In a beautiful city Mogilev there is a unique attraction - Church of St. Stanislaus. One of the most unusual churches in Belarus, among other things, keeps the most beautiful frescoes of the 18th century. The Mogilev church is a symbol of Western European baroque.
One of the interesting features of the church is its location. It is located in the historical center of Mogilev, but in the courtyards, built up with residential buildings around the perimeter.
Archaeologists have established that the foundation of the temple was built from stones of various shapes and sections. There is a legend that for the construction of the church, the townspeople brought bricks from their houses and even stoves.
The history of the church in Mogilev
In the middle of the 17th century, with the approval of the King of Poland Vladislav the fourth, a monastery of the Carmelite Order was located in Mogilev. The monks build a wooden temple and residential buildings by 1636. A fire in 1708 completely destroyed the church building, but gave impetus to the construction of a stone church. So in 1732 year construction work begins Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.
By 1752, construction work was completed, and the result was really impressive.
After the 1st partition of the Commonwealth, the church of the monastery of the Carmelite Order became Cathedral of St. Stanislaus. In addition, there are several significant reconstructions that significantly change the appearance of the Mogilev Cathedral. So in 1818 the main facade appeared before the parishioners in the architecture of the classical style. The church was decorated with a portico crowned with four massive columns.
Of course, the interior has also changed, but retaining the old elements and features of the Baroque style.
After the revolution of 1917, the worldview and attitude of society towards religion changed. The church of St. Stanislaus was turned into a grain warehouse. During the Second World War, the headquarters of the people's militia was located within the walls of the Mogilev church. After the war, there were attempts to restore the holding of services, but the idea was not successful. In 1947, the historical archive began to be located in the church.
The next decade was marked by a barbaric attitude towards cultural heritage: the frescoes were damaged, the most unique organ disappeared without a trace. And only after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the church regained its former significance.
In addition to the Church of St. Stanislaus, in Mogilev you should definitely see Nikolsky Monastery. Help for convenience sightseeing map of Belarusand country tours.
