There are many churches, temples, monasteries in Belarus. One of them is one of the hundred most revered Orthodox shrines in the world, which has an ancient history. We will learn about him further from the article.
Small icon
For almost half a thousand years, the Holy Assumption Monastery in Zhirovichi has been serving people. And his life began with a very small icon. There is a legend about this.
The temple owes its appearance to an amazing event. It was a long time ago (in 1494). Then the shepherds, who were grazing the flock of their master Alexander Soltan, wandered into a dense forest. We stopped at a wild pear tree. And suddenly, among the branches, they saw some kind of radiance. It was an icon that hung right on a tree. With a quivering feeling they removed the image. Brought to the owner. He almost brushed off the shepherds, did not even believe this story. Indifferently put the find in the chest. And in the evening, feasting with his guests, he remembered. Decided to show it. I went to the room to take it, but there was no icon in place.
In the morning he told the shepherds to go to the forest, to the same place. They came and looked around. The icon hung in exactly the same way, on the same tree - all in the rays of light. The workers took it, returned itboyar. And only then did he believe in this miracle of God. He received the wondrous shrine with great reverence and went himself to the place where it was found. After praying, he promised the Lord that he would build a temple here, in Zhirovichi, and give it a name in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos.
People who wanted to lead a monastic life began to come to the miraculous image (of the Mother of God). And so the monastery was formed here.
Never closed
In 1520, the church built by the boyar and the neighboring buildings were destroyed by fire. In the fire, people thought, the icon also disappeared. However, she was soon found. And who? The kids who played near the conflagration.
Once (1613) the new wooden Assumption Church was handed over to the Basilian (Catholic) monks. They built a stone temple and the same monastery. These buildings have survived to this day, but with minor changes. And in 1839, with the permission of Emperor Nicholas I, the entire monastery converted to Orthodoxy.
It is also noteworthy that during the Soviet times it was not only not closed, it even had a theological seminary. Future priests were trained here.
Healing the soul and body
Chroniclers diligently recorded the entire history of the monastery. Of course, they did not miss those numerous cases of miraculous healing of people from serious illnesses with the help of the miraculous icon that is located in Zhirovichi. She healed not only the body, but also the soul. Helped find a way out of difficult situations in life.
Not only ordinary people came to Zhirovichi. MonasteryI also saw the kings of the Commonwe alth, other high-ranking persons. And on the Feast of the Intercession only in the 19th century, a lot came here, sometimes more than 30 thousand people from different countries.
An interesting fact: before this icon (called the "Zhirovichi Mother of God") not only the Orthodox bowed their heads. In one Roman monastery, which belongs to the Basilian order, there is a copy of it. In the capital of Italy, she is very revered.
“We need to go to the village of Zhirovichi. The monastery is a must-visit,” many people make such plans. They travel hundreds, or even several thousand kilometers, in order to bow their heads before the miraculous icon, drink water from the source and ask the Mother of God to heal from ailments.
Three styles of architecture
Historians will confirm that this monastery (Zhirovichi, Belarus) became widely known and rich by the 17th century. And just as revered as the Catholic in Poland, in the city of Czestochowa. It also has its own icon of the Mother of God and is famous for it. This monastery has become a monument of history and a symbol of the unity of the Polish nation.
But Zhirovichi was built in the 17th and 18th centuries. Therefore, it is very interesting from the point of view of architecture. After all, it combines such styles as rococo, baroque and classicism. The whole ensemble consists of several parts: the Cathedral (Holy Assumption) - one, the churches of the Ex altation of the Cross and the Epiphany - two, the bell tower - three.
There are also educational institutions on the territory (seminary, theological academy). Add residential buildings, outbuildings,refectory, etc. A whole town! And over time, a village grew up nearby.
It is interesting that the monks themselves are now reviving Old Zhirovichi, the very village where the landowner Soltan, mentioned in the legend, lived for a long time.
A night in a holy place
When there were too many travelers, they built a Pilgrim's House for them. It is 500 meters from the monastery. Here people can relax and even spend the night. You just need to book your place in advance. Moreover, women are settled in it, and men are placed in different places (on the territory of the monastery). Of course, these are not hotels, as we used to understand them. We'll have to spend a day or two without the usual amenities. The house has three-, six- and ten-bed rooms. There are no frills, just everything you need.
