Probably in every city there are places whose existence is unknown to a wide range of residents. In Moscow, hidden in the courtyards of the Arbat, or located a hundred meters from Mira Avenue, even Muscovites, not to mention guests of the capital, do not know about these architectural monuments. Minsk also has such an invisible monument; it is located in the very center of the city, fifty meters from the main avenue of the capital, while many Minsk residents are not even aware of its existence.

Around 1390, the Polish king Jagiello founded the first Catholic parish in Minsk and named it in honor of the Holy Trinity. A wooden church was built on the left bank of the Svisloch on a mountain, later named Trinity in honor of that church. Today the Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater stands on it:

And nearby is the famous Trinity Suburb:

In 1409, the wooden church built by Jogaila burned down, and a new one was built in its place. It stood for exactly 400 years and in August 1809 died in a devastating fire that destroyed most of the Trinity suburb. Five years later, a project for the restoration of the temple was developed, but there were not enough funds for its construction. For more than 20 years the community did not have its own building and eventually settled in the Zolotaya Gorka area:

Here, from the end of the 18th century, there was a large Catholic cemetery, in the middle of which the first wooden chapel was installed in 1796. In its place in 1832, a small wooden church was built, into which the parish of the Holy Trinity moved. By the middle of the 19th century, the cemetery on Zolotaya Gorka had grown greatly - the cause was two cholera epidemics that raged in Minsk in 1848 and 1853. The wooden building of the church could no longer accommodate all the parishioners, so it was decided to build a stone church in its place:

Construction began in 1861 and, thanks to the active donations of the flock, was completed quite quickly - on November 1, 1864, the first mass was held in the church:

In addition to the historical name in honor of the Holy Trinity, the temple also received a new one - in honor of Saint Roch, the patron saint of those suffering from plague and cholera:

Today, the Church of the Holy Trinity is located at 44a Independence Avenue, but it is not visible from the avenue itself. Many residents of the capital have been passing by for years and have no idea what a unique fragment of pre-revolutionary Minsk has been preserved in the neighboring yard. The fastest way to get to the temple is to go into the passage between the building of the Palace of Art and the editorial office of "Evening Minsk" from Kozlova Street:

The only way to the church grounds is through this staircase:

Already from its steps there is a wonderful view of the wonderful temple in the neo-Gothic style:

The fact that this building has survived to this day is a miracle in itself:

By the beginning of the 20th century, the population of Minsk tripled compared to what it was at the time of the construction of the temple, the number of parishioners by this time had increased to 7,000, and there was no longer enough space for everyone. In 1910, a design for a new church was developed, significantly larger than the old one:

Its construction was prevented by the First World War, and the revolution that followed finally buried the project. The old temple remained standing in its original place:

In 1922, the interior was completely looted, and in the godless 1930s the church was closed:

Worship services briefly resumed during the Nazi occupation:

But after the end of the war, the church was finally closed and converted into a book depository:

The old Catholic cemetery was destroyed and residential buildings were built in its place:

So the church ended up in a courtyard area, sandwiched between a garage area and the Palace of Art:

The facade of the building is directed towards Independence Avenue, but is completely hidden from it by a residential building:

Once upon a time, on the site of the modern avenue, the Borisovsky tract, the main road from Minsk to Moscow, passed:

In those days, travelers entering the city saw from afar the two-tiered tower of the Zolotogorsk Church, crowning its main facade:

In the early 1980s, the book depository was closed, the building was restored, converted into a chamber music hall and transferred to the jurisdiction of the Belarusian State Philharmonic Society. In 1986, a large organ was installed in the apse, at about the same time stained glass windows returned to the window openings:

In 1991, during free time from concerts, services in the temple resumed:

The chamber music hall was closed only in 2006, the same year the building was returned to the Catholic Church:

The interior began to be filled with Catholic symbols, the walls of the temple were decorated with bronze bas-reliefs “The Path of Christ to Golgotha”:

In the left altar, where before the revolution there was an icon of the Mother of God and Child, a sculpture of the Virgin Mary was installed:

The statue of Saint Roch was returned to the right altar:

The Zolotogorsk Church is unique in that its altar part is almost completely occupied by an organ:

