Description of the attraction
The Holy Resurrection (Market) Church was restored in Vitebsk in 2009 in the image of the temple destroyed in 1936.
The first Church of the Resurrection on Market Square (from which its second name - Market Square comes from) was built in the 16th century. Its first mention dates back to 1558. In 1772, on the site of a burnt wooden church on the Market Square, a stone Uniate church in the Vilna Baroque style was built with donations from the Vitebsk merchant Nikolai Smyk, from which this temple received another name Smykova church.
In 1812, Napoleon Bonaparte, who conquered Vitebsk, was so fascinated by the beauty of the Market Church that his hand did not rise to plunder. The emperor decided to place a temporary hospital in the temple for the wounded soldiers. After the failed Polish national liberation uprising, the Uniate church was closed, and the building was transferred to the Orthodox Church. The Orthodox rebuilt it in their own way, providing it with Byzantine domes.
In 1936, the Bolsheviks who came to power blew up a beautiful old church, which was the hallmark of the city. In 2001, a decision was made to restore the temple. It was decided to recreate the original Catholic church, complemented by minor changes and Byzantine domes.
On June 10, 2009, the Holy Resurrection Church was solemnly consecrated. The interior was designed by Vitebsk artists and painters. A wide red staircase leads to the temple. In the opinion of the townspeople, the Resurrection Church has become a true adornment of Vitebsk.
