Smolyany (Smolyany) - perhaps the most interesting and rich in sights settlement of the Vitebsk region. In this agricultural town, 3 large-scale architectural monuments have been preserved, which today appear in the form of ruins and ruins. Pro Church of St. Alexis и Castle "White" Kovel» read the links in other articles, and in this material the history and description Church of the Virgin Mary and the Dominican Monastery.
The ruins of the church in Smolyany clearly visible from the entrance. The temple is located in the center of the village and rises grandiosely against the backdrop of small village houses.
The exact date of construction of the church is unknown. According to one version, the first wooden temple was erected in 1678-80 years commissioned by Geronim Sangushka, for Dominican monks. According to another - the church, but also made of wood, appeared in 1729 year, under Pavel Sangushka.
The stone church of the Virgin Mary dates from 1786 year.
Initially, the church was part of a Dominican monastery, the residential building of which was only partially preserved, but was seriously rebuilt in Soviet times. The ruins of the building are located to the left of the temple, on the pediment there is a date of reconstruction (1937).
After the defeat of the 1830 uprising, Dominican monastery in Smolyany closed. The church continued to operate, but already as an ordinary parish. At the end of the 19th century, the monastery buildings were overhauled.
A new test, which the church and the former monastery could no longer survive, awaited them in the 30s of the last century. The buildings were handed over to the local collective farm - a warehouse was located in them and workshops were organized.
Around 2019, the ruins of the church were surrounded by a fence and the passage inside was closed. This decision is perhaps the best - as the local outcasts left piles of garbage.
Despite the fact that the church in Smolyany has come down to us in a desolated, ruined form, it has not lost its grandeur. The place leaves a strong impression. It will not be difficult to go inside the church if you wish.
Climbing up the preserved spiral staircase to the second floor, as if you are going to another time. The crypt of the church is a completely different story.
There is a legend that under the temple there is a road to the castle, located nearby. Many locals are ready to share fascinating stories about how they climbed this tunnel in their childhood.
The ruins of the Church of the Virgin Mary are located in the village of Smolyany, Orsha district. The easiest way to get there is by car along the M1 highway, then the exit to Zasekli village.
See also excursions in Vitebsk and more sights of Belarus on the map.
This is how the church looked in the first half of the 20th century. Snapshot scan from the book “Golden Arrows on a Black Field”