commandering in favour of his little son Leon, though still being in charge of Stalovichy and letting the estate on lease.
It was Leon who became the last Stalovichy commander of the Knights Hospitallers. In 1817, the Order’s activity on the territory of Russia was terminated once and for all.
At present, the only thing that is reminiscent of the Knights of Malta in Stalovichy is the magnificent building of the former St. John the Baptist Catholic Church built in 1746. The temple was erected by architects Josef Fontana and Johan Glaubitz in Vilno Baroque style.
The building belongs to 3-nave 2-turret basilica types. In the church sanctuary there is an original three-level altar with stucco moulding called Gloria; in the aisles there are two-level altars. The floor is marble.
In 1866 the church was rebuilt and reconsecrated into an Orthodox church. Until today it has been functioning in the name of Saint Alexander Nevsky.
Geographic coordinates: N 53° 12' 47,35" E 26° 02' 19,17"
Фото: Владимира ЗУЕВА, Андрея ПОНОМАРЕВА
