Press releases

23 Dec 2025

Grodno's Franciscan church unveils unique mechanical batleika ahead of Christmas

GRODNO, 23 December (BelTA) - A unique mechanical nativity scene (batleika) was assembled in anticipation of Christmas at the Church of Our Lady of the Angels (Franciscan) in Grodno, BelTA has learned.

The batleika from the Franciscan Church depicts the traditional biblical story of the birth of Christ. At its center is a manger with the infant Jesus, surrounded by figures of Mary and Joseph bending over him. Around them, figures of performers and musicians move about, who, according to the design, are glorifying the birth of the Savior.

As explained by the church, the batleika and the electric mechanism that sets it in motion were created in the 1960s by the then-pastor of the Franciscan Church Father Arkady Valtos (who, incidentally, was also an artist; his works, depicting biblical scenes and images of the Evangelists, adorn the church's walls).

“For that time, it was an amazing spectacle. The musician figures not only moved in a circle but also performed various motions (taking off their hats, turning around, stretching the bellows of an accordion). It was something extraordinary; parishioners recall that people began flocking to the church to see the unusual batleika. Children especially loved it,” the church said.

The batleika was assembled every year during the lifetime of Father Arkady Valtos. At a certain point, however, the use of the mechanical marvel was prohibited, the mechanism was not maintained, and it was eventually moved to the attic. The batleika was accidentally rediscovered in the 1990s and underwent restoration over the course of 10 years. Unfortunately, some parts could not be restored. Nevertheless, the batleika (now in its renewed form) continues to delight parishioners.

After its restoration, the batleika was reinstalled in the 2000s, and since then, it has been displayed every year at the Franciscan Church. It was expanded in scale and enriched with additional elements: the Magi, a small hut, shepherds, various animals, a windmill, and even a tiny projection of the church itself were added. Incidentally, assembling the batleika takes a full week and involves two people.

Anyone can see the batleika in the mornings and evenings, before and after services. It will be unveiled on 24 December and will be on display until 2 February.

Interestingly, the batleika attracts not only parishioners but also tourists. Anastasia Romanova and her daughter Darina, who recently moved to Grodno from Russia, went to see the Franciscan Church but did not expect to encounter such a batleika. “My husband is a hockey player; he's in Grodno for work, so naturally, we came along. We're exploring the city. We were nearby, we attended a concert in the philharmonic and decided to walk to this church. The architecture is very beautiful, and we were lucky enough to peek inside the church and see a bit of its interior. Everything is interesting, For my daughter who is very active, curious, and sociable and especially fascinating to immerse herself in such a Christmas theme. It's very beautiful and pleasant here,” Anastasia Romanova said.