 The Supraśl Orthodox Monastery was founded in 1498 by the voivode of Nowogródek and the Marshall of the Great Duchy of Lithuania Aleksander Chodkiewicz and the Archbishop (Archepiscope) of Smolensk and Archimandrite of Slutsk Joseph Soltan.Jeremias II Tranos, the Patriarch of Constantinople issued a special tomos sanctioning its foundation.1501 saw the building of the first wooden church of St. John the Evangelist.