14 October 2018, the feast of the Intercession of the Holy lady Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, Holy Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill performed the rite of great consecration of the temple-monument in honor of All saints in Minsk, reports patriarhiei.
June 4, 1991, the feast of the Synaxis of Belarusian saints, his Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Alexy II consecrated the Foundation stone of the future temple-monument in honor of All saints and blessed of the construction, which lasted a quarter of a century. The complex, dubbed “the Minsk Church of All saints and in memory of the victims, the salvation of our Fatherland served” (Minsk temple-Pank at gonar Usih saints , ” pomazi AB aharah, aka posluzhil virtanu aichyny Nasha), began with the construction of the social-rehabilitation centre “House of mercy” temple of the righteous job Mnogogrannogo. In 2006 on the territory of the temple complex was built a temporary wooden Church in honour of the Holy Trinity. Newly built Church dedicated to All saints, has the shape of a tent, surmounted by a cross. Height with the cross is 74 meters. Northern lower chapel was consecrated in honor of the beheading of John the Baptist, upper North — in honor of the icon mother of God “assuage my sorrows”. The memorial part of the Cathedral is the crypt and the adjoining area of the Museum.
After the consecration of the memorial Church, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church celebrated the divine Liturgy.
Concelebrating were: the Metropolitan of Chisinau and all Moldova Vladimir; Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga Varsonofy, Chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate; Metropolitan of Minsk and Zaslavl Pavel, Patriarchal Exarch of all Belarus; Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for external Church relations; Metropolitan Barnaul and Altai Sergius; Archbishop of Vitebsk and Orsha Demetrius; Archbishop of Pinsk and Luninets Stephen; Archbishop of Grodno and Volkovysk Artemy; Archbishop Gury of Novogrudok and Slonim; Archbishop Feodosy of Polotsk and Glubokoe; Archbishop of Mogilev and Mstislavl Sophronius; the Archbishop of Brest and Kobrin John; Archbishop of Gomel and Zhlobin Stefan; Archbishop Sergiy of Solnechnogorsk, head of the Administrative secretariatmolsa Patriarchate; Bishop of Bobruisk and Bykhov Seraphim; the Bishop of Turov and Mozyr, Leonid; Bishop of Narva and Prigodskiy Lazarus; the Bishop of borisovsk and Maringorskaya Benjamin; Bishop of Molodechno, and Stolbtsy Paul; the Bishop of Slutsk and Salihorsk Anthony; Bishop of Lida and Smarhon porphyry; Archpriest John of Horoszewicz, rector of the Church of Mary Magdalene, Minsk; Archimandrite Savva (Tutunov), Deputy Chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate; Archpriest Feodor Povny, prior of the parish of All saints in Minsk, the Dean of the 4-th Minsk city Church district; Archimandrite Sergius (Akimov), rector of the Minsk theological Academy; Archpriest Michael Dudich, chaplain of the Polish Orthodox Church, the Dean of the land forces for Orthodox soldiers of Poland in Warsaw; Archpriest Andrew Maruschak, cleric of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow; priest Alexander Volkov, the head of the Press service of the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia; the clergy of the Belarusian Orthodox Church.
The service was attended by the Chairman of the Council of the Republic National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus M. V. Myasnikovich; Commissioner for religions and nationalities of Belarus Leonid Gulyako P.; Chairman of the Minsk city Executive Committee V. A. Shorets; Ambassador extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Belarus M. V. Babich; Armenia’s Ambassador to the Republic of Belarus, A.V., gevondyan; Ambassador extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to the Republic of Belarus V. Kvarchelia; Ambassador extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Moldova in the Republic of Belarus Vladimir Sorochan; Ambassador extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Poland in the Republic of Belarus Artur Michalski; Ambassador extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Serbia to Belarus Veljko Kovacevic; Ambassador extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Hungarian Republic in the Republic of Belarus Zsolt Tutor; Ambassador extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany in Belarus Peter Dettmar; Ambassador extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Austria in the Republic of Belarus Alexander Bayerl; auxiliary Bishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Minsk-Mogilev Bishop Yuri kosobuckiy, mufti of Muslim religious Association in the Republic of Belarus Abu-Bekir Shabanovich; chief Rabbi of the Religious Association of communities of progressive Judaism in the Republic of Belarus, Sergei Abramovich, state and public figures, representatives of traditional religions of the Republic of Belarus, benefactors, builders and charity providers the newly built temple.
The liturgical chants were performed by the choir of all saints temple complex (Regent — D. V. Tokmakov).
The stream of Patriarchal worship was performed by state television of the Republic of Belarus and the TV channel “Union”. Many believers do not fall in a crowded Cathedral, followed the broadcast on a large screen installed in the Cathedral.
