In the 16^th century Miloslavichi was one of the largest localities on the map of modern Belarus. The settlement appeared around at the same time on the river Iput. There are two versions about the origin of the name of the agro-town in Klimovichi district. Some say that the name comes from the ancient Russian name Miloslav, whose descendants were named Miloslavichi. Others associate everything with the arrival of Russian Empress Catherine II to these lands. It is believed that the Russian Empress was welcomed here very warm. Leaving this place, she exclaimed: “How nice it is here!”.

In the second half of the 19^th century here was opened a two-year school at the parish. At the same time the owners Miloslavich Mereshchskys built here a luxurious estate with a wide backyard Park.  The building has not been preserved, but the Park has lived till our time partially.

Since the 20^th century Miloslavichi had been densely populated by Jews, but during the Great Patriotic War they all were shot by the Germans. During the War 116 residents of the village were killed and about 90 houses were burned down. After the War here was erected a monument to three hundred and a half died countrymen at the hands of the invaders.

A new Church was built in Miloslavichi in the late 19^th century

Much earlier the Jews of the village had gone to pray in a synagogue and the Orthodox – in a wooden Church which then burned down. In 1887 the owners of the village seceded to found a new temple and to build it of stone. The sate allocated necessary money for construction. When a two-throned building was completed, it was consecrated in the name of the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Intercession of the Mother of God. 

But the parish was not fated to exist here for long. When the Bolsheviks came to power, the Church in Miloslavichi was savagely plundered and later the building was closed. Orthodox believers were again left without a parish.

In 1941 during a devastating fighting against the German invaders the Church was heavily damaged, but the locals did not leave the former parish - repairing and restoring works were carried out in the building. After the liberation of the village the Church parish donated to the Victory Fund four thousand rubles and a lot of fabric. But that did not stop the Soviet power and immediately after the end of the war the Church of the Ascension here was closed, the building was used as a warehouse for a kolkhoz (collective farm).

An unexpected help

The white-snow one-tiered building of the Church had been abandoned for a long time. But in the end of the past century Miloslavichi was visited by German Protestants to whom local families had once sent their children for recreation and leisure. The guests from Germany were very surprised and upset with the state of the Orthodox Church, and Adam Troer donated a considerable sum to restore the Shrine in the agro-town. The second “christening” of the temple took place in 2004, when it was re-consecrated in the name of the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Nowadays here is a parish, priests conduct Saturday, Sunday and holiday services.

Today Miloslavichi is a quite large agro-town in Klimovichi district of Mogilev region. Here live more than six hundred people. Guests are always welcomed in Miloslavichi, it will be interesting for tourists to see the architecture of the town and for Orthodox believers – to visit the Church of the Ascension.