The village with an interesting name – Novy Sverzhen – is, in fact, Stolbtsy’s suburb. It is four kilometer fr om the district center; and quite probably, soon it will become part of this town. However, at the time Novy Sverzhen is a small but rather colorful village situated on the road R-54 Pershai – Nesvizh, 70km from Minsk and 25km from Nesvizh and Mir. So, when you will watch attractions in the latter two locations wh ere there are a lot of them, cut through this short distance to Novy-Sverzhen. Besides, not far there is a museum dedicated to the Belarusian writer Yakub Kolas. Therefore, visiting around the Minsk district you can watch a lot of different attractions that are almost in close proximity to each other. We will first explain why this picturesque Belarusian corner – the village Novy-Sverzhen is so interesting.

The village on the Neman bank

The position of Novy-Sverzhen is very favorable: it spreads out on the bank of one of the most beautiful and full-flowing rivers of Belarus – the Neman. The village was in possession of glorious representatives of different noble families of Belarus; but, first of all, the outstanding Radziwills, more exactly, well-known Nicolay Radziwill Sirotka held his hands to creating two main attractions of the village – The Church of St Peter and Paul and the Temple of the Assumption of the Mother of God. The both sanctuaries have been in the village since the XVI century that raises real interest from the side of all people coming to these lands.

The uneasy fate

There is an interesting legend about the creation of the temple in the village Novy-Sverzhen. According to it, in 1500 there appeared an uncreated image of the Mother of God on one of the ancient trees; later it was brought to the temple in Ivje. On that site it was agreed to build the Assumption Temple that is thought to be constructed on the remnants of a wooden temple that had been existing there since the appearance of the miraculous icon.

In 1743 the Orthodox temple became Uniate. One century later when the Union was eliminated the temple returned to the fold of the Orthodox Church. The temple was burnt a number of times; however, every time it rose from ashes like the fairy-tale bird Phoenix.

The temple was not immune to the XX century events. It is surprising but divine services were held in the temple even during the Great Patriotic War! But the postwar period was not so favorable towards the architectural monument. In 1960 the building was restored and there was found a bell hidden during the war. In 1962 the temple was closed, and its building was used as a granary.

The countrymen were deprived of the opportunity to attend the temple for 27 years. Only in 1989 it was given back to Orthodox believers, and in 1990 it was consecrated again and worships were resumed.

The monument of Baroque architecture

The temple presents a one-tower building with rectangular catholicon and apse. At the sides of the apse there are vestries, and above the western nave there is a quadrangular tower crowned with a figured Baroque dome. Its sides are ornamented with arc-shaped niches imitating windows. The upper parts of the walls are disjoined by means of semicircular windows with expansions oriented in different directions. The facade has only one decorative fixture – a portal of the lateral western entry.

The interior is of a hall church; in the western part of the catholicon there is a nave with two exits at the sides. The choirs support two wooden columns.