On the eve of Easter, which Orthodox and Catholics celebrate on the same day this year,Holiday. byprepared an overview of the largest and most popular pilgrimage centers for Catholics and Orthodox Christians in Belarus.
Monasteries, churches and churches of Belarus... The ringing of their bells spreads like a song across our lands, Belarus lives with the prayers of their inhabitants, and there are legends about miracles and happy healings taking place within their walls. In addition, all of them are sights of Belarus, to which the path is not overgrown not only by believers, but also by tourists who enjoy visiting these religious and, at the same time, tourist sites.
Where do Orthodox Christians make pilgrimages in Belarus?
The Zhirovichi Monastery is a stronghold of Orthodoxy in the Belarusian lands. For 500 years now, believers from all over Belarus and near and far abroad have been coming to the village of Zhirovichi, Slonim district. The reason for this is the miraculous Zhirovichi Icon of the Mother of God. At one time, the kings of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth made a pilgrimage to this icon, but today this icon is revered not only by Orthodox Christians, but also by Catholics, and this already says a lot.
Pilgrims go to the Pustynsky Monastery in the Mstislavsky region for two reasons. Firstly, drink the healing water from, and secondly, see with your own eyes the miraculous image of Jesus Christ that appeared on the wall of one of the monastery buildings on the night when the monks returned to the abandoned monastery in 2003.
This is the only surviving ancient monastery in Polotsk. It was founded by Euphrosyne of Polotsk, the heavenly intercessor of Belarus, the only Belarusian saint, equally revered by both Orthodox and Catholics. Her relics are still in the monastery today and it is to them that pilgrims and tourists are so drawn.
This monastery does not have a long biography behind it. But the relics of the holy righteous John of Kormyansky are kept in the monastery. It is to them that pilgrimage tours are organized and it is thanks to them that the small Kormyansky district of the Gomel region is not forgotten by tourists and believers.
Not a single monastery in Belarus is expanding at such a rapid pace as St. Elizabeth's. It was opened in 1999, and today it already has about ten churches in Minsk and the Minsk region. And everything is being built, built... So pilgrimage tours and excursions are organized to this monastery not only for religious purposes, but also for educational purposes: many tourists listen with curiosity to the story of how the monastery lives, what its plans and goals are, and where the funds come from for the construction of more and more churches.
On the territory of this monastery there is one of the most famous baroque churches in Belarus. At one time, even Russian Emperor Nicholas II visited this temple. And today St. Nicholas Church and the monastery attached to it are the center of Orthodoxy in the Mogilev region.
The monastery in the village of Yurovichi, Kalinkovichi district, is the owner of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God. An exact copy of this icon is kept in Krakow in the Church of St. Barbara. The Yurovichi icon is considered miraculous by both Catholics and Orthodox Christians, so pilgrimage tours to Jurovichi are organized by both.
Khmelevsky Holy Transfiguration Monastery
This monastery in the Brest region is famous for two features. The Khmelevsky copy of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Czestochowa is endowed with the gift of healing, and the abbot of the monastery performs a rare ritual of exorcism. Therefore, it is not surprising that many pilgrims come to the village of Khmelevo not only from Belarus, but also from Russia, Poland, Germany and other countries.
Places of pilgrimage for Catholics in Belarus
The Bernardine Church in Budslav houses the miraculous Budslav Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which, with the light hand of the Vatican, is the intercessor of all of Belarus. It was thanks to this icon that the temple received the title of “minor basilica” from Pope John Paul II in 1994. And it is this icon that all Catholics in Belarus and neighboring countries come to venerate.
The Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Braslav is famous for the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Braslav, which is also called the Lady of the Lakes. The main celebration is celebrated on September 8; it is on this day that thousands of pilgrims come to the temple to bow to the Braslav Lady of the Lakes and ask for the most sacred.
Trokel Sanctuary of the Mother of God
The Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Elizabeth in Trokeli is outwardly a very modest wooden church, completely devoid of decoration. Its only decoration is the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Trokel, for which it is famous. On the first Sunday in July, Catholics organize pilgrimages to this icon.
The Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Logishin is a place of pilgrimage for Belarusian Catholics, since it is within its walls that the Queen of Polesie lives - the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Logishin. Especially many believers gather near the walls of the temple on May 10 - the day of honoring the icon.
Gudogai Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Elizabeth
In the Gudogai Church, as you might guess, there is a miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Gudogai. The largest pilgrimage to this icon takes place on July 16. Although the rest of the time, the modest church in the village of Gudogai, Ostrovets district, is open to pilgrims and tourists.
