Hello everybody! Built by the Jesuits in the middle of the 17th century, the Archcathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary has become one of the main shrines of Catholicism in the Republic of Belarus. Those magnificent church is located in the very center of Minsk and is the center of the Roman Catholic religious denomination. Across the road from it is the city hall, which I talked about last time. One of the interesting facts of the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary is associated with Pope Pius VI. In 1722, he donated the relics of St. Felician to this monastery. One of the interesting facts of the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary is associated with Pope Pius VI. In 1722, he transferred the relics of St. Felician to this cathedral. Since then, St. Felician has been considered the heavenly patron of Minsk.
Visually, it seems that the church is sandwiched between two residential buildings. This is partly true. On one of the historical archival photographs, we can see that the buildings nearby were originally part of the architectural ensemble. One way or another, but throughout its centuries-old history, the temple has undergone a number of reconstructions.
After the abolition of the Jesuit Order by Pope Clement XIV, the Minsk Jesuit Church changed its status. In the future, this happened repeatedly. In 1934, the Soviet authorities closed the church of the Virgin Mary, and looted the interior. Since then, the cathedral has been used as a garage and car service station. Further changes took place only after the Second World War.
Despite the fact that the cathedral successfully survived the war in 1951, a total reconstruction was carried out. Two towers were destroyed and the original baroque façade was converted to the Empire style. Inside, the building was divided by reinforced concrete floors and solemnly turned the former cathedral into a sports club Spartak.
Photo source Archival photograph of the facade of the cathedral after the reconstruction
However, something else is interesting, that the architects who rebuilt the cathedral under the Stalinist Empire style were not indifferent. Under the added façade and layers of paint, they kept (camouflaged) everything that was possible. In addition, detailed drawings of the church, children's photographs of important details and architectural elements and unique paintings were preserved. Thanks to this, during the restoration work in the 1990-2000s, the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary was completely restored and acquired its original appearance.
In the niche of the figured pediment above the central part of the facade there is a sculpture of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a three-nave basilica in the 18th century Vilna Baroque style. The main façade of the church is richly decorated and framed by two tall five-tiered towers. They are decorated with semicircular niches, vases, pilasters, through openings and graceful cupolas with crosses. The building of the cathedral goes slightly deeper into the quarter, which creates a feeling of comfort.
The Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary for several centuries was the tallest building in the city of Minsk. Majestic towers towered over the city and served as a landmark. Very often the silhouette of the temple was depicted on postcards and historical sketches. Currently, the building of the cathedral is an architectural monument of Belarus and attracts the attention of guests and residents of the capital of Belarus. I hope you enjoy this majestic historic building as much as I did.
Photo information:
Author: @danny.green
Camera: Nikon D5200
Location: Minsk, Belarus
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