The most beautiful church in the Praga district of Warsaw. It was built in the beginning of 20th century in Neo-Gothic style. At this time Poland was not on the map after partitions between the Russian, Prussian and Austro-Hungarian Empires. Warsaw was incorporated within the Russian Empire. It was almost impossible to get a permission to build a Catholic church. Not far from here there was already the Orthodox Church of Mary Magdalene, the tallest building in Praga which was seen as a symbol of domination by the Russians.
The permission came after years of effort by Polish intelligentsia. After construction, St. Florian`s church became the highest building in the area, and actually was higher than its current height. A few years after its opening there was a danger of the towers collapsing so they were reduced.
The World War II brought total destruction to this beautiful building. St. Florian`s statue, located inside of the church, was standing still in its place – the only part of the building that survived German bombing. After the war the church was rebuilt in detail. There was a special brick factory opened to produce bricks in original 19th Century methods to achieve the exact reconstruction. Nowadays the church is still one of the most prominent symbols of Praga. Its towers are seen from the other side of the river.
