The Temple of the Nativity of John the Baptist in Minsk

The temple devoted to the Nativity of John the Baptist is situated in Minsk in Strahanovskaya Street, in the district of the Tractor Plant. The complex includes the temple and the Baptistery of the Prophet Zachariah and Elizabeth the Pious. The history of the laity started with this small baptistery.

The consecration of the temple in their honor

The parents of John the Baptist - Zachariah and Elizabeth- were old when God gave them a precarious son. His appearance had been preceded by the vision of Archangel Gabriel that proclaimed about the child’s birth. Fr om an early age John displayed his love for God, walked with God in the wilderness, and then returned to people to baptize them.

It even baptized the Son of God – Jesus Christ who was his relative on the maternal side.

The Christian Church honors him and his parents. The case of consecration of the laity in honor of the whole family is unique.

The history of the temple

Recently the laity appeared, its history is measured not by centuries, but this chronology is very important:

  • 1995 - the certificate of state registration was obtained
  • 1998 - the construction of the small baptistery was started, where the first services were held
  • 2001 - the laity got a plot of land for the construction of the main temple
  • 2003 - on the birthday of St.John the time capsule was embedded in the base in honor of the temple. It was done by Exarch Patriarch;
  • 2010 - on 7 July the baptistery was consecrated in honor of the saint parents of John.

In the new temple there are its sanctities: hallows of men of God.

The contemporary life of the temple

Now the district, wh ere the temple of the Nativity of John the Baptist was erected, is populous, business-like. But the history of this land has its tragic chapters: many victims of prewar and postwar times found their last shelter in the village of the Tractor Plant. This land holds the ashes of the prisoners that built the plant before the war - they had to work under hard conditions, mortality was high, the remains of Soviet people whom the Nazis forced to work there under the conditions of a concentration camp. All the more, this long-suffering land required a temple, because temples are often built on the bones in order to pray for dead and glorify eternal life.

The citizens of Minsk honour the new temple: they bring icons, books, church plate. The newspaper Vecherny Minsk presented the Book that was 150 years old to the Rector of the temple. The youth also tries to assist.

The temple the Nativity of John the Baptist is loved by the people, its exterior appeals to the eye and the heart; it is an architectural decoration of the district. Divine services are held regularly five days a week. The holiday divine services are also held.

The laity leads an active life apart from worship: schools, library, education and area study – these are included to the sphere of interests of the temple servants and their assistants.