MINSK, 21 August (BelTA) – On 16 August of 2019, Belarus prime minister issued Resolution No.320p to set up the national organizing committee on planning and running events dedicated to the 550th anniversary of the Zhirovichi Icon of the Mother of God and the 500th anniversary of the founding of the stavropegic Holy Assumption Zhirovichi Monastery, BelTA learned from the press service of the government.
Deputy Prime Minister Igor Petrishenko was appointed chairman of the organizing committee. The anniversaries will be marked in May 2020.
The Icon of the Mother of God of Zhirovichi is one of the most venerated icons of Belarus. The icon is kept in the Holy Assumption Cathedral of the Zhirovichi Monastery and is regarded as a patron of the country. The icon is respected by the Orthodox and Catholic believers as wonder-working and is among 100 most significant and honored Orthodox icons.
The miraculous appearance of the icon in 1470 and its wonderworking qualities made Zhirovichi a place of pilgrimage. The icon draws people from nearby villages and faraway places. The icon is believed to cure people and help find a way-out in complicated life circumstances. Today, like hundreds of years ago, the Zhirovichi Monastery welcomes believers from Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, the Baltic states and Poland.
