The temple of Saint Seraphim Sarovsky in Minsk is a part of a group of buildings that apart fr om the wooden temple including a chapel.

The construction of the temple of Saint Seraphim Sarovsky in Kosmonavtov Street in the capital of Belarus was started in 2008. The temple base was consecrated by the Metropolitan of Minsk and Slootsk, Patriarch Exarch of Belarus. The place for construction was not coincidental: at the time that waste land was the site of a wooden chapel that was destroyed by the communists in the 20-s of the XX century.

The biography of Seraphim Sarovsky arouses big interest, and the results of his religious activity still provide food for thoughts for more than a dozen of scientists.

Before ordination Seraphim Sarovsky was named as Prohor Moshnin. He was born in 1754 in a wealthy family; the father of the future priest was a merchant of Kursk. In his youth  Prohor had poor health. One day, when he was seriously ill, the Mother of God appeared to him in a dream promising recovery. The dream came true: when Prohor’s mother put him to the icon of the Sign of the Virgin Mary during the Cross Procession, the youngster recovered. At the age of 32 Prohor Moshnin joined the monastery under the name of Seraphim.

Seraphim Sarovsky always lived frugally and even was inclined toward ascetics. In 1794 he began to live in the forest wh ere he spent a lot of time fasting and reading Holy Writ. The monk got food for himself, wore the same clothes in different seasons. Other gests of the saint are known; once he spent thousand days and nights in a constant prayer on the pillar. It is not difficult to find the painting – a fragment of the lithography “The Way to Sarov” that pictures Seraphim Sarovsky feeding an enormous bear. According to church people, the monk was feeding the beast with bread absolutely fearlessly.

In the early XIX century St. Seraphim Sarovsky took the vow of silence. During the 1810-1825 the monk was living in seclusion spending time in a prayer. When he finished his seclusion Seraphim Sarovsky was engaged in more active religious work: he accepted visitors that came to the monk not only for a piece of advice, but also for healing. There is some evidence that Czar Alexander I applied to the monk.

St. Seraphim Sarovsky died on 2 January 1833. The saint’ hallows were taken abroad for a long period, but in January 1991 they were brought back to the Orthodox Church. His lifetime portrait painted by artist Serebryakov was taken as a prototype for the famous icon of Seraphim Sarovsky.

The life of St. Seraphim Sarovsky is a bright example of spiritual stability. Regular fasting, observance of commitments and selfless helping to the sick and poor – that is what the monk lived and worked for.