This is an incorrect location; there should be an altar in the sanctuary, but in the 1980s, when the organ appeared in the church, no one thought about it:

It is impossible to move it because of its size; it is not advisable to replace it with a new one - this is one of the best organs in Belarus, thanks to it the international festival of organ music “Zolotogorsk Lyre” is held in the church every year:

By the end of the 2000s, the temple was on the verge of collapse - due to a leaky roof, the ceiling of the building began to crack:

Through the efforts of the parishioners, funds were collected for which the builders completely renovated the roof and replaced the rafter system. The load on the vaults decreased, the temple was saved:

The boards remaining after the repair lie today in the backyard of the temple:

Replacing the roof is only the first step in restoring the building; serious work has not been carried out here since the 1980s:

It is still necessary to strengthen the foundation and walls, restore the decoration:

A memorial was organized in the area around the church in memory of the demolished cemetery:

The old gravestones that were found and preserved were laid out along the fence:

On some tombstones you can still read the names and years of life of the people who once lay under them:

The church community has not yet been fully formed, the parish was restored only 10 years ago, but there is potential for its growth - the six-century history and status of the first Catholic community in Minsk attract people. The rectors of the church carry out active educational work, organize events, and the organ music festival is covered in the media. The temple, like a Phoenix bird, has once again been reborn from the ashes; its current reincarnation has every chance of becoming the home of the oldest community in the city for many centuries to come.

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The first mention of the Church of the Holy Trinity, on the street of the same name in Prague, dates back to 1353. According to legend, it was built by the same architects who simultaneously built the monastery in Slovens. The craftsmen worked without remuneration and used building materials that remained unclaimed at a large construction site. Construction took place on the site of the dismantled Gothic Church of St. Andrey. For all these reasons, the construction of the temple proceeded slowly.

In 1420, during the religious Hussite wars, the temple was destroyed. With the advent of peacetime, the building was restored and consecrated in the name of the Holy Trinity. The temple became the center of one of the poorest parishes in Prague, and it was difficult to maintain it in proper condition. The most significant donations for its maintenance could only be collected on the patronal feast day, when pilgrims from other parts of Prague flocked to the temple.

Nevertheless, in the 18th century. Several attempts were made to restore the building to order. In 1724, P.I. Bayer worked on a project for the reconstruction of the church, but his plans were not brought to life. It turned out to be more realistic to carry out construction work in 1728–1729. when the nave of the church was expanded. In 1751, the Calvary Chapel was added to it. In 1781–1782 An octagonal sacristy and a new bell tower were built. As a result, by the end of the century the building was completely renovated and its appearance acquired some features characteristic of the Baroque style. In 1871, the church was renovated again: and at that time a vestibule was built in front of the exit to the choir

Initially, a wooden bell tower was built at the church, which quickly fell into disrepair. In 1781–1782 instead, a small stone tower was erected. This two-story, square structure is considered one of the lowest bell towers in the city. Its height is only 32 m. In its style, it is a striking example of the late Baroque. This is evidenced by the characteristic shape of the windows and pilasters at the corners of the tower. On the upper tier of the tower, its quadrangle turns into an octahedron. The design of the bell tower is completed by an octagonal onion dome, a lantern and a similar smaller dome with a spire.

On the tower there are two bells cast by master Bricus from Zimberg in 1559 and 1594. The works of this hereditary bell-caster are distinguished by elegant decorative decorations and a unique form.

The Church of St. Roch (Minsk) is a Catholic cathedral located in the historical district of the city Zolotaya Gorka. It is also known as the Church of the Holy Trinity. It has a long and interesting history, which will be discussed in more detail.

History of the cathedral

The Church of St. Roch, also called the Holy Trinity, located in Minsk, was founded by the Lithuanian prince Jagiello in the 14th century. This is the oldest surviving Catholic cathedral located in the city, and the one for which there is documented historical information. It is known that the Church of St. Roch was erected at the expense of Prince Jagiello and under his leadership.

