If you are planning excursions to Belarus, visit the city of Grodno. It is located in the western part of the country, on the border with Lithuania and Poland. Grodno is interesting primarily for its architectural sights. This city is one of the oldest in the Republic of Belarus; he managed to save a lot of historical buildings. One of the brightest monuments of ancient architecture is the Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier (unofficially called the Farny Church). This is one of the main and most beautiful sights of the city, certainly worthy of the attention of tourists who sometimes specially visit Grodno in order to see the famous temple with their own eyes.
Location
Address of the Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier: Grodno, Sovetskaya street, 4. You can get there on foot from the bus or railway station along Eliza Ozheshko street. A walk will allow you to enjoy the beauty of the streets of Grodno.
History of the monumentarchitecture
The Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier in Grodno was built in 1683. It was built by the Jesuits for collegium meetings. Services have been held since 1700, and the name of Francis Xavier, a holy Catholic missionary, was given to the cathedral in 1705. The consecration of the temple was witnessed by the king of the Commonwe alth Augustus the First and the Russian emperor Peter the Great. Later, in addition to the services, philosophy lessons began to be held there, and a pharmacy was opened. The library gradually expanded, new scientific treatises appeared. Then for some time in the history of the cathedral there was a lull associated with the period of wars. Only in the thirties, activities for its arrangement and development resumed. In 1736 the church was decorated with an altar made by Jan Schmidt. Until 1762, the cathedral was being completed, and new courses were introduced into the curriculum.
Today
During the active struggle against religious beliefs, the temple was going to be blown up. Having learned about this, the people of Grodsk surrounded the temple and stayed there for several days, reading a prayer. Thanks to their efforts, the Cathedral was defended.
Unfortunately, in 2006 there was a fire in the cathedral. Some sculptures burned down completely, a few were badly damaged. Donations were collected for the reconstruction, which lasted from 2009 to 2011. At the moment, the Cathedral of St. Francis of Kaveria attracts not only Catholic believers for prayers, but also tourists - connoisseurs of ancient architecture. Entrance there is free. Services are held in three languages: Russian, Polish and Belarusian, depending on the schedule. By the way, it is curious that the pharmacy, opened in the 18th century, is still working.
Exterior of the Cathedral
The cathedral was built in the Baroque style. The towers reach up to 65 meters in height, so the church can be seen from almost any part of the city. One of them is decorated with an old clock, one of the most rare in Eastern Europe (about 600 years old). Despite this, they are still active. For the first time, the clock was mentioned back in 1496, and even then it was said that they were quite ancient. In the 20th century, clocks were being repaired; this happened in 1995, but the mechanism was still not replaced.
The ancient bells, cast in 1665, unfortunately, have not been preserved. During the First World War, they were taken to Germany. Now the cathedral houses the bells that were installed there in 1938.
On the facade of the cathedral, in niches, statues of saints are installed. The topmost is decorated with a sculpture of Francis Xavier himself; in the lower - the apostles Peter and Paul.
Opposite the doors of the temple is a statue of Jesus Christ carrying the cross. The inscription with which the Christian liturgy begins is engraved on the pedestal: Sursum Corda, which in Latin means "let us lift up hearts".
Temple Interior
The famous altar of Jan Christian Schmidt is still the main decoration inside the cathedral. The figure of St. Francis Xavier is located in the center of the first tier. To the left and to the right of it are sculptures of the biblical apostles: Paul, Peter, Andrew the First-Called, JamesZebedee, Nathanael, Jacob Alfeev, Thaddeus, Philip, Simon. Paying attention to the second tier, the tourist will see the figure of Christ in the center and the statues of Mark, Luke, Matthew and John - the four Gospel apostles. There are also four holy preachers of Catholicism: Ambrose, Jerome, Gregory and Augustine. The altar is made of wood and is colored to look like light and gray marble. It is decorated with lots of gilding. The iconostasis is also made entirely of wood. The main altar is recognized as one of the highest in Eastern Europe.
In addition to this altar, there are 12 more in the church, and they are dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the holy images of Catholicism, the Trinity.
The cathedral is also decorated with frescoes and stained glass windows.
By right, the cathedral houses a bust of King Stefan Batory, who once made a financial donation for the construction of temples for the collegium, including this one.
Icon of Our Lady of Students
This is one of the most valuable treasures of the cathedral. It was given to students during the existence of the Jesuit College by the gentry Voitekh Zalerovsky. This icon is known for a large number of healings and miracles after prayer in front of it. During the Great Patriotic War, a shell hit the Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier, however, flying past the icon, it did not explode.
In honor of Our Lady of Students, a holiday is celebrated annually on August 5.
The icon is older than the church. The first mention of it falls on 1644-1650, when it was brought from Rome.
The sample is a copper sheet size 1722 centimeters depicting the faces of the Mother of God and the Savior. The small size is explained by the fact that the icon was originally made for pilgrims to wear on their chests in a special bag. It is made entirely with oil paints.
There are various donations on the frame that surrounds the icon. Their Catholic believers bring as gratitude for help or miraculous healing: pectoral crosses, coins, rings, metal figurines.
Reviews of tourists about the cathedral
Anyone who has seen this ancient monument of architecture and went inside, notes the beauty and luxury of the church. It is very convenient for tourists that it is visible from almost any part of the city, so it is difficult to miss or not find it. Many consider this cathedral to be the most interesting and beautiful place in the city. Those who are just going on an excursion to Belarus definitely plan to visit the city of Grodno and this church.