The Church of St. Francis Xavier in Grodno is famous not only for the beauty of its decoration, but also for the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Students. It is thanks to this icon that the temple was awarded the high title of “minor basilica.” And thanks to this icon, the temple is a cathedral and at the same time a tourist mecca.
The Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Brest is one of the most beautiful and oldest churches in the Brest region. And within the walls of this church there is a miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Brest, in whose honor on the last Sunday of June pilgrimages are made to the city above the Bug.
It doesn’t matter whether you visit a Christian temple as a believer or as a tourist. Whether you come for prayer and communication with God, or to admire the frescoes and ancient icons. The only important thing is that you want it or not, but the temple shares its pure energy with you, gives you peace and suggests solutions to problems. And it's worth going there for that. At least on Easter Eve.
What to do if neither grandma’s herbs nor medicine help in the fight against the disease? We can only hope for healing icons and holy springs, to which thousands of Belarusians make pilgrimages every year. We are ready to tell you the addresses of the most famous of them. And believe: a miracle will certainly happen!
Zhirovichi Icon of the Mother of God
What treats: musculoskeletal system (paralysis, radiculitis, rheumatism, spurs on the legs), diseases of the nervous system (dizziness, unconsciousness). Helps with difficult childbirth and infertility, “dissolves” cysts.
Miracle Healings: the number of those cured is already approaching a thousand - here are the pre-revolutionary peasant Osip Vernat, who, according to the monastery manuscripts, suffered from a “damaged body surface”, and a young man born in 1988 whose brain tumor resolved. “Gennady was nine years old when doctors discovered a cyst of the deep structures of the brain,” says Alla, the mother of the healed boy. “The child was in great pain and ended up in intensive care five times. With my last hope, I took him to the Zhirovichi Monastery to the miraculous icon of the Mother of God and to the healing spring. After his first visit to the monastery, his son felt relief, and over the next four visits his condition only improved. And when the doctors did a computed tomography scan on my son, they no longer found the cyst...”
Zhirovichi Holy Dormition Monastery - Grodno region, Slonim district, village of Zhirovichi, st. Sobornaya, 57
Spring in the village of Gorka
What treats: back diseases, restores restful sleep to young children
Miracle Healings:“I was overcome by a misfortune - my back began to hurt in the lumbar region,” says Alexey, who was convinced of the healing properties of the spring from his own experience. - After sitting through a screening at the cinema, I couldn’t get up and leave normally - I thought I’d stay there. I was almost getting ready to see the doctor when a friend suggested that I go to the village of Gorki, to the spring in honor of the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious. I doused myself with water, washed my face, and the next morning I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me. And only then I realized what was the matter - my bad back no longer annoys me!
And a couple of days later, a friend said that lately his child had been constantly crying for no apparent reason. And while bathing the baby, my friend decided to add some holy water from a bottle to the bath. And what do you think? Already during bathing, the baby stopped crying and since then began to behave much calmer.”
Grodno region, Dyatlovsky district, Gorka village
Icon of the Mother of God “Vsetsaritsa”
What treats: oncology, AIDS, drug addiction, drunkenness, demon possession
Miracle Healings: people started talking about the icon back in the 17th century, when it literally threw to the ground a strange young man who stood for a long time in front of the image and muttered something under his breath. As it turned out, the man was practicing magic and came to the temple to test his power on the holy icons. But the miraculous intervention of the Mother of God convinced him to change his life and become a believer.
Now that same icon is in Greece on Holy Mount Athos, and copies of it - exact copies made by Athonite monks - travel around the world. It is believed that an image painted in compliance with all canons and consecrated on a prototype receives the same Divine grace and power as the original. In Belarus, such lists are available in churches in the Minsk, Grodno and Gomel regions.
Church of the Venerable Martyr Athanasius of Brest: Minsk, st. Gorbatova, 60
St. Michael's Church: Grodno region, Zelva district, Synkovichi village
Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker: Gomel region, Vetkovsky district, Zheleznyaki village
Rakovsky spring
What treats: eye diseases
Miracle Healings: One day, a local resident, who had not seen anything for many years, dreamed of a woman in a light robe who told him to go into the forest and dig a hole near the largest tree. The dream was so vivid that the man actually found the indicated place and began to dig. He only managed to throw away a couple of handfuls of earth when suddenly water gushed out from under the roots of the tree. The man washed his face with it and received his sight. And the first thing he saw was the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, which hung on a tree, emitting an extraordinary radiance. This happened five centuries ago, but “sick people” from all over Belarus still come to the sacred spring.
