The Church of St. George the Victorious

The Church of St. George the Victorious

The Church of St. George the Victorious was built during the XIV-XVI centuries. Originally, in 1360-1380, a brick basilica with a choir and a vestry were erected. Around 1400 the porch and the lower floors of the tower were added. In the late 15th - early 16th centuries the tower was completed and reached a height of 60.6 m, which is higher than the tower of the Cathedral in Kaliningrad. At the same time, the internal space of the church was divided into three naves with two rows of octagonal pylons and powerful pointed arches and blocked with star arches. At the beginning of the 16th century three chapels with beautiful pediments were added to the side facades, two chapels from the north, and the chapel on the south side dedicated to St. Anne. In 1772, lightning struck the tower of the church, and its hipped roof had to be rebuilt. After 1945, the building of the church was used for a different purpose, the vaults were destroyed, and the interior decoration was lost. In 1959 the church was placed on the state register as a monument of architecture. In 1990, the church was passed to the Orthodox community and rebuilt by parishioners and former residents of Friedland.

The information is taken from Objects of Cultural Heritage of the Kaliningrad Region, a reference book. Compiled and edited by A.M. Tarunov (2013-2015).