Ancient church in Gerviaty

In Belarus there are many beautiful places. On the left bank of the river Losh there is a small town called Gerviaty. It is home to only about 500 people. But he also became famous for his landmark. This is the Trinity Church in the Herviats.

So much stronger

Art historians do not get tired of admiring him. After all, this majestic structure, executed in the Gothic style, is characterized by impeccable symmetry. Initially, on the place where there is now a stone church in Gervyat, there was a wooden building. The permission for its construction was received from the bishop of Vilna Jan in 1526. A few centuries later, the land on which the wooden church was located began to belong to the princes Domeyko. They also began the erection of the church in the Gerviata in 1899. Construction was conducted qualitatively. Perhaps, therefore, the church in Gerviaty survived in the first and second world war. Even the organ has survived. Although it was installed in the early 20th century. Externally, the church in Gerviaty also did not change.

It is visible from everywhere

The building was built in the shape of a cross. The bell tower is located at its base. That the Troitsky church in the Gervyat stood for so long, the architects had to work hard, making the project and making calculations. Because arkbutany and buttresses located on the sides of the building not only decorate the temple, but also give it extraordinary stability. It is these elements that make the church look like the Cathedral of Notre Dame. The height of the spire of the bell tower reaches 65 meters, so it is visible to everyone who comes to the Hervety. The church of the Holy Trinity is surrounded by a park, which is decorated with carved crosses and figures of the apostles.

With your own hands

To build a majestic temple, it took a lot of building materials. Therefore, it was decided to build a brick factory nearby. Lime was also needed. It was prepared from calcareous stones, which were mined from the bottom of the river Loshi. In lime, so that it was strong, it was necessary to mix chicken eggs. They took several thousand. Eggs were handed over by local residents. But the shingles were ordered in Germany. The architect of the Trinity Church worked on the project. Alshalovsky and architect V. Mikhnevich. In order to carry out such a large-scale work, it took the daily work of 70 workers for four years.

Everyone likes

The interior of the temple is notable for its modesty. But at the same time there is cozy and beautiful. Inside the temple is amazing acoustics, so listening to the organ is a pleasure. Services in the Church of the Holy Trinity are still being conducted. And they are held in three languages. This is because the church unites under its roof at once three Catholic parishes - Lithuanian, Polish and Belarusian.

Not my land

I want to tell you that the Hervety, the Church of the Most Holy Trinity is located there, belong to the Ostrovets district of the Grodno region. It is in this western part that the majority of the population is Catholic. Therefore, the temple, in which regular services are held, we love and revere the parishioners. By the way, Hiervates are considered a Lithuanian territory, although they are located in Belarus. Therefore, residents have Lithuanian passports. This explains the elements of the decor of the temple, for example, carved crosses that remind us of the Lithuanian culture.

Arboretum

It is interesting that about thirty years ago the Church of the Holy Trinity was not a tourist object. It all started with the fact that the local priest decided to refine the territory of the temple and plant an arboretum around it. And each parishioner also had to make his contribution to this matter. The priest brought all kinds of seedlings and cuttings, including thuya. It was believed that Tuy will not be able to grow in Belarusian conditions and will die in the winter. Surprisingly, the trees survived. Everyone was courted by parishioners, who were also supposed to take care of a certain piece of land around their "own" tree. The priest also worked on the restoration of the temple. Then he brought and installed the statues of the twelve apostles. As a result, in a few years the temple was registered as a tourist object and began to come to the village to see an amazing historical building, as well as to admire the arboretum.

How to get there

So you found out about the church in Gerviaty. How do I get to where he is? It is not difficult to do this. You can get there by public transport or by car. First you need to get to the capital of Belarus in Minsk. If you are traveling by car, then you will need to move towards Molodechno, then to Smorgon, then to Ostrovets. From it go to the village of Vornyany, from it to Gervity will remain for 5 kilometers. The journey through the Belarusian land will take place along the P28, P106, R63, P48.

That's more interesting

If you are traveling by public transport, then in Minsk you will need to take a diesel Minsk-Gudogai. He leaves early in the morning at 6:10. Having reached Gudogaya, you will need to change the bus to Ostrovets. From it goes a bus to the village of Vornyany. But it is better to sit down on the one that will bring you immediately to the Hervites, so as not to make an extra transplant.

Undoubtedly, traveling on your car is more comfortable. But, how many interesting things just fly past us. It may be worth to overcome the kilometers to the village of Gerviaty on its own, so that with a feeling of complete satisfaction enjoy the majestic architectural construction. By the way, you can go into the Catholic church in any clothing and without a headdress. So women will be able to enjoy the interior, even if they did not take a handkerchief with them.