Muzeum Ikon w Supraślu

About the museum

The core of the icon collection of the Muzeum Okręgowe w Białymstoku was an image of Christ the High Priest, donated in 1966. The collection grew gradually and, in the 1990s, expanded considerably thanks to numerous donations from the customs services. In 1999 the museum signed an agreement with the Orthodox Diecezja Białostocko-Gdańska (Białystok-Gdańsk Diocese) to set up an icon museum in part of the Abbots’ Palace of the Supraśl monastery.

After renovation and adaptation of the interiors, the museum opened in 2006 with a modern, multimedia permanent exhibition. In 2019 the Sala Podlasie (Podlasie Hall), with the exhibition “Ikony – relikty podlaskich świątyń” (Icons – Relics of Podlasie’s Churches), was added, along with the Sala im. prof. Jerzego Nowosielskiego (Prof. Jerzy Nowosielski Hall), intended for temporary exhibitions. Since 2017 the museum has also collected contemporary icons.

The collection includes icons from Podlasie and from the former lands of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, dating from the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as Russian icons, including a rich collection of Old Believer icons, and icon metalwork. A particular treasure is a set of 30 fragments of 16th-century frescoes from the demolished Church of the Annunciation in Supraśl.

Highlights

• Supraśl frescoes from the first half of the 16th century
• Old Believer icons from Russian icon-painting centres
• Sala Podlasie with icons from churches in Podlasie
• Icons of Christ and the Mother of God from the 17th to the 21st century
• Multimedia exhibition in the Abbots’ Palace

Permanent exhibitions

• Ikony – wystawa stała – Icons from the 16th to the 21st century, including Christological, Marian and Old Believer icons and icons from the former lands of the Commonwealth, together with the Sala Podlasie.
• Freski supraskie – A set of 30 fragments of 16th-century polychromy that survived the demolition of the Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Supraśl.

Founded

2006

Operated by

Muzeum Podlaskie w Białymstoku

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Free admission to the permanent exhibitions on Thursdays.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Three steps lead to the entrance, and there is a permanent ramp with a gradient of 5%. A lift (platform lift) serves three floors and is operated by a member of staff, who will show you how to use it. A toilet for people with disabilities is on level -1. Some rooms are dimly lit, and the corridor on the first floor narrows to about 100 cm. The museum has no induction loops and no Braille texts; there are tactile boards with floor plans.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

The museum organises Family Weekends (activities for a child and an accompanying adult) and interactive classes for kindergartens and schools as part of the “Muzealne Imperium Wiedzy” (Museum Empire of Knowledge) programme.

Getting there & parking

The entrance is from ul. Abpa Mirona Chodakowskiego, in the buildings of the Supraśl Monastery. The streets in the area are paved with cobblestones and perforated slabs, and the pavement along the monastery fence is narrow.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Lockers

Museum shop and cloakroom with deposit lockers on level -1.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit