SLONIM DISTRICT, 19 September (BelTA) – Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko is set to visit the Holy Dormition Monastery located in the agro-town of Zhirovichi, Slonim District, Grodno Oblast, BelTA has learned.
This year, the Holy Dormition Monastery in Zhirovichi, one of the main spiritual centers of Belarusian Orthodoxy, turned 505 years old. The monastery owes its origin to the miraculous appearance of the icon of the Most Holy Mother of God, the 555th anniversary of which was also celebrated this year. The icon is among the hundred most venerated shrines in the Orthodox world.
For more than 500 years, the Holy Dormition Monastery in Zhirovichi has been a stronghold of Orthodoxy on Belarusian lands. The monastery has always been not only a spiritual center but also an educational one. It has survived many tragic moments in history and has been reborn each time.
In the first half of the 17th century, construction of the Dormition Cathedral was underway at the Zhirovichi Monastery, which was subsequently rebuilt and renovated multiple times. It acquired its modern look in the second half of the 19th century.
The shrine in Zhirovichi has undergone significant renovations for its anniversary dates. The first step towards the monastery's restoration was taken in 1996, after Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko first visited the monastery on the feast day of the Zhirovichi Icon of the Mother of God. Even then, it was clear that the monastery needed large-scale restoration. Many structures were in a deplorable state, and any repairs that were carried out were only local due to limited resources.
In 2001, a program for the revival of the Holy Dormition Monastery in Zhirovichi and the Minsk Theological Seminary and Academy was launched, planned for the period from 2001 to 2005, with further work continuing until 2010. The beginning of the program's implementation was the restoration of the Minsk Theological Seminary building and the academy which opened there.
Since the early 2000s, the monastery began to be updated in stages: the seminary's educational buildings were restored, followed by the restoration of the brotherhood corps and other structures.
In the first half of the 17th century, construction of the Dormition Cathedral was underway at the Zhirovichi Monastery, which was subsequently rebuilt and renovated multiple times. It acquired its modern look in the second half of the 19th century.
The shrine in Zhirovichi has undergone significant renovations for its anniversary dates. The first step towards the monastery's restoration was taken in 1996, after Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko first visited the monastery on the feast day of the Zhirovichi Icon of the Mother of God. Even then, it was clear that the monastery needed large-scale restoration. Many structures were in a deplorable state, and any repairs that were carried out were only local due to limited resources.
In 2001, a program for the revival of the Holy Dormition Monastery in Zhirovichi and the Minsk Theological Seminary and Academy was launched, planned for the period from 2001 to 2005, with further work continuing until 2010. The beginning of the program's implementation was the restoration of the Minsk Theological Seminary building and the academy which opened there.
Since the early 2000s, the monastery began to be updated in stages: the seminary's educational buildings were restored, followed by the restoration of the brotherhood corps and other structures.
During another visit to the Zhirovichi Monastery in June 2021, the president instructed that within four years, the improvement work should be completed not only for the monastery and its grounds but also for the agro-town itself. “Zhirovichi is an agro-town. The monastery and the church are part of this agro-town. Everything must be brought into perfect condition. It should be a true gem. I promise you that we will allocate necessary funds according to the needs. But everything must be done in a cost-effective manner,” he said.
Following the head of state's visit to the monastery, a protocol of instructions was formed. The Holy Dormition Monastery and the Yavlenskaya (Epiphany) Church have been reconstructed and restored. The reconstruction of St. George's Church is ongoing. It is located at a distance from the monastery but is also part of its ensemble.
As BelTA reported, at the meeting with representatives of religious denominations in February 2025, Aleksandr Lukashenko proposed the creation of attraction centers in the country for all religious denominations. As for Orthodoxy, the monastery in Zhirovichi is intended to be one such center.
As BelTA reported, at the meeting with representatives of religious denominations in February 2025, Aleksandr Lukashenko proposed the creation of attraction centers in the country for all religious denominations. As for Orthodoxy, the monastery in Zhirovichi is intended to be one such center.
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