Minsk region, Volozhin district, Rakov
Budslav Icon of the Mother of God
What treats: eye diseases, there were cases of complete restoration of vision in the blind, ear diseases (otitis media, otomycosis).
The fact that the icon is miraculous has been known for a long time. Back in 1617, a five-year-old boy - and this was the future priest Jozaphat Tyshkevich - became seriously ill: he was blind in both eyes and did not see anything for a whole year. On the day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, his parents brought him to the Budslav Church. As soon as he crossed the threshold of the temple, Jehozaphat received his sight. In gratitude to God for the healing, he went to the monastery.
During the Great Patriotic War, the front line passed through Budslav three times, but not a single bomb fell on the temple - miraculously, both the church and the famous Budslav icon were preserved.
Bernardine Church: Minsk region, Myadel district, Budslav village, Red Square, 8
Icon of the Mother of God of the Congregation
What treats: heart, liver and kidney diseases.
The image of the Mother of God in the Farny Church in Grodno has long been famous for its ability to relieve ailments.
The archives contain evidence of at least 120 miraculous healings. The rector of the Farny Church in Grodno, Jan Kuczynski, says that last year one parishioner was preparing to send her son to Vilnius for heart surgery. But after long hours of prayer in front of the icon, her child received healing: the guy recovered, and the operation was canceled.
Farny Church: Grodno, st. Karla Marksa, 4a
Icon of the Mother of God of Gudogai
What treats: stomach diseases, injuries, fractures, bleeding
Stories about the healing effects of the icon in Gudogai are passed on from mouth to mouth. One and a half year old Leshenka fell ill with some unknown gastric disease, which manifested itself in diarrhea and vomiting after eating. The disease tormented the boy for two years; doctors could not even make a diagnosis. Over the course of two years of illness, the child lost a lot of weight and his body reached the brink of dehydration. The boy was taken to the hospital. The specialists wanted to prescribe him artificial nutrition. But at the request of his parents, they allowed him to take the boy to the church to see the miraculous icon, which was their last hope for recovery. Alyosha’s parents began to pray to God for healing at the icon of the Mother of God of Gudogai. After the mass, Lesha’s mother dripped healing myrrh into a vessel with a medicinal solution. And, to the surprise of everyone, for the first time the boy took the medicine and fell asleep without vomiting. The next morning the child showed no symptoms of the disease. The family went to the church again: as soon as they entered the church, Lesha hugged the icon and spent the entire service on her lap.
Parishioner Galina Lukoit tearfully recalls the story of her grandson’s healing:
- On May 26, 2003, my nine-year-old grandson Vanya Klyauda was hit by a car when he was returning home from school. He suffered a concussion and an open fracture of his right leg. He was in intensive care for three days in a very serious condition. The situation was difficult because the bones were not healing properly, and the transplanted skin did not want to take root. Everything changed when, at my request, Father Leonard Tsekhanovsky celebrated Holy Mass in front of the image of the Mother of God of Gudogai for the health of his granddaughter. From that time on, the boy began to recover. I am sure that it was the Mother of God of Gudogai who cured him and I constantly thank her for this.
Gudogai Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Elizabeth: Grodno region, Ostrovetsky district, Gudogai village
St. Eliseevsky Monastery
What treats: alcoholism
Miraculous healings: The St. Eliseevsky Lavrishevsky Monastery is known for its beneficial atmosphere. According to the hieromonk of the monastery, Eusebius, those who want to ask for advice, put their thoughts in order and recover from drunkenness come here. It is believed that the relics of the founder of the monastery, Elisha Lavrishevsky, which still lie in this land, have a healing effect. Information has been preserved that the monk was killed by a demon-possessed student, who was healed by touching the teacher.
Grodno region, Novogrudok district, Gnesichi village
Image of the Mother of God, Lady of the Lakes
What treats: memory loss, helps to get pregnant.
The parishioners themselves willingly talk about miracles.
“Seven years ago, my mother got sick, she lost her memory,” says Braslav resident Irina. - She didn’t recognize anyone, not even me, my own daughter. We did what the doctors advised, but to no avail. On Friday, in despair, I went to the church and prayed for a long, long time in front of the icon for my mother, already on Saturday my mother got up and said to me: “Daughter, good morning!” She recognized her husband and other relatives. I am grateful to Maria Braslavskaya for returning her memory.
Braslav Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary: Vitebsk region, Braslav city, st. Sovetskaya, 23.
Victoria Krupenkova, Olga Dubrovskaya, Vera Samoilova, “ZN”
Where should a tourist go to immerse himself in the history of Belarusian Orthodoxy?
