The Belarusian capital today is a large modern city, organically developing, but having managed to preserve its historical heritage. Religious objects occupy an important place in the architecture of Minsk. Historically, the Belarusian land has been home to believers of different denominations. Orthodox churches and Catholic churches coexist here and serve the common cause of spiritual enlightenment and unification of parishioners.
Many important historical and architectural monuments have survived among the Minsk churches; they are under the careful protection of the state. Here you can visit objects in the neo-Gothic and Baroque styles, in the Russian and Russian-Byzantine styles, and get acquainted with wooden architecture. Ancient and modern temples are of interest to both pilgrims and lovers of cultural recreation.
Operating churches and cathedrals in Minsk
List of the most famous and beautiful temples in the city.
Holy Spirit Cathedral
The main temple of the Belarusian capital is located in the center of the historical part of the city. Its history dates back to the middle of the 17th century, when a Catholic monastery was built on this site. Later it burned down and was reconstructed, and in 1860 an Orthodox church was opened here. The cathedral did not function from the moment of the arrival of Soviet power until 1942, later it was completed and repaired several times. The most valuable shrines are the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of 1500 and the relics of Sophia of Slutskaya.
Address: Minsk, st. Cyril and Methodius, 3
Site: sabor.by
Church of Kirill Turovsky
The temple is located at the cathedral. Previously, this building housed a residential building of an old monastery. In the XIX century it was consecrated as a separate chapel in honor of Nicholas the Wonderworker. After the construction of the Minsk Spiritual and Educational Center, the temple was consecrated in honor of Mikhail Turovsky, the center also bears his name. Now it is the home church of the Minsk Theological Academy. The relics of Belarusian saints are kept here; services in the Belarusian language are conducted according to a separate schedule.
Address: Zybitskaya, 25 A
Site: minda.by
All Saints Church
The temple was built in 2006 and bears the status of a memorial temple in memory of the innocent victims. The remains of three soldiers who died on Belarusian soil in 1812, during the First World War and the Great Patriotic War, are buried in the crypt of the temple. The building is a large white-stone church with a hipped roof and five domes; a high staircase leads to the entrance. Further development is planned.
Address: Kalinovsky, 121
Website: hramvs.by
Church of the Holy Trinity
The wooden church near Vsekhsvyatskaya was built in just three years according to old technology. The walls were built of logs without the use of fasteners, and moss was used as insulation. Outwardly, the temple resembles an old tower, although it was opened in 2006. It was founded for services during the construction of the All Saints Church, but later it remained an operating independent church.
Address: F. Skoriny, 11
Site: hramst.by
Peter and Paul Cathedral
This architectural and historical monument of the Renaissance is located in the Central District of the city. The cathedral was built in 1620 and is the only building that has survived from that era. Since 1933, the cathedral was closed, services were resumed from 1941 to 1944, later an archive was set up in it. Since 1991, divine services have resumed, at the moment it has been completely restored and freed from the late additions.
Address: Rakovskaya, 4
Site: sppsobor.by
Sorrow Church
The church was founded in Minsk in 1991 in memory of those killed and injured in the Chernobyl disaster. For the architectural project, the Polotsk Sophia of the 11th century was taken as a model. The parish is a temple complex: a cathedral church, a baptismal church, a chapel, a belfry and an educational building. The temple has the status of a Center for Spiritual Education, a lot of social work is being done, important events are being held.
Address: Pritytsky, 65
Site: hramvsr.by
Church of Mary Magdalene
An old classicist church is located next to the territory of the former Storozhevsky cemetery. It was built in 1847. In Soviet times, the temple was closed and reopened several times. Most of the decoration and shrines were lost, valuable frescoes were damaged. After 1990, the church finally returned to the believers, a particle of the relics of Mary Magdalene was transferred here. Nearby is the 19th century watchtower and the new Svyatopredtechenskaya church.
Address: Kiselyova, 42
Alexander Nevsky Church
The temple with intricate shapes and exquisite decor is made in the best traditions of Russian ornamentation. It was built in 1898 on the territory of the Military Cemetery in Minsk. The temple has not only spiritual, but also great historical value. Both senior officers and ordinary soldiers are buried here. A small portable wooden church has survived, which was used for prayers during the Russian-Turkish war.
Address: Kozlova, 11
Site: nevsky.by
Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Vilna Baroque cathedral of the early 18th century is the main Catholic cathedral in Minsk. It is located in the center of the city and is considered to be its decoration. The facade is framed by two three-tiered towers with bell towers, and the interior is also impressive. Valuable frescoes plastered during the Soviet era are being opened and restored. Protected by the state as a monument of history and architecture.
