St. Michael's Cathedral Mozyr schedule of services. From the history of Mozyr St. Michael's Cathedral. Photo and description

Service Schedule:

Divine Liturgy

on Monday at 8.00 in the lower church
from Tuesday to Saturday at 8.00 in the upper church
Sunday - early at 7.00
Sunday - late at 9.30

Evening worship

daily at 17.00

Telephone:

375 236 32-96-29; +375 236 32-93-79

247760, Gomel region, Mozyr, st. Komsomolskaya, 20

The culture and spirituality of each nation are formed over centuries and millennia, and passed down from generation to generation. Naturally, Christianity had a great influence on this process. Temples are a living age-old history of the nation and the state. They are living witnesses to the complex and contradictory history of our people, which they seem to keep in silent proud silence, thinking about eternal truths. But they are not silent, they just need to be able to listen ...

One of the remarkable monuments of national architecture that has survived to this day through wars and revolutionary upheavals is the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael in Mozyr.

In 1645, retired colonel Stefan Lozko donated part of the hill, opposite the Mozyr Castle, to the Bernardine monks, for whom he built a small wooden monastery. In 1648, during the Cossack-Peasant War, the monastery was destroyed. During the wars of the mid-17th century, Mozyr was practically wiped off the face of the earth. Only under Grand Duke Jan III Sobessky (1674 - 1696), the legendary savior of Europe from the Muslim invasion, in 1678 Mozyr began to be restored.

At that time, the most powerful and noble family in the lands of Mozyr Polissya was the Askerok family, whose representatives occupied the highest government positions in the povet and owned huge estates.

Wishing to perpetuate the memory of themselves and their services to the Fatherland, in 1745 the Askerks began the construction of a new stone Bernardine monastery, the center of which was to be a majestic cathedral. How many years the construction lasted, now it is not possible to establish. Most likely, the temple was consecrated in the 60s or 70s of the XVIII century. The monastery complex was built in the late Baroque style in the form of a two-towered three-aisled basilica. The monastery also houses an elementary school and a library.

For their good deeds rendered to the Church, the Askerks received the highest honor and award - a family tomb was arranged in the crypt of the cathedral, where the representatives of the family rested.

After the hard times of the end of the 18th century and the annexation of Belarus to the Russian Empire, the national liberation uprisings of the 19th century, the Bernardine monastery was closed, its buildings housed the offices of the Mozyr district and a hospital. The cathedral burned repeatedly, fell into disrepair and began to collapse.

In 1864, the temple, which was in a deplorable state, was transferred to the Orthodox Church and consecrated in honor of the holy Archangel Michael of God. On September 5, 1865, the temple was consecrated according to the Orthodox order. A new page has begun in the history of the cathedral. It seemed that the temple was destined for a brilliant glory to be the center of the resurgent Orthodoxy in the lands of southeastern Polissya.

The beginning of the 20th century did not scorch the temple with the deadly breath of the hard times of the First World War and the Bolshevik coup. But it was only a calm before the bloody storm of Stalinist terror...

In a terrible dream, it was impossible to imagine what human cruelty and madness would come to in their delusional attempt to oppose God and His precepts. Hypocritically preaching philanthropy, proclaiming man the crown of evolution, advocating equality, proclaiming freedom as an ideal, Stalinism, destroying the centuries-old foundations of Christian tolerance, forgiveness and repentance, unleashed unprecedented bloody terror on the Land of Soviets. The massive destruction of churches and shrines in the 1920s was only a prelude to the beginning of a real bacchanalia of mass homicide.

Being under the protection of the Archangel of the heavenly host, the Mozyr Cathedral of St. Archangel Michael escaped the fate of the destroyed shrines - it had its own cup of sorrow, a more terrible test awaited it. The holy monastery, where for centuries they prayed for forgiveness and glorified the all-merciful Creator, was destined to become a place of martyrdom for many hundreds of innocent people. The cathedral was turned into a prison of the NKVD of the Polesie region, the center of which was Mozyr. According to incomplete data, more than 2,000 death sentences were passed on innocent people in this prison.

Decades of silence have passed, but the truth still remains undefeated. As a sign of our repentance, as an edification to posterity, as an act of the triumph of Truth - in the crypt of St. Michael's Cathedral, with the blessing of His Eminence, Bishop of Turov and Mozyr Stefan, on the site of the martyrdom of thousands of people, a temple is being created in honor of the New Martyrs and Confessors in the land of Polesskaya who shone.

