The architecture of Belarus is not limited to castles and palaces. There are many beautiful temples in Belarus — both Catholic and Orthodox, and even belonging to other religions that are not characteristic of Belarus (for example, Jewish synagogues, Muslim mosques, Lutheran churches, etc.). Moreover, these buildings are located not only in large cities of Belarus. It is time to talk about another pearl of Belarusian architecture — St. Nicholas Church in Shereshevo.

The history of the urban village Shereshevo

Shereshevo is a truly ancient settlement: it was first mentioned in written sources in 1380 as a village in the Kamenetsky district. In 1556 it became part of the Beresteysky district ON.

The village was unlucky: during the war years of the mid-XVII-early XVIII centuries, it was repeatedly destroyed. But, despite this, by 1766 there were about 3366 inhabitants.

The fate of Shereshevo is typical of almost any other village in Belarus:

• in 1975, after the partition of the Commonwealth — as part of the Russian Empire;

• in 1915 occupied by the Germans;

• in 1919 it was in the power of the Poles;

• since 1939 — as part of the BSSR.

Shereshevo was also under German occupation for three years during the Great Patriotic War. All this could not but leave a mark on life in the village and its sights. For example, Prechistenskaya church had not preserved here, but its belfry still stands nowadays, by the way, it was built from wood more than two hundred years ago! In addition to it, two churches survived: St. Nicholas Orthodox Church and the Catholic Trinity Church.

The history of St. Nicholas Church in Shereshevo

The building of the Orthodox church in Shereshevo village began in 1872 under the leadership of the Grodno architect J. M. Fardon. Funds for its construction were allocated from the state budget.

According to written evidence dating from 1899, a wooden fence surrounded the church. It was assigned to Holy Prechistensky Church. By the way, the Shereshev Gospel, which is now part of the exposition of the National Art Museum of Belarus, was once stored in there.

It is noteworthy that not a single war of the twentieth century left destructive marks on the monument of architecture. Therefore, the first large-scale reconstruction was carried out only in 1968.

The architectural appearance of Shereshevo attraction 

Now the church in Shereshevo invariably attracts the eyes of everyone who comes here. It was built in the retrospective-Russian style and, thanks to the bright white-yellow walls, looks very elegant. The facades of the church are decorated with typical decor for this architectural style:

• belfries of the upper tier of the belfry,

• niche panels

• keeled arches that frame arched window openings,

• main and side entrance niche portals.

VETLIVA enlightens: In order you don’t have to look for answers on the Internet, we will tell you a little about what these elements are. Zakomaras are semicircular (keeled) completions of the outer part of the wall, which, with their outlines, repeat the inner arch adjacent to them (may have a different shape). A panel, in turn, is the decorative part of the wall, recessed into it or framed, usually rectangular in shape. A portal — is artistically decorated entrance to the building with a beautiful ornament.

Compositionally, the building consists of four parts: a belfry, a refectory, a prayer hall and a five-sided apse. The sacristy adjoins it from the south side, introducing a shade of asymmetry into the appearance of the temple. The dominant features of the church are two faceted bulbous chapters. Inside the church itself, there are icons of the 18th — 19th centuries: Saints Peter and Paul, Annunciation, Scourging of Christ, Three Saints. When travelling around Belarus, be sure to visit it, because the temple is so beautiful in the radiance of the sun!