Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius

The Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius is an Orthodox church on Wrocław's Ostrów Tumski, although it was originally built as a Catholic church and changed congregations several times over the centuries.

Construction of St Anne's Church

The church was built between 1686 and 1690 as the Roman Catholic Church of St Anne. Construction was directed by Zygmunt Linde to a design by an Italian architect whose name is unknown, and a medieval chapel had previously stood on the site, demolished in the 17th century. The single-nave building, with a richly decorated facade and sculptures, is considered the first Baroque church in Wrocław, modelled on the church of Il Gesù in Rome. It was built of brick.

The Augustinian monastery and changes of ownership

Until 1810 the church belonged to the neighbouring Augustinian monastery. After secularisation, a Catholic teacher training seminary operated in the monastery buildings. The church also served the Polish minority in 1919-1921, and was later handed over to the Old Catholic community.

Destruction in 1945

During the siege of Wrocław in 1945, about half a million volumes from the university library were stored in the church, having been evacuated for fear of destruction. On 11 May 1945 this entire book collection burned, and the interior of the church was completely gutted by fire.

Orthodox church

In 1970 the building was taken over by the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church. Services were held on a makeshift basis from 1973, and full functioning of the church was restored in 1976 after the interior was rebuilt. Today it serves both a Polish-speaking and a Ukrainian-speaking Orthodox parish, and the liturgy is celebrated in Polish, Church Slavonic and Ukrainian. Between 2009 and 2011 a renovation was carried out: the facade was restored, the roof was replaced and the tower was rebuilt.

Nearby

The church stands next to Tumski Bridge, leading to Ostrów Tumski.

A few hundred metres away rises the Archcathedral of St John the Baptist.

Also close by is the Wrocław Market Hall.

In the same area lies the Botanical Garden of the University of Wrocław.

Practical information

• Address: ulica świętej Jadwigi 13, Stare Miasto, Wrocław
• The building is entered into the heritage register, first in 1947
• A brick church in the Baroque style, modelled on the church of Il Gesù in Rome
• Orthodox services in Polish, Church Slavonic and Ukrainian - it is worth checking the times before your visit