The spring of the healing water in the village of Vishnevo

Vishnevo is not quite an ordinary village. Previously Vishnevo had the status of a big village and was the birthplace of many outstanding figures of Belarusian and Judaic culture.

In the village of Vishnevo of Volozhin district in October 2009 was consecrated the spring of healing water. And, it would seem, there is nothing surprising in the event. Except that only the age of that spring is as many as six centuries.

The truth is that only two decades were forgotten from the last six centuries.

According to village legends, in the 14th century the appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary was seen in these places. Thus, if in Zhirovichi a pear tree was chosen for such an emergence, in this place, as it should be, it was a cherry tree. Then there was no settlement in those places. However, a rumour about this phenomenon spread throughout the neighborhood, and gradually the first inhabitants began to settle here. And the Virgin Mary appeared here in order to a Shrine would be erected on that place. After that miraculous phenomenon there appeared the Holy spring, which became not only the spring of life, like any other water, but also healed the parishioners from numerous ailments.

Only in 1424 on that very place was erected a wooden temple. Few years later this temple burned down and then the villagers built a new one, but of stone. People from different corners of the world came to these places, because the water in that spring truly worked wonders.

And in the 19th century there were a lot of episodes of marvelous healing people suffered from rheumatism and poor vision. Actually, because this spring enjoyed great fame in the people, one of the first actions, which were undertaken by the atheistic power, was a destruction of the miraculous spring. And eventually it was covered up with earth. For two decades the life-giving water could not force its way through the earth to the surface. But nevertheless local inhabitants and pilgrims from various regions began looking for the place where once, according to the stories of old-timers, was located this Holy spring. Amazingly, but the inhabitants managed to find this place.

Catholic and Orthodox Priests, representatives of the administration, and, of course, a great number of believers attended the rite of consecration of the marvelous spring. The solemn rite was headed by Bishop of Minsk and Mogilev, Metropolitan Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz. After the ending of the Blessed Liturgy the spring was consecrated and here were symbolically planted young cherry trees. Every year in October this temple dedicates the whole month to the great prayer of the rosary that is addressed to the Mother of God with a supplication for intercession. The first Saturday of October is considered in Vishnevo Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary a special holiday, which is dedicated to the Mother of God and her gift – Vishnevo Holy healing spring. So it should be noted that currently a font is going to be built close to the sacred spring.

The spring of the healing water in the village of Vishnevo is considered as a place of pilgrimage and religious tourism in Belarus, as well as a place of health-improving and medical tourism.