However, soon after the construction was completed, the wooden temple was completely destroyed by a terrible fire in 1409. Over time, work began on rebuilding the church, which was successfully completed. By a mysterious coincidence, exactly 400 years later, the newly rebuilt temple was again completely destroyed by a strong fire.

Restoration of the church

Various plans were developed to recreate the temple, but they were not destined to come true due to lack of sufficient funding. In 1796, at the Zolotogorsk cemetery, where Catholics were buried, a wooden chapel of St. Rocha, which has become a parish church since 1832. In the middle of the 19th century, the building, which had previously been a chapel, became quite dilapidated and gradually began to fall into disrepair. Bishop A. Voitkevich, after several persistent attempts, finally managed to obtain permission to build the Church of St. Roch from stone on the site of the old chapel.

Stone church

Construction of the stone temple began in 1861 and was completed just three years later. The design of the church was created by the famous architect of that time, academician from St. Petersburg, M. Sivitsky. The church was built in the neo-Gothic style and immediately amazed with its beauty and majesty. The church was built solely on donations, which is interesting, funds were given not only by Catholics, but also by believers of other faiths and religions. This was due to the fact that, as believers believed, Saint Roch saved the city from a deadly cholera epidemic.

At the beginning of November 1864, the newly rebuilt stone church was consecrated under two titles - the Assumption of St. Virgin Mary and St. Roja. Nevertheless, the people preserved and used the third, historical name of the temple - the Holy Trinity. At that time, in one of the altars of the church there was a statue of St. Roch, which was moved by grateful believers from the old wooden chapel. Believers treated the statue of the saint with great respect. In mid-August, on the feast of St. Several thousand pilgrims gathered at the church every year.

Church of St. Roch in the 20th century

The church is built of stone and has Gothic architecture with a dozen elongated windows, the roof is lined with iron sheets. The temple building has a two-story tower in which there are bells bearing the names “Bronislava”, “Stephen” and “Leonard”. Above the main altar there is an icon of the Mother of God and Child, next to St. Trinity. One of the side altars was consecrated in the name of St. Roch, and the other in the name of St. Anthony. This is how the temple was described in documents of the 20th century.

Sculpture of St. Rocha, standing near the side altar, was considered by believers to be miraculous and heal various ailments. In the 1920s, various valuables, as well as utensils for worship, were requisitioned from the temple. A few years later, the schedule of services of the Church of St. Roch changed significantly, and later, in the 30s, the church was completely closed. During the war with Nazi Germany, the church was badly damaged by enemy shells. When fascist troops occupied Minsk, services began to be held secretly in the temple. After the end of the war, the church was no longer used for its intended purpose, and its building was transferred to a book depository.

Revival of the temple

In the post-war years, the city gradually revived after the horrors of the war, and over time the church was restored. After restoration, the cathedral building was taken under state protection in 1983, and then converted into an organ music hall under the department of the State Philharmonic Society of the Belarusian SSR. A year later, an electric organ made in Czechoslovakia was installed in the apse, and the Gothic windows were decorated with multi-colored stained glass windows.

Since mid-1991, in the church of St. Roch, during free time from musical events, religious services are resumed. Seven years later, a copy of the lost statue of St. appears in the side altar. Roch, which was made of metal. In 2006, the organ music hall was closed, and the building itself returned to the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic parish, consecrated in the name of the Holy Trinity. Currently, everyone can visit this beautiful building, which has not only cultural and ecclesiastical value, but also magnificent architecture and rich history.

Schedule of services in the Church of St. Roch (Minsk):

• From Monday to Saturday they take place at 8-00 and 18-00.
• On Sunday morning services are held at 9, 11 and 12:30.
• In the evening, services are at 5 and 7 p.m.

Saint's Day Roja is celebrated every year.

Ave. Independence, 44 a

Zolotogorsk Church is known under several names: the Holy Trinity and St. Roch.

The title of the Most Holy Trinity was transferred to the cemetery chapel at Zolotoy Gortsy when in 1842 it received the status of a parish church. The current church was consecrated on November 1, 1864 under the double title of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Roch, but the title of the Most Holy Trinity was also retained.

