Church of Saint Mary in Višnieŭ is a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

Minsk Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the admi ...

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...

. It was constructed in 1637–1641 on the banks of river. The church is listed as a Belarus Cultural Heritage object.

History

The first Catholic parish in

Vishnyeva Vishnyeva ( be, Ві́шнева, Višnieva; russian: Вишнево, ''Vishnevo''; pl, Wiszniew; lt, Vyšniavas; yi, ווישנעווע, ''Vishneve'') is an agrotown in the Valozhyn District of Minsk Region, Belarus, near the border with L ...

was established in the 15th century by

Vytautas the Great Vytautas (c. 135027 October 1430), also known as Vytautas the Great ( Lithuanian: ', be, Вітаўт, ''Vitaŭt'', pl, Witold Kiejstutowicz, ''Witold Aleksander'' or ''Witold Wielki'' Ruthenian: ''Vitovt'', Latin: ''Alexander Vitoldus'', O ...

, in 1424 a wooden church was built by

Petras Gedgaudas Petras Simonas Gedgaudas ( pl, Piotr Senko Giedygołdowicz; died in 1451) was a Lithuanian noble and diplomat. He briefly was a regent of Polotsk (equivalent to the later Voivode of Polotsk) in 1440, regent of Smolensk ( Voivode of Smolensk) in 1 ...

. The stone church was constructed in 1637–1641 on donations of Nowogródek Voivoda and consecrated in honor of the Visitation. After his death, Jerzy Chreptowicz was buried in the church's

crypt A crypt (from Latin ''crypta'' "vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, sarcophagi, or religious relics. Originally, crypts were typically found below the main apse of a chur ...

. In 1771 the church was restored after fire on donations of the philanthropist . In that period two

sacristies A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records. The sacristy is usually located ...

were added to the altar part. In 1906 the church was reconstructed again, a

narthex The narthex is an architectural element typical of early Christian and Byzantine basilicas and churches consisting of the entrance or lobby area, located at the west end of the nave, opposite the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex ...

and two square-shaped towers were added to the main building. The interiors were painted by the Polish artist

Ferdynand Ruszczyc Ferdynand Ruszczyc (1870–1936) was Polish painter, printmaker, and stage designer. He was a member of the aristocratic Ruszczyc de Lis family. Biography Born in the village of Bohdanów (then Russian Empire, now Belarus), Ruszczyc spent his ...

Unlike the majority of the churches of the former

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

, the Church of Saint Mary in Vishnyeva was not closed during the

Soviet times The history of Soviet Russia and the Soviet Union (USSR) reflects a period of change for both Russia and the world. Though the terms "Soviet Russia" and "Soviet Union" often are synonymous in everyday speech (either acknowledging the dominance ...

Gallery

File:Ferdynand Ruszczyc. Kosciol w Wiszniewie.jpg, Watercolor by

, 1902 File:Višnieŭ, Rynak-Vilenskaja, Adviedzinaŭ. Вішнеў, Рынак-Віленская, Адведзінаў (1900).jpg, Photo circa 1900 File:Касцёл Найсвяцейшай Дзевы Марыі. Вішнева.jpg, The church in 2015

References

Sources

* * {{Catholic Church in Belarus Churches in Belarus Landmarks in Belarus