Domachevo

URBAN SETTLEMENT OF DOMACHEVO

Domachevo is an urban village of Brest region, located within a mile of the Belarusian-Polish border. It's not as ancient as the neighboring towns and villages, but there are two monuments of architecture of the early XXth century. For five years (fr om 1927 to 1932g.g.) well-known priest Peter Tatarinovich (doctor of theology, a religious and political leader and a papal prelate) lived and conducted worship here.

THE HISTORY OF THE VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT

For the first time Domachevo was mentioned only in the XVIIth century and developed rapidly thanks to its extremely favorable geographical location. And soon, the railroad passing through Domachevo and connecting Berestye with the Hill was built. To be exact, the appearance of the railway track was a key moment in the development of the village.

In the XIXth century Domachevo became the center of the parish and, being part of Poland, did not lose its significance until 1939. The village stood out for its religious tolerance and plurality. Temples and churches were actively erected, the Jewish synagogue was located in the center of the town, there also was the Lutheran church, wh ere worship was carried out by the Germans, and even found a place for the Baptist-chapel house. The peaceful coexistence of people of different faiths was until 1939, when Domachevo became a part of the BSSR. Many Jews and Poles moved to Poland, because didn’t want to become a part of the socialist republic.

The proximity to the Polish border with the village played a cruel joke. Domachevo was occupied by the German troops on 22 June 1941, the first day of the Great Patriotic War. The Jewish community, the synagogue were razed to the ground. The ghetto was organized in the village and the Nazis annihilate a few thousand Jews during the war there. In addition, the occupants did not spare even children and killed 54 pupils of the Domachevskiy orphanage. It is estimated that in total the Nazis killed 3,800 people.

Domachevo was released only at the end of the war, three years later after the beginning of the occupation. The war crippled dynamically developing in the urban settlement, which has never fully recovered from its effects. People faced poverty; even the opening of the customs did not help them, because many had tried to make a profit on a speculation of the cheap Polish goods. But only in our time, Domachevo is getting back on its feet slowly. The old Orthodox Church of St. Luke continues to operate, the Catholic Church has been renovated and the urban infrastructure does not stop the activity.

THE SIGHTS

There are two well-preserved churches in Domachevo: the Church of St. Luke, built of wood in 1905, and the Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, built in 1854 and reconstructed in 1905. The church is a prominent representative of the neo-Russian architectural style. It is remarkable that the worship service was held there even in Soviet times.

The church has a more complex story. The date of construction is considered to be 1854, but the modern view of the temple building have acquired only in 1905. The church was converted into a cinema in Soviet times. It was returned to believers only in 1999. The first in the history of Belarus cardinal Kazimir Sviontek held re-consecration of the church.