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moNAstEriEs AttrACt Not oNlY PilGrims Thousands of years ago, the ruling dynasty of the Polotsk principality was famous for its special piety. Thus, the first woman to become a monk in Russia was Princess Rogneda. Her son Izyaslav went down in history as a prince-scribe, and her grandson Vseslav Charodey (Vseslav the Sorcerer) erected amazingly beautiful St. Sophia Cathedral on the banks of the Western Dvina. TO SEE PARADISE ON EARTH The Holy Dormition Zhirovichi Monastery owes its appearance to the pear tree. It was in its branches in 1470 that young shepherds found a small icon of the Mother of God in an effulgence. The image in jasper not made by human hands soon showed the miraculous power of healing the sick, and a temple was erected at the spot where it was found. Pilgrims started to come from all around – they founded a monastery there. Last year the convent celebrated its 500th anniversary. The main relic has been kept there to the present day and as before, performs miracles to the believers. In memory of its finding, a huge orchard was laid out at the monastery, which the novitiates call Eden. Dozens of wild animals live among the endless rows of fruit trees – from roe deer and foxes to camels and bears. To d a y
everyone can taste apples from the Eden of Zhyrivichy, as well as visit the zoo there. TO ASK FOR PROTECTION FROM THE HEAVENLY ADVOCATRIX The great-granddaughter of Rogneda and Vladimir, Princess Predslava, is rightfully considered the heavenly patroness of the Belarusian lands. At the age of 12 she refused to marry and secretly took monastic vows under the name of Euphrosyne. She copied books with her own hand, opened schools and libraries (in the 12th century!) and founded monasteries for men and women. The pearl of Polotsk architecture, erected by the order of Euphrosyne, is the Saviour Transfiguration Church. Impressive on the outside, but tiny on the inside, it has survived almost intact. The stone walls are decorated with unique frescoes dated by the 1150s, and on the second floor there is a small cruciform cell, where the saint retired for prayer.
But the legendary cross of Euphrosyne of Polotsk, alas, disappeared during the Great Patriotic War. Inside it there were fragments of the Cross of Christ with drops of his blood, a stone from the tomb of the Mother of God, a particle of the Holy Sepulcher and other relics. Today, in the Saint Euphrosyne Monastery in Polotsk, one can see only an exact copy of the shrine, created by the Brest jeweler Nikolai Kuzmich. TO STAY OVERNIGHT IN A CONVENT AMONG THE SWAMPS On the high bank of the Pripyat, near the ancient village of Yurovichi, there is the Holy Nativity-Theotokos Monastery. According to a legend, the Mother of God herself chose a steep hill. In the 17th century, a young priest set off with an expensive icon of the Virgin on a long journey, travelled for a long time, until the horses stood rooted to the spot, nothing could make them move. It was then that a voice from above was heard: the holy picture should remain in
the Saviour transfiguration church in polotsk
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Беларусь. BelaruS 2021
