Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Ilya village

The settlement Ilya in Vileyka district of Minsk region is small but popular among tourists. The village is located on the river Iliya, 40 km from Vileyka town.

In historical documents, you can find a lot of interesting information about this village. For four centuries, many Jews lived there. Jews, mainly, were engaged in all kinds of craft, developed trade, rented mills and worked in orchards. They made a contribution in the development of local industry. In the early 19th century, five Jews opened glass factory in Ilya.

There were many talented people among villagers. For example, scholar Menashe ben Joseph Ilier was born and grew up there. In addition to the village development and outstanding people, Ilya is famous for its unique Sacred Heart of Jesus church.

This Catholic Church is considered to be very accessible to visitors and residents of the country, since it is located right near the Minsk-Myadel road. According to archive documents, the church was erected in 1907.

However, it is known that the first church was built in Ilya much earlier - in 1669 on the site of one nobleman’s estate. 30 years later, a huntsman of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, M. Savicki decided to move the church in another place. The new church was called in honor of Archangel Michael. In 1864, after the suppression of the uprising led by famous Konstantin Kalinowski, the building belonged to Orthodox Church. 1907 became favorable for Catholics - a new church, named in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was erected due to the promulgation of Tsar’s October Manifesto.

During the existence of the Soviet Union, the church was functioning, although many other religious buildings in the territory of Belarus were closed. However, during the Second World War, the church suffered, and in the second half of the 20th century, the church was used for dairy production. Only in 1990, the building belonged to Catholic Church.

Nowadays, the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church is made in the Neo-Romanesque style. Such an architectural style is characterized by strict forms of the construction, the absence of ornaments, semi-round narrow windows and quite thick walls. The church is decorated with a large tower, which can be seen from any point in the village. The small Catholic Church is the main decoration of the village Ilya. That is why you may meet not only parishioners but also many tourists.