1. Cross of Euphrosyne of Polotsk
This woman, Predislava in the world, is the most revered Belarusian saint. She was born at the very beginning of the 12th century in the family of a Vitebsk prince, but at the age of 12 she preferred a monastery to a carefree court life. There is an assumption that she is not only the granddaughter of Vladimir Monomakh, but also a distant descendant of Vladimir the Baptist.
One day, an angel came to Euphrosyne in a dream, took her to the small village of Seltso near Polotsk and said only four words: “This is where you should be!” When the vision was repeated three times, Euphrosyne began construction of the Spassky Monastery in Seltse. Later, a temple appeared there, and meanwhile Euphrosyne replenished the local library, composed music and kept chronicles.
She also opened jewelry and icon painting workshops. And it was in one of them that in 1161 the craftsman Lazar Bogsha created a six-pointed cross almost 52 centimeters high. Its base is made of cypress, the cross is decorated with gold and silver plates and precious stones.
Quite quickly it became a symbol of Polotsk Orthodoxy: the shrine traveled a lot, was taken to Smolensk, and from there, three centuries later, it went to Moscow. Even later, Ivan the Terrible took the cross with him on a campaign against Polotsk, promising to return it to his native land in case of victory, and he kept his word. This is how the cross of Euphrosyne ended up in the St. Sophia Cathedral in Polotsk. Before the Great Patriotic War, the relic left Belarus only for a short time. And after the Nazi invasion... she disappeared! The UN searched for it in the USA, numerous historians and researchers searched throughout the once occupied part of the USSR, but these searches were not crowned with success...
A copy of the cross was created only in 1997; it is kept in the place for which the original was once created - in the Church of the Transfiguration.
2. St. Sophia Cathedral in Polotsk
One of the main places of pilgrimage for Christians throughout the Orthodox world. It was the religious center of the Principality of Polotsk and was copied by Byzantine builders from the famous cathedral of the same name in Constantinople. In Ancient Rus' there were only two more of its analogues - in Kyiv and Novgorod.
The cathedral housed a tomb with 16 ancient sarcophagi and a rich library.
From the original building of the 11th century, the ancient foundation, parts of walls and pillars, and most importantly, unique fresco paintings have reached us.
Under Peter I, there was a warehouse of ammunition and ammunition for soldiers who took part in the Northern War. A century later, here, in a special niche in the wall, the Cross of Euphrosyne of Polotsk was hidden. Another century and a half later, the Nazis were stationed here...
Each war left behind destruction, the cathedral was rebuilt in the 18th century, but a number of its architectural features were preserved: the seven-domed church, the raw boulders used in the initial construction, a copy of da Vinci’s “Last Supper” and the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands.
Where is: Vitebsk region, city of Polotsk, Western Dvina embankment, exact address – Zamkovaya street, 1.
How to get there: the most economical way is by train from Minsk, they run often, but always in the afternoon or evening. Travel time is 4-7 hours, the price of a ticket for a reserved seat carriage starts from 1000 rubles. You can also get there from the capital of Russia. The Moscow-Riga train is more expensive - from 3,000 rubles.
What else to see: Right next to the cathedral there is Boris's stone, it is 800 years old and ancient Orthodox inscriptions and images of crosses are carved on it. Here is a copy of the cross of Euphrosyne of Polotsk, and several buildings associated with the saint: the Spassky Monastery, the Transfiguration Church and the Cathedral of the Exaltation of the Cross. Nearby is the house of Peter I and a monument to the letter “Ў”, which is found only in the Belarusian alphabet.
3. Minsk Icon of the Mother of God
For 500 years this icon was one of the shrines of Orthodox Kyiv. According to legend, the holy Apostle Luke himself wrote it, and it was brought to the Russian lands from Chersonesos. At the end of the 15th century, the Tatar Khan Makhmet Giray, who captured Kyiv, organized a pogrom in the city; the robe was torn off the ancient icon and thrown into the Dnieper. But they failed to drown her. 18 years later, in 1500, the residents of Minsk saw a bright light emanating from the Svisloch River...
The image of the Mother of God remained to live in Minsk: they prayed to the Minsk Mother of God for deliverance from the invasion of enemies, healing of diseases; the icon helped to cope with sorrow and temptations.
For more than four centuries it remained in Minsk until it was seized by the Soviet authorities in 1936. After lying in storage for several years, it fell into the hands of the Germans, but almost immediately a pious Orthodox resident of Minsk begged the icon from the invaders. Her name - Varvara Slabko - remained in history, and her feat remained a relic for the Belarusians. In 1945, the shrine was moved to the Holy Spirit Cathedral, where it is kept to this day.
