Minsk is a hero city, which is the capital of Belarus and the administrative center. It is the tenth most populous city in all of Europe. It is home to about two million people (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. It became the capital of the Republic of Belarus in 1991.
Religious preferences of the population
Belarus is a country inhabited by people of different faiths. 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. live in the country
Churches of Minsk
Despite the fact that the city of Minsk was originally Orthodox, believing Christians suffered persecution here, as in many other cities. But still, the Orthodox Church was able to overcome all the attacks.
Today, there are manyOrthodox churches:
- Church of the Intercession of the Holy Mother of God (pictured above).
- Holy Spirit Cathedral.
- Church of Alexander Nevsky.
- Temple of memory of the Chernobyl disaster.
- Temple of the Icon of the Mother of God.
- Temple of Sophia Slutskaya.
- Peter and Paul Cathedral.
- Temple of St. Andrew the First-Called.
- All Saints Church.
- Temple of the Archangel Michael of God.
- Temple of the icon "Inexhaustible Chalice".
- Church of the Monk Martyr Andrew of Brest.
- Church of the Resurrection of Christ.
- Church of Saint Tatiana.
- Epiphany Church.
- Church of St. John of Rila.
- Trinity Church.
- Church of Mary Magdalene.
- Temple of Job the Long-suffering.
- Church of the healer Panteleimon.
- Church of the Optina Elders.
- Church of the Icon of Our Lady of Vladimir.
- Holy Intercession Parish.
- Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist.
- Church of St. Nicholas of Japan.
- Temple of the Icon of the Mother of God "Search for the Lost".
- Church of the Icon of the Mother of God "The Tsaritsa".
All churches in Minsk have a rich history. Let's take a closer look at some of them
Church of Mary Magdalene
In Minsk, the Church of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles 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 shelter for the sick and old people. Later it housed a school. In times of prohibitions and the closure of religiousbuildings, 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 seized, the cross was removed from the dome.
Later, a few years before the start of the Great Patriotic War, the church was given to Catholic Christians, who held their services there. But still it was closed again in the post-war years. The building has been rebuilt. For more than 40 years, the archive has been located here.
The temple has been used since 1990 for holding Orthodox services. The building has been restored. Part of the relics of Mary Magdalene was transferred here from the Holy Spirit Cathedral.
The Holy Baptist Church is located nearby. These religious buildings look great close to each other, making up a kind of ensemble.
The Church of Mary Magdalene in Minsk is open seven days a week. Morning and evening services are held here. Parishioners have the opportunity to visit the church kiosk, located nearby, and buy the necessary paraphernalia. The church also has a Sunday school. On the territory there are burial places 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 19th century, in 1898. The architectural style of the building is Russian Baroque.
The church was built on a military cemetery. Since its inception, it has not changed much. It is believed that in the first yearGreat Patriotic War, a miracle happened. German bombers dropped a bomb that fell on the dome of the church, but miraculously the mechanism did not work.
The first restoration was carried out in 1983. The temple was restored from the outside. The domes were replaced, the crosses were painted. The main dome was completely replaced. Beginning in 1985, restoration work began on the interior of the building. The wall painting and various frescoes have been restored. The frescoes on the ceiling have also been replaced. Some details of the iconostasis also did not go unnoticed. They were gold-plated.
The oldest church in Minsk
Churches in Minsk differ from each other in architectural styles, history, and the date of construction. The oldest church in the city that has survived to this day is the Peter and Paul Cathedral.
The construction of the temple began at the beginning of the 17th century. The exact time of construction is not known, so November 16, 1613 is considered to be the foundation day of the cathedral. It was on this day that one of the representatives of the local nobility signed a donation for a piece of land on which the temple was built. It is known that the construction was carried out with money collected from local we althy citizens. Their names are preserved on a memorial plaque, which is located in the altar of the cathedral.
The temple survived the revolution, the war, miraculously was not demolished in the post-war period. Now the church continues to work and receive parishioners.
Shrine of Minsk
The Minsk icon is kept in one of the churches in MinskMother of God. According to one of the legends, this icon-painting belongs to the Apostle Luke himself. The icon has been in the city of Kyiv 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, residents of Belarus found her. After that, the icon was placed in one of the churches in Minsk.
After the end of the Great Patriotic War, 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.
