The Varvara Church is located in the city of Pinsk, Brest Region. She has a long and interesting history of appearance. About the Varvara Church in the city of Pinsk, its erection, architecture and features read in this essay.
Story
The Barbarian Church is an Orthodox church located in the Republic of Belarus, in the Brest region. However, the temple originally had a different name. In 1712, the church of the Archangel Michael was built from wood. A small building of the Bernardine monastery was built next to it.
After a little more than 70 years, due to the dilapidation of the wooden temple, it was decided to build a stone cathedral. In 1786, the construction of a stone church in honor of the Archangel Michael was completed. It was a one-nave small temple without a dome with a large altar apse, which has a semicircular shape.
The main facade was equal in width to the church ship and was distinguished by a laconic and restrained architecture. The beauty of the church was emphasized by an arched portal and a triangular pediment. The baroque decoration of the church is flat-relief pilasters, platbands and niches. Near the main facade two towers were created, having three tiers, which were crowned with small domes.
Reconstruction of the cathedral
In 1795, a stone bell tower with a tiled roof was built next to the church. At the beginning of the 19th century, sacristy (places for storing robes and church utensils) and several rooms were erected. In 1832, the Bernardine monastery was closed.
After a couple of years, the reconstruction of the church from the Catholic to the Orthodox Varvara Church begins. During the reconstruction process, several architectural changes were made. The high roof of the rafter type was replaced by a more sloping one; a false drum was created in the center of the ridge, which had a bulbous top. At the same time, the baroque figured pediment was preserved.
Also at the beginning of the XIX century the monastery building was attached to the cathedral, which had two floors. In the period from 1858 to 1875, it housed the female St. Barbara Monastery. In the western part of the temple courtyard was built a belfry with two tiers in the style of classicism, which was very popular in church architecture of the time. All buildings looked very harmonious and made up a single architectural ensemble.
Temple in the XIX-XX centuries
Between 1921 and 1939, when Western Belarus was ruled by Poland, services in the Varvara Church in Pinsk continued. It was even listed as a cult city building in the almanac, released for the Polesie Agricultural Exhibition in 1936.
In the middle of the 20th century, the interior of the cathedral was decided to be updated. A new wooden, carved iconostasis was ordered, which was subsequently installed. In addition, a new painting was made in the altar of the temple.
The peculiarity of this church is not only that it was rebuilt from Catholic to Orthodox, but also that for several decades it was the only one for Orthodox believers. A large number of parishioners came here to pray, which is why the people called her prayer. Several generations of believers came to worship at the Varvara Church in Pinsk.
Church in the 21st Century
In the late XX - early XXI century, on the anniversary of the cathedral's lighting, large-scale restoration and repair work was carried out. Overhaul of the interior of the church was carried out, the floor and heating system were completely replaced, and a new carved iconostasis was made of precious wood.
The facade of the church was renovated, moreover, according to the project, which has been preserved since the beginning of the 20th century, a vestibule was added. In niches on the sides of the facade were painted images of St. Barbara and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
All the internal elements of the stucco molding were completely restored and took their original form. The walls of the temple were decorated with various icons. Currently, a youth church of Orthodoxy operates under him, as well as a Sunday school for children and adults.
Architecture
The Barbarian Church is characterized by beautiful architecture, made in the style of classicism. The temple remained domeless with a rectangular plan, which has a rather compact volume. The semicircular altar apse perfectly combines with a single nave. The presbytery (a place for priests, the "chosen") is connected through the same apse to the main hall.
The main facade is completed on a symmetrical axis and is distinguished by an input opening of a rectangular shape. A three-lobed pediment is crowned with a round lucarn (a window light opening in the roof). The figured attic and the crown crown crowning it are made in the late Baroque style and emphasize the central-axial facade section.
There are plinths in the walls of the temple - they are intended not only for light, but also used as a decorative element. The temple harmoniously combines various architectural techniques and elements, linking the Orthodox and Catholic traditions.
Barbarian Church: Schedule of Divine Services
Services in the temple are scheduled. On weekdays - at 10:00 and 18:00, on weekends - at 7:00, 10:00 and 18:00. However, during the days of the Great Christian holidays, the schedule may change, and parishioners are warned about this in advance.
Arriving in the ancient city of Pinsk and seeing its many attractions, you should definitely visit this unusual temple. In addition to the beautiful icons and rich church utensils that adorn it, here you can see a striking architectural combination of styles and eras that amaze with their originality. The Barbarian Church is a truly magnificent monument of temple architecture, which is currently under state protection.