Description of the attraction
The Church of the Holy Trinity in the village of Ishkold is rightfully considered the oldest Catholic church in Belarus. The temple was built in 1471 on the initiative and at the expense of Nikolai Nemirovich. Despite the fact that the temple belonged to both Catholics, Calvinists and Orthodox during its difficult history, it has survived almost in the form in which it was originally built.
By order of Nikolai Radziwill the Black, the cathedral was transferred to the Calvinist church in the second half of the 16th century. In 1641, the temple was again transferred to the Catholic Church, in connection with which reconstruction was carried out, the interior was restored. The Russian-Polish war that broke out in the 17th century left deep wounds on the ancient temple. It was damaged but later rebuilt.
In 1866, the church shared the fate of most of the Catholic churches that ended up on the territory of the Russian Empire. At first it was closed, and then, from 1868 to 1919, it belonged to the Orthodox Church. During these years, it was rebuilt in the Byzantine style. In 1918, the temple was transferred to the Catholics and underwent reconstruction, which returned it to the Gothic features.
In Soviet times, in 1969, the church was closed. It did not work until the late 1980s. After reconstruction in the late 1980s, the temple was handed over to Catholics and since then has been a functioning Church of the Holy Trinity.
