St Demetrius's Orthodox Church in Buczyna

St Demetrius's Orthodox Church in Buczyna is a parish church belonging to the Zielona Góra deanery of the Wrocław-Szczecin diocese of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church. The building, however, was not originally built for Orthodox worship - it is a former Evangelical church that changed denomination after the Second World War.

A church that changed denomination

The building is a neo-Gothic former Evangelical church from the 19th century. Between 1948 and 1954 it was converted for Orthodox liturgy, with the interior adapted to the new rite. This kind of history - a building raised for one denomination, taken over by another after the war and resettlements - repeats itself many times across Lower Silesia; here it resulted in a permanently established Orthodox church.

Interior and surroundings

Inside there is a modern iconostasis, that is, a wall of icons separating the altar from the rest of the church, characteristic of Orthodox churches. In the 1970s the building underwent a thorough renovation, and between 1988 and 1989 a bell tower was added next to it.

Practical information

• Address: Buczyna, Polkowice County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship
• Getting there: the village lies on the road connecting Przemków with Chocianów; the nearest other Orthodox church in the region is Orthodox Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian in Przemków
• What to expect: an active parish church, not a museum - it is worth checking service times and whether you can go inside directly with the parish before your visit