30 km from Vileyki is agricultural town Ilya, often found in tourist routes. The place is attractive as a Catholic shrine of the early 20th century. Church of the Heart of Jesus was built in 1907-1909 years and is a stone Catholic church. Getting to Ilya is not difficult - the village is located next to a busy highway Minsk-Myadel (R58).
Nearby is the picturesque Vileika reservoir. On one of its banks there is a place Vyazyn, where interesting architectural objects have been preserved - Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary и Church of the Intercession.
Ilya was first mentioned in 1564 as a place in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The first temple on this territory was built in 1669, but it has not survived to this day.
As we said earlier, in the agricultural town you can see the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ. The temple is interesting for its architecture. Built in the neo-Romanesque style of brick and wood, it is the main decoration of Ilya.
The thick walls are decorated with ornaments. The apse adjoins the main volume of the temple.
During the period of Soviet power, many shrines Belarus were closed to the public. Ilya's church was not closed. However, the temple was badly damaged during the Second World War and services were not held in it for some time.
In the second half of the 20th century, the religious building became the place where the dairy shop was located.
Church of the Heart of Jesus in Ilya was able to reopen the doors only in 1990. Three years later, the temple was re-consecrated.
To this day, the church operates and receives not only parishioners, but also tourists interested in the history and culture of Belarus.
The church in the village of Ilya is quite easy to find, located near the highway, see the mark on the map:
In addition, on the Poshyk.info website, you can see other sights of the Minsk region or create an exciting route using attractions map.
I pass this church very often when I go to Vileyka. Beautiful temple, always a pleasure to see.