Church of the Virgin Mary owes its construction to the Jesuits, who began their activities in Minsk In the middle XVII century. In 1683, the monks of the order began the construction of the monastery, and already in 1700 a stone church was laid. By 1710 the church was completely finished and lit with the names of Jesus, Mary and St. Barbara. Despite this, the appearance of the church continued to change over the next decades.
The appearance that we can see today was formed in 1732, when the towers of the church were completed.
The external and internal design of the Church of the Virgin Mary belongs to the Baroque style and rightfully aroused the admiration of the parishioners. Frescoes, beautiful murals, ornamental painting, wooden figures of 12 apostles - all this made the temple majestic.
In 1773, the church was reorganized into a parish due to the abolition of the Jesuit order. After 1798, the temple was re-consecrated into the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
During the Second World War, the church was badly damaged, but was not destroyed. In fact, it was rebuilt already under Soviet rule in 1951, completely destroying the towers and the appearance of the temple. Ancient frescoes and murals were simply painted over with paint.
The building of the church became the place where sports sections trained until 1993. By 1997 Church of the Virgin Mary reconstructed, returning the former appearance, and re-consecrated.
The church and the former Jesuit monastery are located in the very center of historical Minsk, opposite the town hall, at Freedom Square 9.
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