Address: Minsk, Svoboda square, 9
Church of St. Andrew the First-Called
The construction of this temple began in 1995, and four years later the first services were already held here. In 2009, the temple was consecrated on the feast day of St. Andrew the First-Called. The light temple with two golden domes is an adornment and spiritual center of the Drazhnya microdistrict. A Sunday school and sisterhood have been opened here, work is underway with the disabled and the wards of the nursing home.
Address: Malinina, 19
Website: andreevsky.chram.bel
Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos
The Intercession Parish is a large temple complex on the banks of a holy spring in the Kruptsy region, next to the Minsk-Arena. Here are the Church of the Krupetskaya Icon of the Mother of God with a bell tower, the Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, chapels and auxiliary buildings. The temple stood here for a long time, but in 1936 it was destroyed. Its revival began in 1992 and in 2007 it was consecrated. The place is very beautiful, loved by the townspeople and especially the newlyweds.
Address: Minsk, Pobediteley Avenue, 82
Site: pokrovhram.by
Temple of Sophia Slutskaya
The parish is located in the Oktyabrsky district of Minsk, on Kazintsa Square. Its construction was carried out in the early 2000s. In front of the church there is a monument to the holy noble Sophia, the last of the family of Slutsk princes. She is highly revered in Belarusian Orthodoxy, is considered the protector of believers and the patroness of future mothers. There is a Sunday school at the church, pilgrimage trips are organized, parishioners can receive both material and legal assistance.
Address: Kazintsa, 108
Site: ssofia.cerkov.ru
Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord
A new white-stone church was built in 2000-2009 on the avenue of the newspaper Pravda. The first service took place on the feast of the Nativity of Christ in 2010. In this area, the white-stone temple can be seen from afar thanks to the high bell tower. The building is built like a basilica, in the center of which there is a tower with a dome.
Address: Minsk, avenue of the newspaper "Pravda", 31
Church of the Resurrection
A large cross-domed five-domed church is located in the Zeleny Lug microdistrict. It was consecrated in 2000. Consists of two parts. The lower, crypt, is consecrated in honor of John of Kormiansky, a part of his relics is kept here. The upper church was consecrated in honor of the Resurrection of Christ. The new temple was erected in memory of the Holy Resurrection Church, which existed in Minsk since ancient times, but in a different place.
Address: Gamarnika, 27 A
Website: www.voskresprihod.by
Church of St. John of Kronstadt
The appearance of this temple is not entirely ordinary. Uninformed people may find it unusual to have an Orthodox dome on the roof of a modern city building. The point is that the parish was founded on the 4th floor of the Atlant refrigerator plant in Minsk. The temple was consecrated in 2000, a sisterhood, a Sunday school, and a library were organized. Work is underway with workers and veterans of the plant, and cultural events are organized.
Address: Sapyorov, 5
Website: kronsh.prihod.ru
Temple of St. George the Victorious
The St. George parish is planned as a large temple complex in the Chizhovka microdistrict. The construction will be carried out in two stages. First of all, the church of the Minsk Icon of the Mother of God was erected. This icon, acquired in 1500, is especially revered by Belarusian Christians. The church conducts regular services and provides social support to those in need. At the second stage, the main church in honor of St. George the Victorious and the parish house will be built.
Address: Golodeda, 60
Temple of the Optina Elders
The temple was built the first in the parish of Seraphim of Sarov. A large wooden tower with three domes was built in 2003 in compliance with the traditions of Belarusian architecture. Particles of the relics of Orthodox saints, including the Optina Elders, as well as icons of the 18th - 19th centuries are kept here. There is a youth department and a sisterhood at the church, helping the sick and needy.
Address: Minsk, Kosmonavtov st., 24
Website: vk.com/serafimminsk
Sovereign church
At the Elizabethan convent in the suburban village of Novinki, it was decided to build a church in which it would be possible to conduct baptism and wedding ceremonies. In 2004, a new Byzantine-style white-stone church was opened. Both the exterior and interior decoration are skillfully executed. The upper church was consecrated in honor of the Sovereign icon of the Mother of God, and the lower one - in honor of the Royal Passion-bearers.
Address: Vygotsky, 6 A
Temple "Recovery of the lost"
The chapel temple was built in 1998 in memory of the liquidators and victims of the Chernobyl disaster. A memorial museum dedicated to the tragedy has been set up in a separate room. The building is a hexagon with a multi-tiered roof topped with a single dome. The facade and tiers of the roof are decorated with arches. Located in the Friendship of Peoples Park.
