The Church of John the Baptist is a Roman Catholic church and the oldest architectural monument in Dubrovytsia, a monument of national architectural significance. It was once a monastery of the Piarist order with a renowned school, and today it is one of the most beautiful churches in Rivne Polissia.
Piarists in Dubrovytsia
The first wooden church was built in 1684 for the Piarist order at the expense of Jan Karol Dolski, who donated 33,000 zlotys for it and transferred a large part of his estates to the monastery. In 1709, the church was burned down by the Swedes returning after the Battle of Poltava. Between 1695 and 1742, with the support of Kazimierz Pniewski, a masonry church in the Rococo style was built, which became the Piarist monastery. In 1742, it was consecrated by Bishop Franciszek Kobielski.
The monastery was also supported by other magnates: the Counts Plater, the Wrzosilowski family, and the Kluczewski family. Marta Naruszewicz bequeathed 20,000 zlotys to the monastery, and the Kyiv treasurer W. Pruszenewski gave 50,000. In 1736, the Dubrovytsia monastery became part of the newly created Lithuanian province of the Piarists. The Piarists were famous for their schools, and their educational institution also operated in Dubrovytsia.
After the Uprising
After the November Uprising of 1830–1831, repressions began. In 1832, the Tsarist authorities liquidated the Piarist monastery and school, and the church became a parish church. Since 1767, there had been a brick chapel in the city cemetery, which was destroyed after 1945.
What to See
A masonry Rococo-style church with an altar facing east, old monastery walls. Nearby is the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, so the two oldest churches in the city can be conveniently visited together.
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How to Find
The center of Dubrovytsia, near the Horyn River.
