MINSK, 11 November (BelTA) - The finale of the national charity campaign “Restoration of Belarusian Shrines: The Power of Unity” was held at the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow: in Minsk on 11 November, BelTA has learned.
This year's campaign involved over 3,000 volunteers from the Kind Heart movement, said Daria Slizhevskaya, Head of the Department for School Youth Affairs at the BRSM Central Committee. “The campaign has been held annually since 2013, and each year more young people join it. For instance, last year saw about 2,500 volunteers while this year the number has exceeded 3,000,” she added. “This year, over 250 events were carried out as part of the campaign, and more than 100 monuments and places of worship have been renovated.”
“This year, the campaign was held under the slogan Power of Unity. Today the young people will plant an alley of trees and will tour the church and seminary,” Daria Slizhevskaya said.
At the sites, the participants engage in various tasks. “This includes tidying up the grounds and assisting with construction. They also help decorate churches for holidays across the country,” she noted.
In addition to the tours, the participants will take part in an open dialogue titled “The Power of Unity: From Revival of Shrines to Revival of the Soul”. The speakers will include Bishop Avksenty of Nesvizh, Vicar of the Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus; Protopriest Igor Korostelev, Rector of the Parish of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow”; Priest Dmitry Bovkunovich, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Youth Affairs of the Belarusian Orthodox Church; Sergei Gerasimenya, Deputy Commissioner for Religious and Ethnic Affairs; and representatives of the BRSM Central Committee.
The national charity campaign “Restoration of Belarusian Shrines” has been held since 2013 and was initiated by the Belarusian BRSM Youth Union. In 2016, the campaign gained the support of the Office of the Commissioner for Religious and Ethnic Affairs, acquired an interfaith status, and is now implemented with the goal of strengthening interfaith and national unity. Annually, as part of the campaign, volunteers from the BRSM Kind Heart movement work on the restoration and maintenance of religious sites (shrines) such as churches, monasteries, sanctuaries, chapels, roadside crosses, holy springs, and sacred stones and develop new excursion routes titled “Shrines of Belarus”. The youth also take care of monuments to military glory and war mass graves.
This year's campaign involved over 3,000 volunteers from the Kind Heart movement, said Daria Slizhevskaya, Head of the Department for School Youth Affairs at the BRSM Central Committee. “The campaign has been held annually since 2013, and each year more young people join it. For instance, last year saw about 2,500 volunteers while this year the number has exceeded 3,000,” she added. “This year, over 250 events were carried out as part of the campaign, and more than 100 monuments and places of worship have been renovated.”
“This year, the campaign was held under the slogan Power of Unity. Today the young people will plant an alley of trees and will tour the church and seminary,” Daria Slizhevskaya said.
At the sites, the participants engage in various tasks. “This includes tidying up the grounds and assisting with construction. They also help decorate churches for holidays across the country,” she noted.
Approximately 100 volunteers gathered at the church in Minsk. The best among them received commemorative prizes and gifts. The Central Committee of the BRSM Youth Union recognized the contributions of 14 activists and the Kind Heart volunteer team from Polotsk State Agrarian and Technical College.
The college volunteers worked on the grounds of St. Euphrosyne Convent. “Working there, you feel a pleasant sense of peace. As soon as you enter the main gate, it's like stepping into another world. And while you work, you understand that all the good you do will eventually come back to you,” said Daniil Pugachevsky, a student at the college. “This was my third year with the kind Heart and I plan to continue being a volunteer.”
In addition to the tours, the participants will take part in an open dialogue titled “The Power of Unity: From Revival of Shrines to Revival of the Soul”. The speakers will include Bishop Avksenty of Nesvizh, Vicar of the Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus; Protopriest Igor Korostelev, Rector of the Parish of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow”; Priest Dmitry Bovkunovich, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Youth Affairs of the Belarusian Orthodox Church; Sergei Gerasimenya, Deputy Commissioner for Religious and Ethnic Affairs; and representatives of the BRSM Central Committee.
The national charity campaign “Restoration of Belarusian Shrines” has been held since 2013 and was initiated by the Belarusian BRSM Youth Union. In 2016, the campaign gained the support of the Office of the Commissioner for Religious and Ethnic Affairs, acquired an interfaith status, and is now implemented with the goal of strengthening interfaith and national unity. Annually, as part of the campaign, volunteers from the BRSM Kind Heart movement work on the restoration and maintenance of religious sites (shrines) such as churches, monasteries, sanctuaries, chapels, roadside crosses, holy springs, and sacred stones and develop new excursion routes titled “Shrines of Belarus”. The youth also take care of monuments to military glory and war mass graves.
Photos by Vitaly Pivovarchik/BelTA
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