Orthodox Old Believers church in Wodzilky

The village of Wodziłky was founded in 1788 by the residents of old Russia who did not accept the liturgical reforms of Patriarch Nikon, which adapted the rites of the Russian Orthodox Church to the Greek rite. In 1667 the old liturgy and tradition was declared a heresy. Those who held the old liturgies and traditions in Polish were called "staroobrzędowcami" (starowiercami, starowierami) – Old Believers, and were persecuted as heretics. The ancients began to leave their homes and establish new settlements in hard-to-reach places or to flee from Russia at all. The wooden prayer house in Wodziłky was built in 1921 and 61 years later the building was registered in the monuments register. Currently, it’s used by about 10 local families of old believers.

The old habit prescribed a bath before you enter the prayer house. Close to the temple in Wodziłki is a Russian version of sauna - Russian "black bath". The black bath has no chimney and smoke and steam is emitted from the furnace through open windows and doors. It is always close to a pond or river, where the heated body cools down after the steam bath.