Description of the attraction
The Church of St. Mary Magdalene Equal to the Apostles is located in the old Perespensky cemetery. Here was the Perespa farm, next to which a land plot was allocated so that Orthodox Christians could bury their dead on it. In 1802, the Uniate Church of St. George was moved to the cemetery and consecrated in honor of St. Mary Magdalene Equal to the Apostles. An almshouse was also opened at the temple in 1804.
During the war with Napoleonic France in 1812, most of the Orthodox churches in Minsk were destroyed. The Perespenskaya church was a little more fortunate - it was not destroyed, but a powder warehouse was arranged in it. Therefore, after the end of the war, the Church of St. Mary Magdalene became the main Orthodox church in Minsk. There were more graves at the Perespensky cemetery, since Orthodox soldiers who died in the war were buried there.
In 1835, half of Minsk was destroyed by a terrible fire. The city authorities ordered to restore the Orthodox cemetery, and on it to build a new stone church to replace the burnt wooden one. The new church was built for three years on "voluntary donations." The consecration took place on October 26, 1847.
After the Revolution, the church was robbed: the silver vestments were removed from the icons, expensive rare church utensils were stolen. In 1932, the cemetery was also robbed - they took off the marble slabs and made curbs from them and paved the sidewalks with them. The temple was the last to be closed in Minsk. They did not dare to touch the cemetery church for a long time, however, in 1937 it was also closed.
During the German occupation, the temples were allowed to open and, during the celebration of the memory of St. Mary Magdalene Equal to the Apostles (August 4, 1941), the temple was re-consecrated, divine services resumed. In 1950, the temple was closed, and the building was given for the needs of the city archive. The temple was desecrated and completely rebuilt.
On November 15, 1990, after a thorough restoration and reconstruction, the temple was handed over to believers and re-consecrated. A particle of the relics of St. Mary Magdalene, Equal to the Apostles, appeared in the church.
Now the temple, which celebrated its 150th anniversary in 1997, is open to parishioners. It has a reading room, nursing, candle workshop.