The Cathedral of St. Archangel Michael has known different times over the years of its history, and now the inhabitants of Mozyr can only be proud of such a monument. After all, this is not only a monument of architecture, but also a monument of faith and courage.

The history of this majestic building began in 1645, when part of the hill - opposite the Mozyr Castle - was donated to the Bernardine monks. This generous gift came from Stefan Lozko, a retired colonel who also helped build a small wooden monastery. True, the monastery stood for only three years, and then was destroyed during the Cossack-peasant war. At the same time, Mozyr itself was destroyed almost to the ground. Only in 1678 the city began to slowly recover.

In these difficult times for Mozyr, the most powerful and noble family in this territory, Askerki, played a huge role in the revival of the city. Representatives of this family were well known on the lands of Mozyr Polissya, they held high positions and were owners of huge estates. It was thanks to them that the Bernardine monastery was rebuilt, and a majestic stone cathedral was erected. How many years it took to build it is not known, but the temple was consecrated around the 60s or 70s of the 18th century.

The whole complex showed features of the late Baroque style. The two-towered three-aisled basilica became not only a home for the monks, there was also an elementary school and a library. And in the crypt of the cathedral there was the Askerok family tomb, where the members of this glorious family found their last shelter.

In the 19th century, the Bernardine monastery in Mozyr was closed. Accession to the Russian Empire, as well as national uprisings, led to the fact that Catholic churches and monasteries ceased to exist everywhere. The offices of the Mozyr district and the hospital were placed in the buildings of the monastery. The cathedral burned several times and began to collapse. In 1864 it became an Orthodox church - the Church of the Holy Archangel of God Michael. In the right aisle, the throne was consecrated in the name of St. Cyril of Turov, and in the unconsecrated left a sacristy, a library and an archive were located.

After the revolution of 1917, the most terrible times for the cathedral began - it was turned into a prison of the NKVD of the Polessky region. There is evidence that more than 2,000 people were sentenced to death in this prison. Very often, these sentences were carried out right in the basement of the cathedral.

During the Great Patriotic War, the church was reopened. It was active throughout the war. After the war, they wanted to close it, but in 1951 a small Orthodox community was registered at the cathedral. The cathedral is still in operation today.

(Diocese of Turov, Belarus)

In the city of Mozyr, along Komsomolskaya Street, there is the cathedral of the diocese - the Cathedral in the name of the Archangel Michael.

In 1645, retired colonel Stefan Lozko built a small wooden monastery for the Bernardine monks, buying for this part of the hill opposite the castle. The temple was built as a late baroque church in the form of a two-towered three-aisled basilica.

In 1648, during the Cossack-Peasant War, the monastery was destroyed.

In 1745, the noble and wealthy Askerok family began the construction of a new stone Bernardine monastery, the center of which was to be a majestic cathedral, the construction of which was completed in the 60s or 70s of the 18th century. The temple, rectangular in plan, was divided inside by two rows of columns into three naves: a central one and two side ones.

The architecture of the cathedral corresponds to the Belarusian form of the basilica temples of the Baroque era. The main facade is a three-tier composition with two bell towers rising on the sides. The monastery also houses an elementary school and a library. In the crypt of the church, a family burial vault was built, where representatives of the Askerok family were laid to rest.

At the end of the 18th century, when Belarus joined the Russian Empire, the Bernardine monastery was closed, and its buildings housed the offices of the Mozyr district and a hospital. Repeated fires led the monastery building to significant destruction.

In 1864, the temple, which was in a deplorable state, was transferred to the Orthodox Church. The towers were rebuilt in the Russian manner in the spirit of classicism: triangular pediments and arched openings in rectangular niches.

On September 5, 1865, the temple was consecrated according to the Orthodox order in the name of the holy Archangel Michael with the right chapel in the name of St. Cyril of Turov.

During the revolutionary years, the Mozyr Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel escaped the fate of the destroyed shrines, but from 1937 to 1941 it was turned into a prison of the NKVD of the Polessky region. According to incomplete data, more than 2,000 death sentences were handed down in this prison. In the crypt of the temple, the NKVD officers arranged a mass burial of the remains of those citizens who died under torture in the dungeons of the NKVD.

Icon of the Archangel Michael

In connection with the military events in 1941, the temple was reopened. In 1952, the temple was registered by the Soviet authorities, and repairs began.

In 1992, by order of the Synod of the Belarusian Orthodox Church, the ancient diocese of Turov was revived. At St. Michael's Cathedral, a department for working with youth, a missionary department, a department for studying the activities of sects and new religious movements were created.

The icon of the Mother of God "Tikhvinskaya" became a revered icon in St. Michael's Cathedral.

