Hello to all! Over 300 years ago, in 1695, a wooden church was erected in Pinsk. This building belonged to the society of the Bartholometes, who were sometimes called "communists" because they lived in communes. Only in 1770, on the site of the former wooden church, the members of the order began the construction of a stone one. After 12 years, the work was completed. It was consecrated in honor of the Cardinal of the Catholic Church, Carlo Borromeo, hence the official name. This temple had a difficult fate and many transformations.
The Church of Charles Borromeo is visually built in the Baroque style in combination with castle architecture. The walls are 2 or more meters thick, and the tower resembles a fortress. In combination with many underground passages, one might think that we are talking about a defensive structure, rather than a prayer building. The side walls have small arched windows that look like loopholes. Another interesting note is that the Church of Charles Borromeo does not have an apse (curve on the back of the building), which is quite rare.
In 1836, the Bartholomites stopped their activities in the territory of Pinsk, and the church of St. Charles Barromey was in disrepair for a long time. However, soon, thanks to the donations of caring local residents, the Church was restored. But it changed its name to Holy Trinity Cathedral. It didn't last long. In the early 1900s, the building of the restored cathedral became part of the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Thus, the church existed until the 1960s and was closed. It is surprising that he managed to survive two world wars, but life is closed in peacetime. Only in 2013 the church building was restored again, but turned into a city concert hall.
I got lucky twice. Firstly, the Concert Hall was closed, but they kindly let me inside. Secondly, there was no one who could interfere, and the caretaker gave me a tour. Inside the concert hall of the Church of Charles Borromeo there is a large room with a stage and seats for spectators. In addition, exhibitions of paintings by Pinsk artists are regularly held there.
On the second tier of the tower is a small observation room. I would say that these are several VIP places from which it is convenient to watch what is happening on stage and enjoy live music. But the passage to these places is quite narrow. This is the "original" part of the church that has not been restored. The narrow passage and high steps reveal the architectural past of this building.
The lighting in the concert hall is rather poor, as it was originally designed for artificial light. I often pay attention to windows as a source of light. But here the windows are a decorative element with various images. Against the backdrop of snow-white walls, this is a great solution for interior decoration.
The exhibition of paintings is a reflection of the former city of Pinsk through the eyes of creative people. On them you can see the religious buildings of the region in different years. There are even now defunct churches. It was also interesting to see the Church of Charles Borromeo.
My acquaintance with the Church of Charles Borromeo, and now a concert hall, has come to an end. While exploring this place, I was amazed at how many events this church went through before becoming a concert hall. It had many chances to turn into ruins, but thanks to the efforts of the townspeople, the Baroque architectural monument was preserved. Amazing.
Photo information:
Author: @danny.green
Camera: Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro
Location: Pinsk, Belarus
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