Ostrovets is a small town located in Grodno region of the Republic of Belarus. Ostrovets was an urban settlement up to 2012. This settlement is situated on a picturesque bank of the Losha River. The Catholic Church of Sts. Cosmas and Damian and the catolic church of the Cross Invention in Ostrovets , built in 1787, can be referred to the most important and significant sights of the town of Ostrovets.

Cosmas and Damian were brothers and healed people absolutely free – took neither money, nor products. Brothers Cosmas and Damian are considered the patron Saints of the family. In the old days, on the day of remembrance of the saints, young girls organized gatherings in order to meet guys with the goal of marriage. They believed that if they got acquainted on the day of veneration of those saints, who would certainly lead to a happy and strong marriage.

History of the sight of Ostrovets

However, in order to learn the true history of the origin of this Shrine, you should look back in history, or more exactly in 1616. Because it was then when the owners of those lands, the spouses John and Helen Korsak, formed a Dominican monastery with a wooden sanctuary, built at that time, on the place of the mentioned in the 15^th century Church. In 1785-1787 instead of it was built the extant stone construction – the Catholic Church of Sts. Cosmas and Damian.

Initially, the temple received into itself typical for those times forms of the late Baroque, but it was substantially rebuilt and acquired features of Classicism in the early 19^th century. The Church was a patrimony of the Orthodox denomination from 1866 to 1918. It is worth noting that the Catholic Church of Sts. Cosmas and Damian is one of few Belarusian Catholic Churches, which held services in the years of Soviet rule. The gates of that sanctuary were opened to parishioners during the Cold War.

Architectural features of the Church of Saints Cosmas and Demian in Ostrovets

What can we say about the temple itself? It should be noted that the facade in its external appearance is more like a palace of culture than a sanctuary. The monumental building is painted in white and pink colors and is a rectangular building under a gable roof. The main entrance is marked with a four-columned ionic portico with a three-linear butt-end.

There are many valuable sacred images of the late 18^th and early 19^thcenturies in the interior of the church, however, the Shrine interior itself is quite modest. The altar of the temple is located in the Southern part. Here you can see the image of Apostles and the Holy face of Deisis, dating back to the 18^th century, as well as the sacred image of St. Michael the Archangel of 1702. There are two lateral altars with images of the Virgin Mary and the Assumption of the Virgin Mary on both sides of the transept; these icons are dated back to the 19^th century.

Traveling around Belarus, visit the Church of Saints Cosmas and Demian in Ostrovets

The Catholic Church of Sts. Cosmas and Damian in Ostrovets is an outstanding example of late Baroque with elements of Classicism, located on the rich in architectural heritage Belarusian land. A visit to this Catholic Church is included in numerous tourist routs. Visiting this church is included in numerous excursion tours around Belarus, which you can book on our website. 

The main sights of the cities of Belarus - in the excursions VETLIVA!