In 2006, during the cleaning of the crypt of an ancient temple, the remains of people were discovered. The remains were reburied according to church canons in the crypt, where parishioners began to come to pray to honor the memory of the executed.

Now, in the crypt of St. Michael's Cathedral, on the site of the martyrdom of thousands of people, a temple has been created in honor of the New Martyrs and Confessors who shone in the land of Polesie.

Altar in the crypt of St. Michael's Cathedral

On November 21, 2008, on the day of the celebration of the patronal feast of St. Michael's Cathedral, the Church Historical and Archaeological Cabinet was opened.

On November 21, 2010, on the day of the Council of the Archangel Michael of God, with the blessing of Bishop Stefan of Turov and Mozyr, the first Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the crypt church in honor of the New Martyrs and Confessors.

After the Divine Liturgy, Vladyka Exarch performed the rite of canonization

The Mozyr Cathedral, which is under the protection of St. Michael the Archangel, escaped destruction in the 20th century, when many other churches were destroyed in a terrible time for the Church. It had its own goblet of sorrow. The ordeal was no less horrific. The holy place, where believers prayed for centuries, was destined to become a place of martyrdom for hundreds of innocent people. The cathedral in 1935 was transformed into a prison of the NKVD of the Polesye region, the center of which was Mozyr. According to incomplete data, more than two thousand death sentences were passed in this prison.

Indeed, it was a very sad time, including for the Mozyr region, - says Archpriest Alexander Lapushansky, which has been studying the archives of Minsk, Gomel, Mozyr for several years and collecting information about the history of the Mozyr Cathedral. - Our temple in the 20s of the last century was taken away from the Orthodox and given to the so-called "living church". Those who served there were popularly called "renovationists". This formation was organized by the Soviet authorities in order to destroy the Orthodox Church from within. The "living church" was served by priests who, for certain offenses, fell under certain church punishments, were deprived of the right to serve, and those who were dissatisfied with the official position of the Church. These outwardly looked like Orthodox priests, they could take away any temple with the help of the authorities. Thus, about 70% of all parishes of the Orthodox Church were seized on the territory of the former Soviet Union. The same fate befell the St. Michael's Cathedral in Mozyr. People told about a certain "priest" Dudkin, who, when baptizing a child, held a cigarette in his mouth. When they made a remark to him, he answered something like this: "Be quiet, otherwise I will imprison you all." These people did not enjoy authority and therefore few believers went to the churches of the "living churchmen".

At this time, Bishop of Minsk and Turov Melchizedek drew attention to the priest John Pashin who was a diligent preacher. He was a widower, and Vladyka Melchizedek consecrated him to the rank of bishop at the Turov cathedra. Vladyka John became famous for traveling a lot and preaching everywhere. The power of his preaching was so great that the people ran to listen. Thanks to the authority of Bishop John, the Renovationist schism was destroyed on the territory of Mozyr Polissya.

Meanwhile, the Renovationist cathedra was then headed by Archbishop Petr Avdashkevich. And one day, in 1935, his body was found under the bell tower of St. Michael's Church. Official version: he made an attempt on his own life. But there were rumors that, in fact, Archbishop Peter was thrown from a height, since the tragedy happened just after Vladyka submitted a petition to the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church to return to the bosom of true Orthodoxy. After this incident, the temple ceased to function in its capacity.

In 1935, as the townspeople recall, the temple was turned into a prison. The building adjoining the Mikhailovsky Cathedral (where the diocesan administration is now) has since housed the administration of the NKVD of the Polessky region. At first, only the lower floors were equipped as a prison, and later the cathedral itself became a prison. A huge number of people passed through this place of detention, according to incomplete data - about 5 thousand people. Almost all the Mozyr clergy were repressed. Father Lapushansky tells a story that the old-timers told him:

It can be said that our temple literally stands on the blood of martyrs who were killed without guilt. Many priests have gone through suffering. Every meter of the temple is connected with a terrible story. A lot of the remains of dead people were found in its cellars. In the room where candles are now sold, massive wooden doors with powerful locks have been preserved - from those very times. The door has a viewing window. Archpriest John Kaminsky, confessor of the diocese of Turov, who served in the church for about 40 years, told the following story about this room. He also found people who were in this prison. According to memoirs, during the retreat of the Soviet troops in 1941, everyone who was in prison was herded into this room and closed. They died there. But there is no documentary evidence of this.

People who lived near the cathedral said that they could not sleep at night - because of the hum of cars that brought sand. They and lime were sprinkled with the bodies of the executed people, who lay in piles. There were about 15 tons of earth in the cellars - almost up to the ceiling.