The refectory is also open to visitors. Everything cooked in it is very tasty and he althy. Most of the vegetables are grown by the monks in their gardens. Lunches are paid, but inexpensive. There are no meat dishes here.
In a word, everything is attractive: the administrative center of Zhirovichi itself, the monastery. The photos presented in the article will confirm this.
There is something to see
First of all, the Assumption Cathedral attracts. The history of its transformation is unusual. After all, at first the cathedral was built in the Baroque style. The work was completed in 1650. On the facade, it had two beautiful towers. Later, already in the first half of the 19th century, a reconstruction was carried out. And other features of classicism were added to the appearance of the cathedral. The turrets were dismantled, the decor was changed. Made changes to the formdomes, drum for light. They decided to decorate the facades with columns and pilasters. They ended with triangular pediments. Only the interior of the temple was kept baroque.
There is a healing spring under the Holy Dormition Cathedral. According to an old legend, he scored when the icon was found here. The temple (the very first, burned down later) was specially erected next to this place. Now the placement of his altar is marked with a small wooden cross. This is the very point where the miraculous icon appeared to people. It's all worth seeing with your own eyes.
Special tours
As the number of people wishing to visit here is increasing every year, pilgrimage trips have been organized. Many people strive to go to Zhirovichi, see the monastery as an architectural monument and join the shrines. Such a voyage began to be included in their plans and travel companies. And we saw that the route to the village of Zhirovichi (monastery) turned out to be very popular. A tour of it causes enthusiastic responses. Recession in the number of people wishing to come here has not yet been observed. They come from all over the country. Many tourists are from foreign countries.
You can take such a trip yourself. Who has a car is not a problem at all. And some unite in groups, companies, and travel on small buses.
The final destination is known: Zhirovichi (monastery). We will tell you how to get there. The exact address is: Belarus, Grodno region, Slonim district. The village itself is 11 kilometers from the regional center. Exact address: streetCathedral, 57.
Here you came by train to Grodno. From it there are no direct bus flights to Zhirovichi. You need to get to Slonim first. By the time it is two hours (it is necessary to leave early, at 7 am). And from the district center to the desired village, buses run frequently. The whole journey will take half an hour.
Holy Springs
Besides visiting the monastery town, by all means go to the holy springs. There are only three of them here. True, only two are open to guests, since one is located under the altar. And only monks have the right to go down to it. But the most interesting thing is the very source that made its way from under the roots of the pear tree, where the miraculous icon appeared!
And another moment. Both springs are at the same distance from the monastery. But they are called so: Far and Near. The first is about two hundred years old. You have to go straight to it along the main street of the village. Near it and in summer, with strong heat, it is always cool. It is created by tall trees with a dense crown surrounding the source. A bathhouse has also been set up here.
The road leading to the city of Ivatsevichi leads to the Near source (it was consecrated 9 years ago). There are baths for men and women. This is very convenient, especially for those who come as part of tourist groups. They say that in winter, of course, people do not go into the water - it's cold. But the most courageous, for the sake of joining this shrine and their recovery, nevertheless descend into the ice font.
Touch the miracle
The monastery complex is big. A whole tour of it is usually carried out. itinspection of both the Cathedral of the Holy Assumption, and the church of Nikolskaya attached to it. Next in line are Yavlenskaya, as well as Krestovozdvizhenskaya and Georgievskaya. It is interesting to climb the belfry, look into the buildings of the old and new seminaries. And, of course, the dining room. The main reason why people come here is to touch the main shrine, the Zhirovichi Icon of the Mother of God. By the way, she is the smallest of the miraculous. Just the palm of your hand.
It is also worth looking at the stone that keeps the traces of the Mother of God, and at the Gospel - Zhirovichsky, handwritten.
Noble, bright feelings give birth to a monastery in Zhirovichi. The reviews of those who have visited it are worthy of being written down and compiled into a whole book. Useful for posterity.