In the litany of fervent supplication was lifted up a petition for the unity of the Orthodox Church and preservation of the Church from divisions and schisms. After the litany of fervent supplication, Patriarch Kirill lifted up a prayer for peace in Ukraine.
Sermon before communion, said Archpriest Gennady Povny, associate Professor of the Minsk theological Academy.
Upon completion of the Liturgy was committed slavlenie the feast of the Intercession of the blessed virgin.
Patriarchal Exarch of all Belarus Metropolitan of Minsk and Zaslavl Pavel, on behalf of the episcopate, clergy and flock of the Belarusian Orthodox Church greeted his Holiness the Patriarch and presented His Holiness with the gospel.
On behalf of the parishioners of all saints ‘ Church, his Holiness was welcomed by the rector of the parish Archpriest Feodor Povny, who spoke about the construction of the temple, the symbolism of its architecture and interior.
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill delivered a sermon on the Gospel reading.
In continuation Pervonachalnogo the words of the Primate of the Russian Church said: “today I have a special feeling crossed the threshold of the temple. Was here during the construction, and then it was hard to imagine all the splendor, which today opens our eyes. It is really worthy of a memorial Church dedicated to all saints and the memory of all the fallen defenders of our Motherland, defenders of the Belarusian land. We know how harsh was the war here in Belarus, what courage was required by the resistance of civilians to the invasion of foreigners. We know what a huge role the partisan struggle in Belarus, played in the approximation of total victory over the enemy. And how many people died here — and in partisan detachments and in the dungeons of the enemy, and during strong attacks on the enemy, which were also carried out here, on the Belarusian land. And this temple will be a place of prayer for the leaders and warriors on the battlefield for the Fatherland, our dead, those of our loved ones who were killed or missing in the Belarusian land”.
“In this regard, I would like to say that I am personally concerned, — continued his Holiness. My uncle Vladimir’s maternal line, who was very fond of his older sister, my mother, and that in his honor I was named at the baptism of Vladimir, died in the first days of the war on the Belarusian land, somewhere off the walls of the Brest fortress. I think that many people, not only living in Belarus, but also in other lands of our vast historical homeland, there are many who died here. And so, praying for the sacrifices our people have brought to this terrible war on the Belarusian land, you will pray, and those who were born not only in Belarus, but for whom Belarus has become a place where they decided the fate of the Fatherland. And in the name of victory over the enemy, these people here died a heroic death. May the Lord accept their souls in heaven Your Kingdom and create eternal prayer for the memory of them in our hearts.”
His Holiness the Patriarch warmly thanked the rector of the Church Archpriest Theodore Povnogo and those who contributed in the creation of the memorial Church. “May God help you in your work. God grant that this temple brings people together, especially those who lost their loved ones on the battlefields, but not only, because the Church should not be only a memorial place. It should be a place of spiritual life of the Christian community of the local parish. May God’s blessing be with you, the workers, who constructed this great temple, and with the whole community gathered and in the future would gather around this Holy place,” — said the Primate.
“I would like to Express my gratitude to President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, for his tremendous support in the construction and decoration of this Holy temple. It is clear that without this support, perhaps it would be impossible to erect this temple and certainly it would be impossible to make it so beautiful, monumental, really is a monument erected in honor of the heroes who fought for the freedom of our Fatherland”, — said his Holiness.
“I would also like to thank all those public figures, representatives of business and of course all of you, my dear, who their victims supported the construction of this Holy temple”, — concluded the Primate of the Russian Church.
In Dar novovoznesenka the temple of his Holiness Patriarch Kirill gave a list of the Vladimir icon of the Mother of God.
In gratitude for the labors for the good of the Church, the Primate donated to Metropolitan of Minsk and Zaslavsky Paul pectoral cross and two panagias. Archpriest Theodore Pounamu were awarded the jubilee cross made in memory of the 100th anniversary of the restoration of the Patriarchate and is a copy of that cross, which was minted with the blessing of his Holiness Patriarch Tikhon in this historic event. “In gratitude for the labors suffered by father Theodore, I honor us with the order of Russian Orthodox Church of Reverend Sergiy Radonejskiy of the II degree, which will present in Moscow”, — said his Holiness.
All the worshippers were presented with icons of the Holy virgin with a Patriarchal blessing.
After the ensuing fraternal repast, his Holiness Patriarch Kirill visited the crypt novospasskogo of the temple.
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The advent of the temple-monument in honor of All saints in Minsk
The history of the construction of the temple
Church and social rehabilitation complex of the all saints parish, are two large object of the parish of All saints, which adorn the city of Minsk, picturesquely situated in the Eastern part of the capital of Belarus.
