KLASZTOR W SUPRAŚLU (OD UNII DO PRAWOSŁAWIA)

The Monastery in Supraśl was founded as an Orthodox one in the late fifteenth century. Initially the monks opposed the Union. The Monastery subordinated to the uniate rules in 1635, it then became one of the most significant Basilian centers in the Republic of Poland. Over time, the Basilians increasingly succumbed to Romanization and Polonization. Consequently, Latin altars (main and side ones), pulpit, confessional, stoup, instrumental organs and Latin devotional articles were installed in the Supraśl Orthodox Monastery. The restitution of the Orthodox Church was preceded by several years of preparation. One of the taken measures was the opening of a school in 1834 in Supraśl that provided education in the spirit of sympathy for Orthodoxy. The changes to the interior of the Orthodox Church in Supraśl involved the decoration of the altar according to the Eastern Greek rite, the removal of the side altars and the prohibition of instrumental music. Due to the preserved iconostasis the church was quickly adapted for the needs to celebrate the liturgy according to the Eastern Greek rite; the choir was created by the students from the local school. In 1828, the Basilians who came from the Latin rite were allowed to return to it. Thirty four monks left the Monastery in Supraśl, and only eight remained. The Basilian resistance against the restitution of the Orthodox Church was the result of their Romanization and Polonization. In contrast, the position taken by the Basilians from Supraśl reflected the attitude of their superior, Nikodem Marcinowski.