Vitebsk, St. Barbara's Cathedral: history and photo

In Belarus there is an amazing and unique Catholic church (Vitebsk). The Cathedral of St. Barbara in its history has passed many tests and survived many damages, which made it even more majestic and grandiose. To date, this temple is considered one of the main attractions of the city, and almost all tourists who come here on a tour, begin their inspection from this place.

Journey to the past

As evidenced by the preserved records of the city, this church was built in 1785 (Vitebsk). The Cathedral of St. Barbara (its history is very interesting) was built at first as a cemetery Catholic church for the donations of a local nobleman. After a while, near this building appeared a small house of a Catholic priest and a chapel, built with the money of the Vitebsk chorus. Thus, the cathedral erected in honor of the glorified martyr and patroness of sudden death, became a parish.

This temple became very popular among the local devout population, and after a hundred years its arrival was about two thousand people, although the Cathedral of St. Barbara (Vitebsk) was able to accommodate only one hundred and fifty parishioners. That is why it was decided to build a new and more spacious structure.

The second structure

The design of the building was developed by the well-known engineer and architect V. Piotrovsky. According to his idea, the new church should have been made of stone, and not wooden, as this Catholic church used to be (Vitebsk). The Cathedral of St. Barbara in its renewed form was opened to the parishioners in December 1885, on the eve of the great Catholic holiday of the Nativity of Christ.

All the inhabitants of the city could now visit the majestic cathedral, which differed radically from the previous building. In this form, the church stood until 1935, until it was closed, like many other religious buildings, by order of the Soviet authorities. Almost all the temples were looted, because in these years the city of Vitebsk experienced a cultural decline. The Cathedral of St. Barbara (Belarus), unfortunately, was waiting for the same fate, and his building was used as a storage for fertilizers.

Did not spare the beautiful temple and World War II. During the fighting the church was almost completely destroyed, in particular, its towers suffered. In the post-war period, no one was in a hurry to repair the construction works.

Restoration of the building

Only in the eighties of the last century the local city authorities decided that it was necessary to restore the Catholic church (Vitebsk). St. Barbara's Cathedral was originally intended to be converted into a hall intended for entertainment. To the great joy of the parishioners, these plans did not come true, and the temple rose from the ruins, becoming again a functioning parish.

In 1993, a very significant event took place in the church - it was re-illuminated by the archbishop at the numerous requests of Catholic believers.

Appearance

Today, one of the most beautiful old buildings of the city is this Catholic church (Vitebsk). The Cathedral of St. Barbara, whose architecture was recognized as a unique creation of Belarusian architecture, can not be called an ordinary and mediocre church. Its building combines the two best styles of the time: neo-Gothic and neo-romanticism.

This structure is a cross-domed temple of red brick with two double-decker towers on its main facade. The building is divided into naves with the help of four huge pillars, and this construction is completed by a semicircular aspidum.

The windows of the temple are of different sizes and have the shape of an arch. The whole church is decorated from the outside with various architectural details created with the help of original brickwork, and its territory is surrounded by a fence with beautiful gates.

All who saw this structure say that this Catholic church (Vitebsk) looks pretty solemn and monumental. Cathedral of St. Barbara, photos taken next to him, this direct confirmation, very organically fits into the urban development.

Interior decoration

This building is truly a unique building among the many other architectural monuments of past years, not only thanks to its majestic and beautiful exterior decoration, the decoration of its premises is also very impressive for tourists and local residents.

The interior decoration, the altars in the Roman-Gothic style and the murals of all those who decide to pay a visit to this Catholic church (Vitebsk) are striking. The Cathedral of St. Barbara every Sunday still gathers its parishioners for concerts of majestic organ music, held with the assistance of the local philharmonic society. These melodies soothe the hearts of people and inspire them with warm thoughts about something good and bright. Also, a pleasant atmosphere helps create numerous lamps and beautiful chandeliers illuminating the premises of the temple.

general information

Those who decide to visit this Catholic church, it will be useful to know that it is located in the city of Vitebsk, on Leningradskaya street, house 27. At present, Mikhail Ermashkevich is working in this church. All the necessary information can also be found on the phone number: +375 (0212) 35-32-61. You can get to this building on any public transport that runs there from the Polotsk market, or walk from the railway station.

If there is a desire after visiting the cathedral in more detail to get acquainted with the cultural life of this Belarusian city, it will be possible to visit other sights that are close to the temple. For example, next to it there is another cathedral - Saint Euphrosyne, and also there is a beautiful building of the railway station.

Fans of art will appreciate the excursion to the museum of the artist Marc Chagall. Of course, Vitebsk is worth a visit and to get acquainted with its numerous churches, churches and temples, whose biography goes back deep into history.