The temple in flowers

The researchers had to spend a lot of days in the archives in order to restore the past of the Temple of the Holy Spirit in the village Samohvalovichi. It took for many a year to reconstruct the temple that now accepts church people and travelers from all over the world. Due to the efforts of non-indifferent people, today the Temple of the Holy Spirit is sunk in greenery and roses. The doors of the temple are widely open for all people.

Time did not spare…

Amazing stories are associated with the Temple of the Holy Spirit. It is known that in 1797 it was a Uniate Church. Later in 1812 the temple’s building was destroyed. Later the records about the temple appeared again; in 1839 the temple became orthodox. Interestingly, different landowners were responsible for the reconstruction of the temple. But due to some reasons they did not succeeded in the restoration. A vast reconstruction was held only in 1893.

After the Revolution of 1917 the fate of the Temple of the Holy Spirit was like the fate of many other temples. That time not only temples but also churches and mansions were destroyed. In the 30-s the temple was totally destroyed. According to the memories of long livers of Samohvalovichi

The building of the temple was used as a club house. The inhabitants gathered there to hold party assemblies, and in the evenings people came to watch movies, and then to dance.

The Visitation

If you have been to Belorussia many a time, then you have probably heard about the destruction of temples. Perhaps, you have read about it. Have you noticed that in every such story those who destroyed a temple then suffered poor health or even died? The same was the fate of one inhabitant of the village Belitsa. According to the memories of inhabitants of Samohvalovichi that man climbed to the top of the temple and ripped off the crosses and the domes, and then he turned ill so seriously that lost a leg. They say his son died during the Great Patriotic War.

But the sufferings of the temple were not over. Ordinary showing of a film led to the fire. The building was fully burnt, and the temple stopped its existence. A new house was built on the site of the former temple. There was storage for grain crop, then an office, and later it was occupied by people.

The icon’s effulgence

All changed when a teacher of physics - Olga Nicolaevna Gukailo (now she serves God, and she is the schemanun Selaphiila at the convent) – came to the village. Thanks to her a new school building was constructed.

Once she saw a very clear and bright dream that there would be a temple in the village. Olga Nicolaevna saw through the window the shining icon of Mother God.  As there was not a temple in the village, the teacher went to the temple in Minsk. She began to help the locals in questions of religion, and in her flat she opened a family chapel with the blessing of Filaret in 1993. Soon Patriarch Filaret visited Samohvalovichi and made the first donations for the construction of the Temple of the Holy Spirit. In 1994 a building for worships was rented, and then one more temporary building where church people gathered. At last in 1995 the construction of the Temple of the Holy Spirit was started on the same site where it had been in early days.

On the bright holiday of Easter of 1998 the first worship was held in the new temple. Today Father Sergiy holds worship services. The inhabitants say that this Father can do almost everything: he bakes prosphoras, keeps an apiary, and embroiders. To see for yourself, simply come to the village Samohvalovichi.