The Church of the Dominicans of Joseph (the Betrothed) is its full name. This name contains echoes of the history of the church. Once it belonged to the monastery of the Dominicans. The word "Betrothed" means a person, engaged to someone, in this case - the betrothed husband of the Virgin Mary.

History

According to one source, the church was built in the XVII century, and in 1649 gave shelter to the Dominicans, who came to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and then founded the monastery. Dukes - the owners of lands – donated lands to monasticism. According to other sources, the church was built in 1809. It was built for a long period of time, since 1780. Nowadays, it is located in the center of Orsha, Sovetskaya street. The Orshitsa, Dnieper are rivers, which located nearby.

After rebellions in the 1840s, many monasteries had to halt their activities in the territory of the Russian Empire. Their churches, if not destroyed, transferred to other parishes, sometimes other confessions, they were often re-consecrated.

After the dissolution of the Dominican monastery, the church belonged to the Catholic parish. In the Soviet times, the church was occupied by establishments of culture. Since 1990 the Church of St. Joseph returned to religious believers, restored, and is now functioning.

Architecture

Let’s have a look at the old photographs of the church. The building differs from the modern building: it is decorated with vases on a rectangular part of the pediment and the top of the triangular pediment completes the whole construction. Over time, the church changed a lot, classical details were added to the Baroque style and some details disappeared. So vases, a few small columns, the triangular part of the pediment were "removed". Nowadays, the building has a laconic facade. The quadrangular pediment as if separated from the roof. In fact, it is a distinctive feature of Baroque churches.

The building is divided into rooms; it is a traditional feature of the Catholic Church. Inside as well as outside, the church is gray-white, nothing should detract from prayers, upright thoughts, gaining insight into God’s purpose.

However, there is one bright, picturesque spot in the center of the altar - the image of the Last Supper. Savior with His disciples-apostles. The basic doctrine of religion, the personification of salvation and prayer, a symbol of the bodily presence of the Son of God.

Churches and their parishioners, as well as occasional visitors of churches and historical monuments, are different. But if you came once, you will come back: its simplicity is too attractive and the church itself is hard to forget.