Iconic architecture: top 10 unusual cathedrals in Belarus

The concept of beauty is individual for everyone. But when it comes to architectural masterpieces, no one can resist them. There are fascinating churches and cathedrals in our country that can lead you to say «Wow!».

So, get ready to jot down ideas for your next trip. We are sure that many of the cathedrals can forever sink deep into your soul. A real traveler knows: it is better to see a landmark once with your own eyes than to admire its photographs.

Top 5 сatholic churches in Belarus

• The Catholic Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vidzy
• St. Joseph Church in Rubezhevichi
• The Church of St. George in Polonechka
• The Church of the Scapular Our Lady in Idolto
• St. Casimir's Church in Vselyub

Top 5 orthodox churches

• The Church of Sts. Boris and Gleb (Kolozha Church)
• The Church of the Savior Transfiguration in Chechersk
• Holy Trinity Church in Minsk
• The Assumption Temple in Sarya
• The Holy Resurrection Cathedral in Borisov

Unusual catholic churches in Belarus

Our top doesn't include such popular attractions as the «Red» Church or the Holy Spirit Cathedral in Minsk. You can see all iconic locations during a sightseeing tour. We’ll introduce you to unusual catholic churches that you might not know about.

The Catholic Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vidzy

Do you know which church is the second highest in Belarus? It’s the church in the village of Vidzy. There is an interesting fact from VETLIVA: its height with steeples is 59 m. The highest church (61 m) in Belarus is situated in Gervyaty.

You can visit Vidzy, if you spend summer vacation on Braslav Lakes. You’ll make so wonderful photos! The village with the church is located 40 km from Braslav. You can easily see the local landmark without spending a lot of time.

St. Joseph Church in Rubezhevichi

There are several attractions in Rubezhevichi that are not found anywhere else in Belarus: the park of stones, one of the first phyto-pharmacies in our country (a place where you can buy medicinal herbs) and the beautiful St. Joseph Church. The church is more than a hundred years old. It is preserved unchanged and its majestic vaults are filled with organ music. The instrument is almost a hundred years old: it was brought to Belarus from Lithuania in 1928.

Interesting fact from VETLIVA: all maternal relatives of Yanka Kupala buried at the cemetery in Rubezhevichi. There is an icon of the Mother of God of Ostrobramskoy in the church, which was presented by the poet's mother. If you want to listen to the majestic music, visit an old phyto-pharmacy and see a park of stones — choose one of the tours and let's go!

The Church of St. George in Polonechka

This church was built in 1899. It has not only amazing exterior design. Just imagine: the building was built entirely of wood! The 20th century, 2 bloody and destructive wars destroyed many architectural masterpieces, but the Church of St. George has passed this fate.

By the way, this is not the only attraction of Polonechka: there is one of the Radziwills' residences nearby. And there are actually plenty of such estates in our country.

The Church of the Scapular Our Lady in Idolto

This unusual church with a scarlet roof adorns Idolta. It was built when the settlement was a part of Poland. It is the only сatholic church in Belarus in the art nouveau style. The interior is decorated with 14 panels.

St. Casimir's Church in Vselyub

Our top five is completed by the small church in the village of Vselyub. Why is it so remarkable? Imagine that the cathedral was built almost 600 years ago.

It is clear that since that time the building has been rebuilt and restored. But now you can see the very gothic features of the architecture of the Middle Ages. Visit the Vitebsk region to see the oldest church in Belarus!

Top 5 orthodox churches

We have already written about the most beautiful orthodox churches. It's time to tell you about the most unusual of them.

The Church of Sts. Boris and Gleb (Kolozha Church)

The Kolozha Church, which opens our top orthodox churches in Belarus, is also the oldest in our country. It was built at the end of the 12th century. And this means that the Borisoglebsk church is more than 800 years old! It is unique not only for Belarus, but for the whole world: the architectural appearance of the Kolozha church is unique.

Advice from VETLIVA: if you have never visited Grodno, it's time to correct this omission! All excursion routes include visits to this church.

The Church of the Savior Transfiguration in Chechersk

A small town in the Gomel region has its own curiosity. The church looks like rotunda - a round temple without corners. It is even situated in the center of the road ring. By the way, take a note: there are other unusual sights in Chechersk, for example, the five-tower town hall. The VETLIVA team was lucky to visit this town as part of our "Round-the-world" trip around Belarus. And Chechersk is worth a visit!

Holy Trinity Church in Minsk

Trinity Church can be called a new building. It was built in 2001, but attracts attention. The cathedral looks like a souvenir, because it’s so miniature. It was built according to traditions of wooden architecture. Therefore, the church can be safely called a real log-house, because every pine log was chopped, not sawed. The sawn wood is less resistant to moisture and decay.

The Assumption Temple in Sarya

This church wasn’t mistakenly included in top 5 orthodox churches. It was originally a catholic church, but orthodox church services have been held here for a long time. The church was called «The Belarusian Taj Mahal». Once upon a time there lived the nobleman Ignatius Lopatinsky, who was happily married. Unfortunately his wife died. Ignatius decided to build a church next to his wife's grave, so that he would always remember her. The cathedral in Sarya is sophisticated and incredibly beautiful.

The Holy Resurrection Cathedral in Borisov

This is the next church with unusual architecture. Cathedral in Borisov is a masterpiece of the architectural genius Peter Merkulov. Just look how wonderful it looks against the blue sky! The church has been the main orthodox parish of Borisov and one of the main iconic landmarks since 1874.

Beautiful Belarusian churches

Our top includes only a small part of the masterpieces in Belarus. A city, a town or a village — surprises are waiting for you everywhere. Read our guides, get inspired and discover such a wonderful and rich energy of Belarus!