In 1995, a new church was built in Brest. This is not just a religious building: its appearance is dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the victory and is associated with the memory of the feat of soldiers who defended their homeland.
One of the many examples of heroic resilience is the Brest Fortress in the hero city of Brest. Holy Resurrection Cathedral was built as a temple monument to fallen soldiers.
The initiator of the construction of the temple is Archpriest and former front-line soldier Yevgeny Parfenyuk (1921 - 2008).
Cathedral History
In 1991, an Orthodox community was created. 1.6 hectares of land were allocated for construction. The construction of the temple began in 1992. February 4, 1993, the head of construction was appointed father Eugene Parfenyuk.
The cathedral was built on donations from parishioners and sponsors. In the spring of 1995, a lower chapel was built, and on April 2 the first service was held. At the Annunciation (April 7), the first liturgy is served.
The lower temple is consecrated in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, the upper temple - in honor of the Resurrection of Christ.
After the consecration of the church by Patriarch Alexy II, who arrived in Brest in the summer of 2001, the schedule of the Holy Resurrection Cathedral, according to which services are to be performed, is brought into accord with the church calendar.
A bell weighing 25 pounds was installed on the bell tower. On September 23, 2003, the cathedral was declared a historical and cultural value of Belarus. By 2005, a Sunday school was opened at the parish.
In the parish there is the brotherhood of the Resurrection of Christ and the sisterhood of mercy.
The building of the bell tower houses the Museum of memory of those who died in the war and the Museum of Glory to the victorious heroes.
In 2012, scheduled work began on updating the domes of the temple. They were coated with octane nitride, which gave a beautiful golden color, and the domes shone in the sun.
The photo of the Holy Resurrection Cathedral of Brest is shown after restoration.
In the cathedral, prayers are offered to the Most Holy Theotokos and commemoration of the soldiers is made with the hope of their salvation in the resurrection with Christ.
Cathedral architecture
In Brest, the Holy Resurrection Cathedral is the largest and highest church in the city. The cathedral can simultaneously accommodate up to 5 thousand worshipers. The height of the building is 41 meters. The area of the upper and lower temples is more than 1200 m2.
The building is made in the Neo-Russian style, which originated in architecture at the end of the 19th century and differs from the pseudo-Russian style that existed before it.
The difference lies in the rejection of decor details and appeal to the work of the northern masters of Russian architecture. There is no exact copy of the details. Instead, a creative stylization of common forms is used in combination with the Art Nouveau style.
Near the cathedral is the brama bell tower 47 meters high. "Brahma" in translation from Old Russian means "passage", "opening in the wall." In this case, it is a bell tower with a through passage.
Shrines of the temple
In the upper temple are icons with images of the Tikhvin and Bogolyubsky Mother of God. An unquenchable grace fire brought by pilgrims from Jerusalem burns in front of the icon. Here is the highly revered icon of the Resurrection of Christ. She lies on a lectern in front of the Royal Gates, and the parishioners, when visiting the upper temple, first of all approach her. The icon was donated by the President of Belarus A. G. Lukashenko.
In the lower temple on the main lectern is the icon of the Kazan Mother of God. Here are the icons: the image of the Virgin "From the troubles of the afflicted", the Miraculous image of the Savior and others.
In Brest, the Holy Resurrection Cathedral is not the only church. The city has more than twenty parishes.
If someone wants to bow to the relics of the holy martyr, the healer Panteleimon, then they are in St. Nicholas Cathedral, located in the Brest Fortress. The relics of St. Nicholas and the blessed Matron are also stored there.
Temple organizations
In the parish since 1996, a Sunday school was opened. In their free time, students make pilgrimage trips to monastic cloisters. During the holidays, teachers organize Easter and Christmas events and concerts.
In 2009, priest Sergei Bogdanov began to educate adults. A sisterhood of mercy was created in honor of the Kazan Icon. It has 30 sisters who are obedient.
At the Holy Resurrection Cathedral there is an Orthodox fraternity, which conducts active public work with the youth of the city, participates in all city events. Divine services are accompanied by the excellent sound of singing choirs.
The large choir, in addition to obedience in the temple, participates in international festivals. The small choir is in no way inferior in professionalism and preserving singing traditions. There is also a children's choir in the parish. The parishioners sing in it.
In Brest, the Holy Resurrection Cathedral is also a center of social work. Here in 2012, a social department was created, which is designed to help the suffering and disadvantaged.
How to find a temple?
Four kilometers from the Brest railway station to the church. It is better to use public transport.
The Resurrection Cathedral can be reached by bus number 6 or by trolleybus number 1, 2, 3, 9. Stop "Technical University". From the bus station there are buses No. 226 and No. 400-B.
The map shows the location of the temple, but without it, any passerby will tell you where to find the Holy Resurrection Cathedral in Brest.
The schedule of services can be seen on the official website. Services are performed every day, the temple is open from 8:00 in the morning.