One of them is the Church of St. Roja. Roch was born in Montpellier, France in 1295. He became a monk and devoted all his life and energy to caring for the sick, including those with infectious diseases. The selfless monk was declared a saint shortly after his death (August 16, 1327). In Catholicism, Roch is considered the protector of people and animals from infectious diseases, the patron saint of surgeons.

In the 18th century At the intersection of the Borisovsky tract and the road to Slepyanka and the Dolgiy Brod farmstead, a Catholic cemetery arose. Later it was significantly expanded eastward after two cholera epidemics, which raged in Minsk in 1848 and 1853. Several thousand people died then. The territory of the cemetery at that time was located between Zakharyevskaya, Dolgobrodskaya, Slepyanskaya, Zolotogorskaya (Krasnozvezdnaya) streets and Mogilny Lane (Radistov Street).

"NGAB. 1861. Plan of the "Old" and "Halyric" graves on the Zalata Gortsy. At that time, they were found in the middle of the city of Minsk." Published on FB by Denis Liseychikov

There was a traditional wooden chapel here.

Chapel on Zolotaya Gorka. Published on FB by Vladimir Sadovsky

During the big fire on August 14, 1809, which destroyed almost all buildings in the Trinity Mountain area, the parish church, located in the area of ​​the current 2nd Clinical Hospital and Opera House, also burned down. Later, in 1832, when some Roman Catholic monasteries, including the Dominican, were abolished, his church was used as a parish church. With the abolition of the Dominican church, the service was moved to the Zolotogorsk wooden chapel.

By the middle of the 19th century, the wooden chapel had fallen into disrepair. By 1842, the chapel was converted into a church, which had the following dimensions: “length 6 fathoms 1 arshin, height 3 fathoms 3 arshins 12 vershok” (fathom - 213 cm, arshin - 71 cm, vershok - 4.4 cm).

In 1849, the need arose to repair this church. Later, as it turned out, this measure could not save the old building. And they decided to rebuild the church.

After the Russian authorities again allowed the construction of churches, they began collecting funds. The main donors were the Leonovich spouses (14 thousand silver rubles), Colonel Ignat Lyaskovich (5,000 silver rubles) and Antonina Kaminskaya (3,334 silver rubles). The church was built according to the design of academician of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts M. Sivitsky.

Construction of the church began in 1861 and was completed in 1864. In 1896, a brick “gate” was built near the church (visible in the photo, not preserved to this day) with two iron gates and a central semicircular arch closed by patterned iron doors. The gateway and the church were built in the neo-Gothic style.

In 1908, according to descriptions, the church was a stone building with 12 windows and an iron roof, 12.5 fathoms long, 4 and 2/3 fathoms wide, and about 5 fathoms high.

The two-story tower housed the bells “Leonard”, “Stefan”, “Bronislava”. The main bell weighed 53 pounds.

Contemporaries highly appreciated the artistic merits of the church interior. Vladislav Syrokomlya wrote about the decoration several times. Of particular interest were the altars and six plaster figures. On the right were Saints Roch, Michael and Gabriel, on the left were Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph.

Altar Altar
“Inside the chapel on Zolotaya Gorka in provincial Minsk.” Lithograph by E. Gorazdovsky (1843-1901)
http://pan-demetrius.livejournal.com Project of a new church at the Zlatogorsk cemetery. Arch. Yu. Dzekonsky. 1906

At the Zlatogorsk Church, religious holidays were always celebrated with special solemnity, especially Easter. They even fired cannons. To do this, the Jewish kahal had to deliver a “loyu stone” and 50 rubles in money for this holiday.

Next to the church there were grave crosses from a beautiful ancient cemetery with family tombs.

Photo 1901 - .

But during the construction of the Palace of Art, all this beauty of the sacred place was destroyed.

Apparently, it was in the Zolotogorsk church that for the first time in Minsk the Russian (instead of Polish) language was introduced into additional divine services. This happened in February 1871. In October of the same year, a school of organists was organized at the church (training began in February 1872), in which musicians were trained for worship in Russian. The innovations are associated with priest Senchikovsky, whose personality was very controversially perceived by Catholics. He, not of his own free will, ended his life in Omsk. Catholic clergy refused to bury the priest, and the Orthodox had to do this.