The Red Church in Minsk is perhaps the most famous Catholic church in the city. Without exaggeration, it can be called the visiting card of the capital of Belarus. Firstly, it is located directly in the center of the city, right on Independence Square, near the Government House, and secondly, it is really very beautiful, and therefore it is included in all sightseeing tours for tourists coming to Minsk.
History of Creation
The construction of this Catholic church began in 1905. The history of the Red Church in Minsk is quite interesting. It was built with donations from the local nobleman E. Voynilovich. The latter wanted to perpetuate the memory of his children who died very early. His son Simon died at twelve, and his daughter Alena at eighteen. Edward Voynilovich was a well-known political figure. He and his wife Olympia grieved greatly and dreamed of perpetuating the memory of their children. Voinilovich, knowing about the acutelack of one more church in Minsk, decided to build it. The city authorities agreed with great joy, as the philanthropist fully covered all the costs of the construction of the building, in addition, he flatly refused to accept any private donations.
The appearance of the Church of Saints Simeon and Helena, built in honor of the patrons of his children, was rather unusual for Minsk at that time. There is a beautiful legend that the original appearance of this church appeared in a dream to his dying daughter Alena shortly before her death.
Construction
The only condition of Voilovich, who spent a rather large amount of money, was that he would come up with the project and the name for the temple himself. He supervised the work personally. And the author of the project was the Polish architect Tomasz Paizdersky.
The Red Church in Minsk was built entirely of bricks. It was named after Saints Simeon and Helena. The red color of the brick, symbolizing the inconsolable grief of unfortunate parents, became the reason for such an extraordinary name for the church. Three years after the start of construction, all the main work was completed, and already in 1909 the bells were raised on the tower. On September 20, 1910, Archbishop Klyuchinsky consecrated the Church of St. Simeon and Helen.
Soviet years
In 1923, almost all the expensive temple valuables were expropriated. The Red Church itself in Minsk was finally closed from 1932. At first, the Polish theater was located in it, and then it was converted into a film studio. During the occupation of Minsk by the Germans, the templeagain began to receive believers, but immediately after the war it was closed, for a long time. The authorities developed plans for the complete destruction of the building, but they were not implemented. The services of the film studio moved to the church, and then (alternately) the House of Cinema and the Museum of Film History.
Architecture
The Red Church in Minsk (address - Sovetskaya Street, building 15) is a three-tower five-aisled basilica with an asymmetric volume-spatial composition and a powerful transept. The ends of the latter have the same solution as the main facade: a triangular pediment with a large rose-shaped window.
Originally the church of St. Simeon and Helena had as many as three apses located at the end of each nave. But in Soviet times, its building was rebuilt: as a result, extensions were made on the left side facade, and three apses were connected into one semi-cylindrical one. All the paintings in the interior were painted over, however, despite this, the Red Church in Minsk was declared an architectural monument. In the 1970s, stained glass windows were made that embody the allegory of the five arts. Their author is the muralist G. Vashchenko. There are also new copper chandeliers.
The core of the composition, as it was originally decided by the architect, and today is a fifty-meter rectangular tower in four tiers. It is located in the southeastern part of the building. It is considered unusual in the architecture of the church that its two small hipped towers are not placed on the main facade.
Dimensions and interior decoration
Worship hall - 14.83 m high, bell towers - 50 m. The width of the main façade is 45 m. The sculptures were commissioned by Sigmund Otto, whose works are the pulpit, railings and bronze details. Paintings on the vaults and on the walls, as well as the original stained-glass windows Voynilovich ordered the artist Francis Bruzdovich. Today in Belarus the most famous and popular Catholic church is the Red Church in Minsk.
Services
After the country gained independence, the building was returned to the Roman Catholic Church. Near the church today are the bell of Nagasaki and the statue of the Archangel Michael. It is here that tourists who come to Minsk are brought first of all.
Today services are held in the Red Church in Belarusian, Lithuanian and Polish, a publishing house and several charitable organizations operate at the temple. It is here that books by many local authors are published.
Visitors can often attend organ concerts. On weekdays, services are held at seven and nine in the morning, at noon, and then at three, five and seven in the evening. On Sundays, services are held in Polish, Lithuanian, and also specially for people with hearing impairments.