Where is: Minsk city, Cyril and Methodius street, 3
How to get there: if you are already in Minsk, then the easiest way is to take a taxi. It will be inexpensive, no matter where you come from - this is the very center of the city. The cathedral is open from early morning until late evening, and in case of doubt, you can write down the telephone number of the attendant: +375 17 3276609
4. Turov stone crosses
Another story that needs to be told from the very moment of the Baptism of Rus'. Soon after, according to chroniclers, dozens of stone crosses floated against the current to the city of Turov from Kyiv along the Dnieper and Pripyat. As soon as the local residents got them, the waters of the river turned red...
This is now Turov - a small town whose population barely exceeds 3,000 people. At the same time, it was the capital of the Dregovichi, had important geopolitical significance and was preparing to become the capital of the Turov principality.
The crosses were left on the shore throughout the Turov region; for a whole millennium they were worshiped, people carried coins and meat, and went to them in religious processions. So far, the Soviet government has not dealt with the relics: some, they say, were broken, some were thrown into the water, and one was sent to a museum in Gomel. But after some time, the drowned crosses reappeared in the river.
As a result, several of them were preserved by parishioners, and one... One grows out of the ground at the Borisoglebsky cemetery. This mystery is rather geological: back then - in the 30s - a local resident saw a drowned cross in the river, took it out, and so that the Soviet authorities would not get to it again, he buried it nearby, in a churchyard. It seems like this stone cross has been climbing towards the sun and air for two decades - and successfully.
Where is: Gomel region, city of Turov, Turov Church of All Saints, Leninskaya Street, 99. Two two-meter crosses are kept there.
If you need to see everything, you will have to look into the villages of Pogost and Veresnitsa (10 km from Turov in different directions) and get to the Gomel Regional Museum of Local Lore (Gomel, Lenin Square, 4). And, of course, the growing cross at the Borisoglebsky cemetery. Locals carry out.
How to get there: Not easy. First from Minsk by train to Gomel (5 hours, 1100 rubles for a ticket in a reserved seat car, a compartment is twice as expensive), and then by bus to Turov - that’s another 5 hours.
What else to see: There is a preserved foundation of a church built in the 12th century. It stood for about 60 years and was destroyed by an earthquake. It was the largest religious building in the western part of Ancient Rus'.
But if you go to Gomel, take a look at the local palace and park ensemble. Actually, the local history museum is its integral part. It was built back in the 18th century, and there you can learn a lot about the history of the regional center of half a million inhabitants.
5. Zhirovitskaya (Zhirovichi) icon of the Mother of God
According to legend, the icon was once found by young shepherds in the branches of a pear tree, not far from the village of Zhirovichi. The shepherds gave the find to their master Salton, who locked it in a casket. Deciding the next day to show off such beauty to his guests, he did not find the icon in the casket. But the shepherds found it: on the same tree. The amazed Salton promised to build (and did build) a church on this site.
Almost a century later, the church burned down. The icon, as the locals decided, too. But then the peasant children, returning from school, saw an incredibly beautiful maiden sitting on a stone near the burnt temple. She had that same icon in her hands. The children ran to tell their parents about this, and when they returned, the maiden was no longer there. But the icon remained.
The relic survived several wars, all the while working miracles: it cured consumption and unconsciousness, dumbness and rheumatism, even helped give birth and relieved allergies. Monarchs of Poland and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth came to pray to her...
Now it is in the iconostasis of the Royal Doors of the main church of the monastery.
Where is: Grodno region, Zhirovichi village, Assumption Cathedral of the Holy Dormition Zhirovitsky Monastery, Sobornaya street, 57. There is a website ( http://zhirovichi-monastery.by), where you can see your contacts.
How to get there: From Minsk it is better to go by minibus. They walk from the station and go straight to the monastery gates. Travel time is no more than 2.5 hours. If one day is not enough, there is a hotel for pilgrims 400 meters from the monastery. It will not be possible to visit the regional center – Grodno – on the way. Far away (150 km) and in the other direction than Minsk. So if this city is also in your plans, then you need to visit it separately. Moreover, there is a reason.
6. Boris and Gleb (Kolozha) Church
It was built in the 1140-1180s on the banks of the Neman either by the Grodno princes Boris and Gleb themselves, or by their children. The temple was built in the style of Black Russian architecture (all Russian lands that were under the control of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania were called Black Russia), and this is the only surviving monument of this style.
