Mother of God Church in Myadel

The Mother of God Church belongs to the Catholic Church, built in 1754, on a small hill near Lake Myastro. The church has a rich history, full of many rumors. According to one legend, it was built at the expense of Antonius Koschits, the owner of Stary (Old) Myadel. For a long time, he could not have an heir, so he visited Kiev Lavra, Jerusalem and prayed. When he was in Rome, he promised to build a church if his son had been born. Then a miracle happened - a child was born and so the church was built. Antonius also built a monastery for Barefoot Carmelite monks. The church was consecrated on August 15, 1754, the day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Then, the relics of St. Justinian were brought from Rome to the church, and pilgrims began to come.

According to another legend, Antonius was a cruel man. One day, unable to bear cruelty, his wife fled to Europe, she left their infant. The boy was unhealthy, and it was difficult for a nurse to take care of him. Once, after a sleepless night, Bronislava (the name of the nurse) dropped the baby and he died. Koschits was furious and ordered to bury the 16-year-old girl in a stone pillar alive. Residents say that many years ago human remains were found in a pillar.

The Polish uprising in 1830 led to the closure of all Carmelite monasteries in the territory of modern Belarus. The same happened with the monastery in Myadel. Four years later, the Uniate Basilian monastery opened there. A few years later, the monastery became Orthodox. Later, the monastery was closed. And in 1921, the church was returned to the Order of the Barefoot Carmelites. During World War II, Soviet guerrillas burned the church. During the Soviet Union’s existence, the building of the church was used as a warehouse, and only in 1989 it belonged to the Catholic Church. There’s nothing surprising that the condition of the monument at that time was awful. The exterior of the church was restored but the interior still requires restoration.

The church was built in the late Baroque style with Rococo elements. The construction of the church is quite compact and symmetrical. Fragments of the original frescoes are preserved. The church does not feature many columns and towers, but it has a huge dome. It is not a typical construction for Belarus, this monument of architecture is similar to an Italian church.

Some people believe that this church is similar to the church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Vilnius.

The Mother of God Church in Myadel is often confused with a wooden church of St. Stanislav that was burned in the Second World War. The Church of the mother of God is included in the list of cultural heritage of Belarus.