Minsk is a hero city, which is the capital of Belarus and the administrative center. It is the tenth most populated city in Europe. About two million people live in it (1 982 500). Minsk is a city with a rich history. During World War II, he was seriously injured, for which he received his honorary title. He became the capital of the Republic of Belarus in 1991.
Religious preferences of the population
Belarus is a country in which people of different faiths live. But still, the majority of the population are Orthodox Christians, adherents of the Russian Orthodox Church. The second largest religion in Belarus is Catholic Christianity. People who profess Islam, Protestantism, Judaism, etc., also live on the territory of the country.
Minsk churches
Despite the fact that the city of Minsk was originally Orthodox, believing Christians suffered persecution here, as in many other cities. Nevertheless, the Orthodox Church was able to overcome all the attacks.
Today, the city has many Orthodox churches:
- Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary (pictured above).
- Holy Spirit Cathedral.
- Church of Alexander Nevsky.
- Temple of Remembrance of the Chernobyl disaster.
- Temple of the Icon of the Mother of God.
- Temple of Sofia Slutskaya.
- Peter and Paul Cathedral.
- Temple of St. Andrew.
- All Saints Church.
- Temple of the Archangel Michael of God.
- Temple of the "Inexhaustible Chalice" icon.
- Church of St. Martyr Andrew of Brest.
- Church of the Resurrection.
- Temple of St. Tatiana.
- Epiphany Church.
- Church of St. John of Rylsky.
- Trinity Church.
- Church of Mary Magdalene.
- Temple of Job the Long-suffering.
- Church of the healer Panteleimon.
- Church of Optina Elders.
- Temple of the Icon of Our Lady of Vladimir.
- St. Pokrovsky parish.
- Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist.
- Church of St. Nicholas of Japan.
- Temple of the Icon of the Mother of God "Recovery of the lost."
- Church of the Icon of the Mother of God "The Tsaritsa".
All churches in Minsk have a rich history. Let us dwell in more detail on some of them.
Church of Mary Magdalene
In Minsk, the church of St. Mary Magdalene is located on the street. Kiseleva. It was built in the nineteenth century. The architectural style of the building is classicism. At first, the church served as a haven for the sick and old people. Later, a school was located in it. At the time of the prohibitions and the closure of religious buildings, the Magdalene church in Minsk was closed and did not work for its intended purpose. It served as a warehouse, workshop, etc. All church paraphernalia was removed, the cross was removed from the dome.
Later, a few years before the start of World War II, the church was given to Catholic Christians who held their services there. But still it was closed again in the postwar years. The construction was rebuilt. For over 40 years there has been an archive.
For conducting Orthodox services, the temple began to be used since 1990. The building has been restored. Part of the relics of Mary Magdalene was transferred here from the Holy Spirit Cathedral.
Nearby is the Holy Baptist Church. These religious buildings look great close to each other, making up a kind of ensemble.
The church of Mary Magdalene in Minsk works seven days a week. Here morning and evening services are held. The parishioners have the opportunity to visit the church kiosk located nearby and buy the necessary paraphernalia. There is also a Sunday school at the church. On the territory there are burials of priests.
Church of Alexander Nevsky
The church of Alexander Nevsky in Minsk occupies a special place among all the religious buildings of the city. The temple was erected at the end of the XIX century, in 1898. The architectural style of the building is Russian Baroque.
The church was erected in a military cemetery. Since its inception, it has not changed much. It is believed that in the first year of World War II a miracle happened. German bombers dropped a bomb that fell on the dome of the church, but in some miraculous way the mechanism did not work.
The first restoration was carried out in 1983. The temple was restored from the outside. Replaced the dome, painted crosses. Completely replaced the main dome. Since 1985, they began to carry out restoration work on the inside of the building. The wall painting and a variety of frescoes have been restored. The frescoes on the ceiling are also replaced. Some details of the iconostasis were also not left without attention. They were coated with gold.
The oldest church in Minsk
Churches in Minsk differ from each other in architectural styles, history, and the date of construction. The oldest temple in the city, preserved to our time, is the Peter and Paul Cathedral.
The construction of the temple began at the beginning of the XVII century. The exact time of construction is not known, therefore, the day of the founding of the cathedral is considered to be November 16, 1613. It was on this day that one of the representatives of the local nobility signed a deed of gift for a piece of land on which the temple was built. It is known that the construction was carried out with the money collected from local wealthy citizens. Their names are preserved on the plaque, which is located in the altar of the cathedral.
The temple survived the revolution, the war, miraculously was not demolished in the postwar period. Now the church continues to work and receive parishioners.
Shrine of Minsk
In one of the churches of Minsk is stored the Minsk icon of the Mother of God. According to one legend, this icon-painting depicts the apostle Luke himself. The icon has been in the city of Kiev for more than 500 years and protected its inhabitants. But during the invasion of enemy troops in the 15th century, all the decoration was removed from the shrine and thrown into the river. And a few years later, the inhabitants of Belarus found her. After that, the icon was placed in one of the churches in Minsk.
After the end of World War II, the Minsk Icon of the Mother of God was transferred to the Holy Spirit Cathedral. Here she is now.
Today, many travelers come to Belarus to visit the churches of Minsk. Orthodox cathedrals and temples also attract numerous pilgrims.