In the 13th century, the church was destroyed by the crusaders, in the 15th century by the troops of Ivan III, a century later it was restored, and another century later it fell into disrepair. Then there was the collapse of the walls... And despite everything, there are no more similar buildings in the world. Therefore, Belarus insists on including the Kolozha Church on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Now the temple has been restored and services are held there.
Where is: Grodno region, Grodno city, Kolozha street, 8. There is a website (http://kalozha.by), where you can find phone numbers and email addresses
How to get there: The Minsk-Grodno train (5-6 hours on the road, 1,500 rubles for a seat in a reserved seat carriage) or a minibus from Minsk (the ride is about the same, the price is 500 rubles), they depart approximately every hour from the railway station.
What else to see: Grodno is a monument city in which many artifacts of the past have been preserved. There are royal castles, magnate palaces, Catholic shrines, and a synagogue. All this is worth spending time on, and a simple walk through the almost untouched quarters of the 19th century will certainly bring tourists a lot of pleasure.
Veniamin Lykov
Cross of Euphrosyne of Polotsk
The first thing that comes to mind when asked about Orthodox Belarusian shrines is the Cross of Euphrosyne of Polotsk, made in 1161 by Lazar Bogsha. The original cross was lost during World War II and has not yet been found. A copy of the cross was made by Brest jeweler-enamel maker Nikolai Kuzmich in 1997.
Where: Vitebsk region, Polotsk, Spaso-Euphrosinievsky Convent, Spaso-Preobrazhensky Church.
Kupyatichskaya Icon of the Mother of God
In 1182, she appeared in a bright radiance in the forest. She was found by a six-year-old girl who was tending sheep nearby. Anna tried several times to take the found shrine home, but each time the cross with the icon returned to its place in the forest. The Kupyatichskaya icon differs in its shape from all miraculous icons; the image is designed in the form of a small copper cross, on one side the Mother of God and the Child are depicted, on the other - a crucifix. At the site of the appearance of the image, the villagers erected a temple, which was burned by the Tatars, but the icon was found intact.
The icon was famous for healing from various diseases, thanks to which Kupyatichi became a place of pilgrimage not only for residents of Polesie, but also for all Belarusians. Ukrainians and Poles also come to pray at the icon.
Where: Brest region, Pinsk district, Kupyatichi village, church in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
Barkolabovskaya Icon of the Mother of God
In the middle of the 17th century, during military operations, a Russian army moved past the village. In one convoy there was an image of the Virgin Mary, which the military apparently took with them from one of the churches of Central or Western Belarus. Suddenly, at the walls of the monastery, the cart in which there was an icon stopped, and the horses could not be moved. Then they decided to leave the icon in the monastery.
Not only Orthodox pilgrims, but also Catholics and Uniates flocked to venerate the miraculous image.
Where: Mogilev region, Bykhovsky district, Barkolabovo village, Spaso-Voznesensky convent, Church of St. John the Baptist.
Czestochowa Icon of the Mother of God
According to legend, this icon was painted by the Evangelist Luke and was kept in the Jerusalem church.
One of the ancient copies made on canvas is today kept in the Khmelevsky Monastery. And it is with her that the legend is connected. One local landowner kept the icon in a chapel. During the fire, the chapel was completely burned down, but the icon remained intact. In a dream, the landowner had a revelation to found the Transfiguration Church, which still stands today.
In the twentieth century, they tried to steal the icon many times, but each time it returned to its place. The miraculous image today is used for healing from infertility, cancer, drunkenness and drug addiction.
Where: Brest, St. Athanasius Monastery.
Brest region, Zhabinkovsky district, village of Khmelevo, Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery.
Grodno region, Zelva district, village of Synkovichi.
Kozelshchansk Icon of the Mother of God
The icon has been known since the 18th century as a family shrine of the Kapnist family and was located on their estate in the village of Kozelshchina. The icon is famous for healing from serious illnesses and ailments. People also say that prayers in front of the Kozelshchanskaya Icon of the Mother of God help young girls arrange their marital status.
Where: Gomel, St. Nicholas Monastery, st. D. Bedny, 4.
Kolozha Icon of the Mother of God
In 1738, the history of the appearance of the icon was recorded in the church: old people said that some beggar always carried this image of the Most Holy Theotokos with him as a vow. And before his death, he had a vision to place this image in the Kolozha Church. This image is a copy of the Vilna Icon of Hodegetria. The icon has been famous for its miracles since the 17th century. Even then, people came from all over the country and from abroad for healing from blindness, possessed by evil spirits, paralyzed and with diseases of the limbs.
