Description of the attraction
The Dominican fathers were invited to the city of Novogrudok by the Lithuanian governor Krishtof Hadkevich at the beginning of the 17th century. Dominicans are brothers-preachers who carried not only the light of faith, but also enlightenment, knowledge, science. Dominican monasteries and schools were actually scientific and religious centers in European cities.
The voivode erected for the Dominicans in 1624 in the very center of the city a wooden church of St. Jacek (a Polish Dominican missionary canonized by the Catholic Church). 100 years later, on the site of a dilapidated wooden church, a new stone church was erected in the Baroque style. In 1751, the temple was damaged by a large fire. It was possible to restore it only in 1805. Bishop Valentin Volchetsky consecrated it in honor of Archangel Michael - the patron saint and protector of Novogrudok.
A monastery (Catholic monastery) was built next to the church, at which a Dominican school was organized. In the period from 1807 to 1815, the famous Belarusian writer Adam Mitskevich studied at this school.
In 1832, after the uprising, the Dominican school was closed, and in 1858 the monastery was also closed, the Dominicans were expelled from the country.
In 1858, the temple underwent a large-scale reconstruction, after which it acquired the features of late classicism. In 1922, with the arrival of the Polish authorities in the city, the church was transformed into a cathedral, which operated until 1948, when the Soviet authorities closed the church and used it as a granary.
In 1976, the temple suffered from a strong fire, but for another 10 years no one was going to repair it. In 1986, renovations were carried out, and in 1993 the church was returned to the parishioners.