In 1990-1991 happened unprecedented event — the Minsk city Executive Committee gave the Belarusian Orthodox Church several land plots to build temples. In early 1991, the Metropolitan of Minsk and Slutsk Filaret requested the construction of a temple on one of the sections of the young priest Theodore Pounamu, previously served as rector of the memorial Church of Russian Glory in Leipzig, Germany.
In 1991, the first primatial visit to Belarus of the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Alexy II. On 4 June, the day of Belarusian saints Cathedral, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church blessed the Foundation stone of the future temple-monument in honor of All saints and blessed of the construction, which lasted a quarter of a century. May 14, 1992 and was followed by registration of all saints community.
In 1996, the Foundation was laid of the Church. October 14, 1996, the feast of the Pokrov mother of God, the President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko and Metropolitan of Minsk and Slutsk Filaret, Patriarchal Exarch of all Belarus, in the presence of members of the Government and the Minsk city Executive Committee has laid the Foundation of the temple, a memorable letter. At this stage, the construction was suspended for a decade, to cede leadership of the rapidly growing social complex, the construction of which was in charge of the state.
In 2006 on the territory of the temple complex was built a temporary wooden Church in honour of the Holy Trinity, built on the motifs of old Russian architecture. 26 Sep 2006 the Church was consecrated by Metropolitan of Minsk and Slutsk Filaret. On the same day in the presence of the head of state was consecrated, and the ascent to the bell tower three large bells: five-ton, on behalf of the President of the Republic of Belarus A. G. Lukashenko, three-ton, on behalf of his Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Alexy II and the bell weighing 1.5 tons — from Metropolitan Filaret. In November 2006, the tent of the temple was crowned by the main dome.
Even before the completion of the memorial Church first opened its doors: July 2, 2010, on the eve of the Independence Day of the Republic of Belarus, in the crypt with full military honors were buried taken from the battlefield remains of unknown soldiers of three wars — in 1812, the First and Second world war. In 2010, was consecrated the chapel of the beheading of John the Baptist, and at the Intercession of the Mother of God in 2015 — chapel of the Mother of God “assuage my sorrows”.
The idea of the Church and its embodiment
The temple is the same age as the sovereign Republic of Belarus, and, growing with it, he gathered the people because of the idea of honoring the memory of the fallen in the battles for the salvation of the Fatherland, victims of wars and disasters. Awareness of our own roots helps to unite people in the nation. The crypt of the memorial Church, which contains the ashes of representatives of the Belarusian people professing different faith, is the territory where the head of state and leaders of the main confessions of the country to testify on cooperation to strengthen peace and to find a unified position to confront the challenges of the time. One of the most important among these meetings was the Republican cultural-social event “Prayer for Belarus” in 2015, at the confluence of more than 15 thousand citizens.
In the White hall of the memorial Church, hosts conferences and workshops dedicated to the spiritual, historical, Patriotic and socially important topics.
The veneration of the dead lays the Foundation of the people’s memory. A memorial plaque and the capsule with the earth in the crypt of the Church was established at the request of the Belarusians. Initiatives come from public figures, writers, historians and organizations. Such boards in the crypt four: the memory of those killed in the metro station “Nemiga” in 1999, victims during act of terrorism at metro station “October” in 2011, Afghan war veterans and victims of the Chernobyl disaster.
In the day of great Victory on 9 may in the crypt of the divine Liturgy. In the memorable date going to the warriors-“Afghans”, the blockade, submariners. Annually the honorary ritual of taking the oath of cadets. Military faculties of major universities, and the Military Academy of Belarus cooperate with the Church in the organization of ceremonies.
The memory of the dead compatriots is nurturing a new civic generation. The Church actively engages with the youth organizations of the Republic of Belarus, attracting young people to participate in projects and activities of the parish.
The Church participates in the cultural life of the country. A good example is the campaign “Choral Assembly” in 2015, when the steps of the temple made 2000 singers from all over the country in the final gala concert. The action revived a long tradition of large consolidated choirs.
The parish has its own professional choir — men’s choir “all saints”. His concerts are a highlight of the musical life of the capital of the Republic. The team already know in many parts of Belarus and abroad.
Architectural and symbolic embodiment of the idea of historical memory in the memorial Church
The tent of the temple resembles a candle, and symbolizes the pursuit of Heaven, to the heavenly Fatherland, and at the same time, speaks of love for earthly Home. From dome tent diverge Golden rays — a symbol of the star of Bethlehem, indicating the coming of the Savior. This dome is dedicated to Christ, the head of the Church, uniting the saints and all the faithful, living and dead. Two side domes from it is dedicated to the memory of the fallen soldiers and the victims of hard times, the dome of the belfry, all saints and the small dome between them — the murdered children.
The concept of historical memory picks up distribution of the altars: the All saints lower — beheading of John the Baptist and the upper Mother of God “assuage my sorrows”. The memorial part of the Cathedral is the crypt and the adjoining area of the Museum.