In 1915, during the evacuation to Russia, the icon was taken out along with other shrines, but after the war there was no trace of it. Today a list of the miraculous icon is kept in the temple.
Where: Grodno, Boriso-Glebskaya (Kolozhskaya) Church.
Minsk Icon of the Mother of God
This icon is one of the most revered shrines of the Minsk region. According to church tradition, she was in Byzantium for many years. It is possible that Vladimir brought it to the Slavic lands during the baptism of Rus'. The holy image was first kept in Kyiv. During the capture of the city by the Crimean Khan, one of the Tatars tore off the golden robe from the icon, and threw the shrine itself into the Dnieper. After some time, the icon was found in Minsk - it was August 13, 1500.
Over five centuries, the icon changed many places of storage, and eventually united Orthodox, Uniates and Catholics. The icon survived during several fires.
Where:
Zhirovichi Icon of the Mother of God
This icon is one of the hundred most significant icons of the Orthodox world. It is the smallest among the revered icons of the Mother of God, is a national shrine of Belarusians, and is also revered by neighboring peoples.
The miraculous icon was noticed in an unusually bright light by shepherds on the branches of a pear tree in 1470. At the site of the apparition, a temple was built in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Around 1520, during a strong fire, the temple burned down, and the icon also disappeared in the fire. But one day the children saw a beautiful maiden sitting on a stone; she was holding in her hands an icon, which everyone considered to be burnt. The temple was restored, and soon a monastery arose on that site.
The kings of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, as well as the Sapiehas, Radziwills and others came to venerate the icon. This tradition has survived to this day.
Where: Grodno region, Slonim district, village. Zhirovichi, Holy Dormition Stauropegic Monastery.
Turov stone crosses
They are witnesses of the times of early Christianity in Belarus and date back to the 12th century. At the beginning of the twentieth century, 10 crosses were known in Turov and its environs, but today only five have survived.
Where: Gomel region, Turov district, Pogost village. The two-meter-tall holy cross is kept in the cemetery's Holy Cross Chapel.
Gomel. The regional museum of local lore keeps two crosses.
Turov. There are two more crosses kept in the Church of All Saints.
Blessed Valentina Minskaya
She spent more than 30 years of her life bedridden due to illness. All this time, she helped people find peace and find the truth, consoled the grieving, and with prayers restored health to the sick.
While she was still alive, she said to many of her visitors: “I will die, but come to me as if I were alive, and I will help you.” To this day, she keeps her promise. Her modest grave has become a place of pilgrimage, where many people come for faith, spiritual consolation, help and healing from illnesses of soul and body.
One of the most revered saints in the entire Christian world is St. Nicholas. He is the protector of sailors, merchants, children, as well as the guardian of the poor and orphans. Nikolai Ugodnik is the prototype of Santa Claus. It was he who delivered gifts to the children through the chimney.
The relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker are kept in the Italian city of Bari. This summer, a particle of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was bought by the Korotkevich brothers (they were originally from the Gomel region) and presented it to the believers of the Gomel diocese.
Where: Gomel region, Vetkovsky district, Zheleznyaki village, St. Nicholas Church.
Minsk, Cathedral in honor of the Holy Spirit.
Mogilev, St. Nicholas Convent.
Grodno region, Novogrudok, Cathedral in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
Vitebsk region, Polotsk, Spaso-Euphrosinievsky Convent.
Polotsk is the most ancient city of Belarus and the cradle of Belarusian spirituality. The first Christian diocese on Belarusian lands was founded here and there are shrines important for Orthodox Christians.
The monastery was founded by Euphrosyne of Polotsk, a famous educator and the first woman canonized by the Orthodox Church.
She was born in Polotsk in the family of Prince Svyatoslav. Instead of a profitable marriage, against the will of her family, young Euphrosyne chose to serve God. The Belarusian saint was actively engaged in educational activities, rewrote books, and built churches. The relics of the saint are kept in the monastery.
Another shrine kept in the monastery is a copy of the cross of Euphrosyne of Polotsk. The original was created by the famous master Lazar Bogsha in 1161. The cross, made of pure silver and gold, was decorated with precious stones, and in its middle were kept several relics, including particles of the blood of Christ.
Unfortunately, the cross disappeared during World War II. But in 1997, a copy of it was created, which was consecrated by Metropolitan Philaret.
Holy Dormition Zhirovichi Monastery
The Zhirovichi monastery is located in the village of Zhirovichi, Slonim district, Grodno region. Every year, thousands of pilgrims come here for the help of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Zhirovichi.
