The Church of Saint Anthony in

Talachyn Talachyn ( be, Талачы́н, Łacinka: ''Tałačyn'', ) or Tolochin (russian: Толо́чин; pl, Tołoczyn, yi, Tolotshin טאָלאָטשין, lt, Talačynas) is a city in the Vitebsk Region of Belarus, an administrative center of the ...

is a

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 ...

ian cultural heritage object, built in 1813–1861 and consecrated in the name of Saint

Anthony of Padua Anthony of Padua ( it, Antonio di Padova) or Anthony of Lisbon ( pt, António/Antônio de Lisboa; born Fernando Martins de Bulhões; 15 August 1195 – 13 June 1231) was a Portuguese people, Portuguese Catholic Church, Catholic priesthood (Cath ...

. The first Catholic parish in Talachyn was established in 1604 by

Lew Sapieha Lew Sapieha ( lt, Leonas Sapiega; be, Леў Сапега or Lieŭ Sapieha; 4 April 1557 – 7 July 1633) was a nobleman and statesman of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. He became Great Secretary of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1580, Gr ...

. He built a school, a hospital, and a first church. The town was severely damaged in the

Russo-Polish War (1654–1667) The Russo-Polish War of 1654–1667, also called the Thirteen Years' War and the First Northern War, was a major conflict between the Tsardom of Russia and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Between 1655 and 1660, the Swedish invasion was a ...

and the

French invasion of Russia The French invasion of Russia, also known as the Russian campaign, the Second Polish War, the Army of Twenty nations, and the Patriotic War of 1812 was launched by Napoleon Bonaparte to force the Russian Empire back into the continental block ...

(1812), which is why no buildings of the 17th century and earlier have survived. The current church of Saint Anthony was constructed between 1813 and 1861 in commemoration of the victory in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

. Some sources claim that the construction was finished by 1853. In the 1930s the church was closed by the Soviet authorities and used as a warehouse, then a cafe and a club. In the 1960s the bell tower was destroyed. In 1993 the church was returned to the parish and restored.

Gallery

File:Tałačyn, Aršanskaja, Śviatoha Antonija. Талачын, Аршанская, Сьвятога Антонія (1913).jpg, The church in 1913 File:Tałačyn, Aršanskaja. Талачын, Аршанская (1944-49) (3).jpg, The church before 1950 File:Касцёл Святога Антонія Падуанскага ў Талачыне. Галоўны ўваход.jpg, The church in 2010

References

18th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Belarus Churches in Belarus Landmarks in Belarus {{Belarus-struct-stub