In Pratulin, various places and objects commemorate the Podlasie Martyrs and the Uniates. These include furnishings in the parish church of Saints Peter and Paul, exposed foundations on Plac Męczeństwa Unitów, a cemetery with a stone cross and two paths described in different ways. A relocated wooden church is also part of this picture: it serves as the Documentation Centre and Museum of the Podlasie Martyrs.

Reliquary and Icon in the Parish Church

The parish church of Saints Peter and Paul houses a reliquary of the Blessed Podlasie Martyrs. Together with the image of Our Lady of Pratulin, “Nadziei i Jedności” (“Hope and Unity”), it points to two distinct aspects of the town’s history. The reliquary is dedicated to the martyrs; the icon connects the church with the history of the Uniate faith in Pratulin.

The icon dates from the 18th century and survived the destruction of the Uniate church in Pratulin. Thus, a historic image and the reliquary of the Blessed Martyrs stand side by side in the same parish church. Those distinguishing the memorial sites by their character will find sacred furnishings here, while other sites in the town are linked to buildings and paths.

Foundations and Cemetery

The exposed foundations of the Uniate church can be seen on Plac Męczeństwa Unitów. This church is associated with the memory of the Uniates who lost their lives defending their faith. Here, the focus is not on a reliquary or an image, but on the church’s architectural traces and their historical significance.

Another memorial site is the Uniate cemetery in Pratulin. One of its features is a stone cross. The cemetery is also one of the endpoints of the Way of the Cross, which connects it with Plac Męczeństwa Unitów. In this way, the square and the cemetery are linked by a named route, while each site has its own historical features.

The Way of the Cross and the Dróżki Pratulińskie

The Way of the Cross between Plac Męczeństwa Unitów and the Uniate cemetery is about 1,100 metres long. This figure describes the approximate length of this route. The Way of the Cross can therefore be considered a distinct part of Pratulin’s memorial sites, separate from the other paths.

The Dróżki Pratulińskie run around a pond. Along them stand 13 chapels containing wooden figures of the martyrs. While the Way of the Cross is defined by its two endpoints and approximate length, the Dróżki are characterised by the pond, the chapels and the figures. These differences give each path its own character.

The Martyrium Pratulińskie

The Martyrium Pratulińskie is an 18th-century wooden church. It was moved from Stanin to Pratulin and installed there from 2009 to 2012, following extensive renovation. Its history therefore differs from that of the exposed church foundations on Plac Męczeństwa Unitów: here, the focus is on a relocated building, while there it is on the visible foundations of a Uniate church.

The Martyrium Pratulińskie serves as the Documentation Centre and Museum of the Podlasie Martyrs. Alongside the memorial objects preserved in the parish church and the architectural traces, it adds a documentary and museum function to Pratulin’s memorial sites. Depending on their interests, visitors can distinguish between sacred objects, historic foundations, different types of paths and a museum building as separate ways of exploring the subject.

Discover more destinations: Międzyrzec Podlaski, Janów Podlaski, Wisznice, Sławatycze, Mokrany Nowe, Rokitno, Cieleśnica, Terespol

For the broader travel overview: Bialski.