Description of the attraction
The Cathedral of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Minsk is the oldest functioning cathedral in the city. In the 16th century, many troubles befell the Christians of Minsk. The city was ruined by the Tatars, who killed and drove into slavery most of the population. However, a small Orthodox community nevertheless withstood all the troubles and decided to build its own large stone church, at which it was planned to open a monastery, a school for Russian-speaking Orthodox children, as well as a printing house and a hospital for the poor.
In 1611, the good undertakings of Orthodox Christians were supported by the widow of Marshal Bogdan Stetkevich, Princess Avdotya Grigorievna Drutskaya-Gorskaya. She donated her land on the banks of the Svisloch River for the construction of the temple. This act had a great response among the citizens of Minsk. Another 52 wealthy citizens made donations to the temple. The construction was carried out by Orthodox monks expelled from the Holy Spirit Monastery in Vilna. The construction was supervised by their abbot Pavel Domzhava.
Despite protests and harassment from the city authorities, the church was built in 1613. It was consecrated in honor of the holy apostles Peter and Paul. Anticipating possible military actions against the Orthodox community, the church was built in advance as a defensive structure - with massive walls and narrow loopholes. In 1617, the temple successfully survived the first siege of the enraged Uniates and townspeople, but in 1734 the temple and the monastery were still ravaged, and it fell into decay.
After the division of the Commonwealth, Minsk became a Russian city. In 1795, the new city authorities abolished the monastery, and the architect F. Kramer was instructed to restore the temple, for which Empress Catherine II allocated the necessary amount of money. After reconstruction, the temple was named Catherine.
During the war of 1812, a French infirmary was located in the Catherine Church. The church was plundered by the invaders. After the liberation of Minsk from the Napoleonic army, the church was restored.
In 1871, the tsarist authorities decided to restore the dilapidated church and make it a stronghold of Orthodoxy in Minsk. The best artists were invited to paint the walls. In Soviet times, the temple was closed, plundered, and within its walls there were food warehouses. During the Nazi occupation, the Orthodox community achieved the opening of the church and its partial restoration.
During the battles for Minsk, the massive walls of the temple saved many lives from the bombing, but the temple received significant damage. After the war, it was closed, and the clergy were repressed by the Soviet regime. Even after the bombing, the church building was of good quality, the city authorities repaired and gave it to the archive.
After Belarus gained independence, in 1991 it was transferred to believers. It has been restored to its original appearance. Now services are conducted in it not only in Russian and Belarusian, but also in sign language - especially for hearing-impaired (deaf-mute) people. Thanks to this initiative of Father Alexei, the largest flock appeared in the Peter and Paul Cathedral, because according to statistics, more than 150 thousand people with hearing problems live in Minsk.