The Zhirovichi icon is considered one of the main shrines of the Belarusian Orthodox Church. Many evidences of miracles that happened thanks to the icon have been preserved. Thanks to her power, people returned from the other world, those with paralysis were healed, and the blind received their sight.
A little further from the monastery are the famous Zhirichi fonts. They say that by bathing in the springs, people are healed of many diseases. According to legend, it was precisely where the healing spring flows that the icon of the Mother of God of Zhirovichi was found.
Zhirovichi is one of the centers of Belarusian Orthodoxy
Miraculous icons of Belarus
Pilgrims from all over the world come to see the miraculous icons of Belarus. Icons protect Belarus from misfortunes and heal those suffering from illnesses. Many of the shrines stream myrrh.
Minsk Icon of the Mother of God
The main Orthodox icon of Belarus, the Minsk Icon of the Mother of God, has been protecting Minsk for more than 500 years. By the way, this icon became the prototype of the coat of arms of Minsk.
According to legend, the icon itself sailed to Minsk from Kyiv after the city was captured by the Crimean Khan. This happened on August 26, 1500. There is a version that it was thanks to prayers at the icon that the troops of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania defeated the Tatars in the Battle of Kletsk in 1506.
Now the icon is in the main Orthodox cathedral of the capital of Belarus - the Minsk Cathedral of the Holy Spirit.
Icon of the Mother of God “Vsetsaritsa”
Believers from all over Belarus and neighboring countries come to the village of Synkovichi not only to admire the amazing ancient Synkovichi church. They come here to pray to the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Vsetsaritsa”.
This is an exact copy of the icon, the original of which is located on the holy Mount Athos in Greece. It was made by a local craftsman just a few years ago. But soon parishioners began to say that this icon heals.
The icon in Synkovichi healed more than 1,400 people
The temple servants say that in the short period of its existence, the icon has healed more than a thousand cancer patients, and helped more than 400 believers recover from infertility. Each case is recorded in a journal of testimonies of the miracles of the Virgin Mary. Among those who received healing were not only Belarusians, but also Russians, citizens of Australia, the USA, Germany, Poland, Canada and many other countries.
Icon "The Queen of All" Yurovichi Icon of the Mother of God
The miraculous Yurovichi Icon of the Mother of God has been helping believers for more than 400 years. For a long time, sufferers from all over Belarus and neighboring lands came to the small Polesie village for help. There are known cases when the Yurovichi icon not only healed diseases, but even resurrected the dead.
Currently, there is a copy of the icon in Jurovichi - the original was transferred to the Krakow Cathedral of St. Barbara at the end of the 19th century. But the miraculous powers of the icon were transferred to its copy.
Czestochowa Icon of the Mother of God
Not far from Brest, in the Khmelevsky Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery, one of the ancient copies of the miraculous icon of the Czestochowa Mother of God is kept.
According to legend, a local landowner kept the icon in a chapel, which was completely burned down during a fire, but the icon remained intact.
Czestochowa icon in Borisov In the twentieth century, they tried to steal the icon many times, but each time it returned to its place. The miraculous image today is used for healing from infertility, cancer, drunkenness and drug addiction.
This is only a small fraction of all the Orthodox shrines that are located in Belarus. Almost every place has an icon or other relic that helps those suffering from all over the world.
St. Eliseevsky Lavrishevsky Monastery
Novogrudok district, Gnesichi village
Lavrishevsky Monastery is one of the oldest monasteries in Belarus. It was founded around 1225. Over time, the monastery, having gathered a large number of brethren, became a monastery, in which the Monk Elisha was the first abbot. On the night of October 23/November 5, around 1250, the Monk Elisha was killed by his young servant, who committed this act while darkened by the devil. The murderer himself was healed of demonic possession by accidentally touching the relics of the saint. The monk was canonized by Metropolitan Joseph Soltan at a cathedral in Vilna in 1514.
In the 13th century, the monastery was the center of chronicle writing in Belarus. Around 1329, a handwritten Gospel was written for the Lavrishevsky Monastery - a monument of Belarusian book writing, which is now kept in the library named after. Czartoryski in Krakow. Over the centuries, the monastery has seen both glory and oblivion. Today the monastery is operational again.
On November 5, 2009, a bronze monument to the founder of the monastery, Venerable Elisha Lavrishevsky, was erected on the territory of the monastery.
Here you can plunge into the monastery font, which is unique in that it has an altar consecrated in honor of the icon of the Mother of God of the Life-Giving Spring.
Where to stay: the Gostinny Dvor and Monastic Estate hotels, as well as in pilgrim houses.