Address: Lili Karastoyanova, 14
Site: hramvp.by
Temple of the Archangel Michael
There is a large modern Orthodox parish in the Sukharevo microdistrict. It is a temple complex consisting of a Sunday school, a refectory, the Church of Blessed Xenia of Petersburg. The main temple of the complex was consecrated in honor of the Archangel of God Michael. The large white-stone building has a two-tiered roof, the tiers are decorated with bronze arches. It is crowned with one golden dome. A bell tower is installed nearby.
Address: Yankovsky, 2
Site: arhangelhram.by
Church of Xenia of Petersburg
The church, which is part of the parish of the Archangel Michael, was built in 2012. The church contains parts of the relics of 46 Orthodox saints and martyrs. Each of them can be prayed for and asked for protection. The sisterhood provides support to veterans and disabled people, and leads the patronage of the baby's home. There is an educational center.
Address: Yankovsky, 2
Church of the Holy Trinity
The church in the center of the Belarusian capital has the status of a monument of history and architecture. The Catholic parish was built in 1864 in the neo-Gothic style. It is located in the Zolotaya Gorka area. This is the oldest Catholic community in Minsk, documentary evidence has been preserved from the XIV century. In Soviet times, there was a philharmonic hall with an organ here. In the church there is a statue of St. Roch, who, according to legend, saved Minsk from a cholera epidemic.
Address: Minsk, Independence Avenue, 44 A
Site: roch.by
Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist
The Orthodox parish began its development with the construction of a small baptismal church. It was consecrated in honor of the parents of John the Baptist, the prophet Zechariah and the righteous Elizabeth. Later, they began to build the main temple in honor of John the Baptist, who baptized Jesus Christ. The temple is white stone, a bell tower is built above the entrance. The main part of the building is square, topped with a gilded dome. Improvement continues.
Address: Stakhanovskaya, 32
Site: hramik.by
Temple of Athanasius of Brest
Previously, a parish in honor of the Venerable Righteous One of the Belarusian land existed in another place, in the village of Ozerishche, but in 2005 it was destroyed by fire. In 2008, a new church was opened in the Uruchye microdistrict. The temple is two-altar. The upper part is consecrated in honor of Athanasius Brestkiy. The altar of the lower, crypt church, is consecrated in honor of All the saints who shone in the land of Russia.
Address: Rogachevskaya, 8 A
Site: uru4e.cerkov.ru
Church of Job the Long-Suffering
The House of Mercy is a unique Orthodox complex in Minsk. It is arranged as a single large building, which was laid in the form of a six-pointed cross. The Church of Job the Long-suffering is at the head of the cross. The exterior of the building is made in a restrained style, but the interior decoration is very interesting. The painting of the walls is made with a national flavor, a unique iconostasis of white porcelain is installed.
Address: Francisk Skaryna, 11
Website: www.charity.by
Temple of Sergius of Radonezh
The construction of a large temple complex is underway in the Brilevichi area. A small baptismal church was built first, and the construction of a large one-domed church, which will become the main one, continues. Improvement of a large adjoining territory, a chapel and the construction of an educational center are planned. A monument to Sergius of Radonezh was erected and consecrated in front of the temple.
Address: Karolinskaya, 7
Website: www.sergiyhram.com
Church of Saints Simeon and Helena
This Catholic church has become one of the symbols of the city, one of the most recognizable buildings. It is also called the Red Church, as its walls are made of red brick. It was built in 1910, designed on the model of one of the Polish churches. The construction was fully paid for by the prominent statesman Edward Voinilovich, the temple was named after his children who died at an early age.
Address: Sovetskaya, 15
Website: www.chyrvony.by
Church of the Holy Spirit
In the 17th century, there was a Greek Catholic church in the Gothic and Northern Renaissance styles. Later it was transferred to the Orthodox Church, and in 1936 it was blown up. In 2009, it was decided to restore the building to its original form on the old foundation. The construction was completed in 2011, now there is a children's philharmonic hall. In the basement, you can see the remains of the ancient foundation.
Address: Minsk, Freedom Square 23 A
Budslau Church
In the Minsk region, in the village of Budslav, there is an impressive old Catholic church. Originally, the Bernardine church was built in 1633, later it was completed in the 18th century. In the early 90s, it was completely renovated. The Pope gave him the title of "minor basilica". The late Baroque temple is one of the key landmarks of the country. Inside, the organ of the 18th century is almost completely preserved.
Address: Pritytsky, 107A / 1
Site: horka.by
Church of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity
The construction of a new church on Sevastopolskaya Street began in 2005, and the first divine service in it took place in 2011. At present, all internal construction work has been completed, and the territory is being landscaped. The temple is white-stone, two-domed, the walls are laconic, high windows are framed by arches. The church has a Sunday school for children and adults and a library.
Address: Sevastopolskaya, 100
Site: troitsa.by
