Poland – Belarus Border Fence – Barry's Borderpoints

On 25 January 2022, Poland began building a border wall on the border with Belarus to prevent illegal immigration in the aftermath of the Belarus–European Union border crisis. Poland began work on the 5.5-meter high steel wall topped with barbed wire at a cost of around 1.6 billion zł (US$407m) aimed at blocking the passage of illegal migrants during the border crisis in the region artificially instigated by Belarus in the late summer of 2021. The barrier was completed on 30 June 2022

An electronic barrier 206km in length mounting 3,000 cameras with night vision and movement sensors, was added to the fence between November 2022 and early summer 2023 at a cost of EUR 71.8 million. There are documented instances of mistreatment of migrants on both sides of the border. At the same time Polish Border Guard officers have been attacked by migrants and in one case killed. Visiting here reminded us of our visits to the Morocco –Spain border at Melilla.

After leaving border marker 224k which also marks the westernmost point of Belarus we headed north east to 2 further POI’s along the fence. We visited these points as part of the IBRG EPTEX-24 expedition.

Koterka – Tokari

Click on the map to access the location on Google Maps

Church of the Icon of the Mother of God

Before exploring the border fence we visited a lovely wooden church. The church consists of 3 parts ( vestibule , nave , presbytery ), built on a cross plan. The church has 2 domes, Near the church there is a sacred spring over which a shelter has been built. In 1948, the church in Koterka became a parish church , because after the Polish-Soviet border was established, the church of St. Michael the Archangel in Tokary found itself in the territory of the Belarusian SSR, and most of the houses of the Orthodox inhabitants were located there. In the new political situation, pilgrimages of the faithful from Belarus became impossible. The church was renovated in 2010.

Border Fence

Tokary – Tokari

A short drive to the Polish village of Tokary gave us the opportunity of another view of the Poland – Belarus border fence. Our last POI of this trip.