In fact, the dungeons moved to the church quite recently. By the beginning of 1993, there was no open access to them. When believers and priests got there, they saw a terrible picture: there were skeletons, human remains and a lot of garbage. During the post-war years, there was nothing in the temple building: a dairy plant, and an archive. There were many different workshops on the territory, and all the garbage was thrown into the cellar. A lot of earth was taken out of the cellars, all the remains were carefully collected and placed in the chapel in the same room where they are now buried. Two coffins now contain about 60 skulls and bones. In total, more than 2.5 thousand people were repressed in Mozyr and the Mozyr region.

There was a version that in fact the human remains belong to the Bernardine monks, who once founded their monastery here, continues the story of Archpriest Alexander Lapushansky. - But when we entered the cellars, everything here was Soviet. We have preserved machine-gun belts, rifle shells, Soviet pennies of the 30s ...

Now in the cleaned room - the crypt of St. Michael's Cathedral, on the site of the martyrdom of thousands of people - a lower church has been created, consecrated in honor of the New Martyrs and preachers. On Mondays, it is here that the liturgy is served - at dusk, by the light of candles and lamps. We told about the fate of one of the recently glorified martyrs, priest Alexy Mogilnitsky, in our newspaper (05/31/2011). Materials are being prepared for canonization about Priest Sazonov Savich, Archpriest Vladimir Serebryakov with his wife Lilia and others - those who shed their blood for Christ.

Newspaper "Zvyazda", original in Belarusian: http://zvyazda.minsk.by/ru/archive/article.php?id=83163

Naturally, we could not pass by the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael in Mozyr, especially since it is the main Orthodox church of the Turov diocese and one of the main attractions of the city.

Quite by chance, in the courtyard of the church, we came across Priest Anatoly Malina. He told us the history of the church of the Archangel Michael, but also showed us the lower church in honor of the New Martyrs and Confessors who shone in the land of Polessky.

The Church of the Archangel Michael was built in the 18th century. Initially, it was a Bernardine church, built in the late Baroque style in the form of a two-towered three-aisled basilica.
And it began its history back in 1645, when retired colonel Stefan Lozko invited Bernardine monks to Mozyr. He built a wooden monastery for the Bernardines on the land donated for the needs of the monastery.

However, the middle of the XVII century in the history of the Belarusian land is known for wars, uprisings and unrest. During this turbulent time, the then small town of Mozyr was practically wiped off the face of the earth. And the Bernardine monastery also suffered.
Years passed, Mozyr was destroyed. Rare townspeople built housing. And only the Grand Duke of Lithuania Jan III Sobessky, the legendary savior of Europe from the Muslim invasion, in 1678 ordered the city to be rebuilt.

And only in 1745 the construction of the stone Bernardine monastery began again. The construction was financed by the powerful and noble family of Mozyr Askerok, whose commemorative plaques (tombstones?) have been preserved in the lower church. The timing of the construction of the monastery is unknown, but it is known for certain that it was not just a Bernardine monastery built in the late Baroque style. It was a whole monastic complex, which included a library and a school, and a tomb of the Askerok family was built in the crypt of the monastery.

In the 19th century the monastery was closed. For some time, the city authorities were located within its walls, there was also a hospital, which in 1864 burned several times. The city authorities decided to close the hospital. and the building of the temple, until it completely collapsed, in the same 1864 was transferred to the Orthodox Church. Repairs were made there, and the temple was consecrated in honor of the holy Archangel Michael of God.

The 20th century did not bring anything good to this temple either. The First World War and the Bolshevik Revolution and the bloody Stalinist terror saw the walls of the Church of the Archangel Michael…
The massive destruction of churches and shrines in the 1920s was only a prelude to the beginning of a real bacchanalia of mass homicide.

The Mozyr Cathedral of the Holy Archangel Michael was not destroyed only because it was under the protection of the Archangel of the heavenly host. But that doesn't mean everything went smoothly.
The cathedral was turned into a prison of the NKVD of the Polesie region, the center of which was Mozyr. According to incomplete data, more than 2,000 death sentences were passed on innocent people in this prison.

When they dismantled the contents of the crypt of St. Michael's Cathedral, they found there a huge number of remains of those terrible times. The skulls were pierced by bullets. Some of the remains are kept in a crypt. Priest Anatoly showed them to us.

The Cathedral of St. Archangel Michael is located at the address: Mozyr, st. Komsomolskaya, 20. This is not far from the Mozyr castle.

1. Temple under restoration. This is how it looked a week ago.