Unique temples are being restored in the Beshenkovichi district
The agro-town of Ulla in the Beshenkovichi district is located a bit off the main highways of the Vitebsk region. Excursion groups are not always ready to make a detour to visit it on their way to Polotsk or Vitebsk. And it's a pity. In my life, I have had the opportunity to visit many holy places, but in the Ulla Church of the Holy Trinity, and especially in the Church of Alexander Nevsky in the almost vanished village of Martinovo, one feels an amazing sense of peace and closeness to heaven. By the blessing of Dmitry, Archbishop of Vitebsk and Orsha, both shrines are now getting a second life.
The rector of the church is Father Rodion.
First of all, we should talk about the church in the agro-town, a special historical place near the confluence of the Ulla and Western Dvina rivers. A defensive fortress began to be built on the cape at the end of the 16th century, which marked the beginning of the settlement's history, which later became a town with the privilege of Magdeburg law. There were two ancient churches in those parts, and both burned down. But first, let's go with the rector of the Church of the Holy Trinity, Father Rodion Radevich, 20 kilometers from here to the village of Martinovo.
Getting there during the spring thaw is an adventure: if something happens, and you get stuck in the mud, you'd have to call for tractors for help. The village is small, with only one street, and there are practically no local residents left. But the places are beautiful: gardens run down the hill right to the river.
— There are four residents here, — explains Father Rodion. — I myself bought a house with an almost hundred-year history; once a deacon who served in the church lived in it. We want to restore the road to make it easier for people to get here and create a community here. It's painful to see fewer and fewer young people in the village. It's especially upsetting when people who are not yet old die. I counted about seven strong men in the parish who have died in recent years due to alcohol or fires. It's a shame how much good they could have done!
The crown of the street in Martinovo is an elegant red brick church built at the end of the 19th century. There is still a stork's nest on the belfry, but the cross has already been made and is waiting for its time. Above the doors, we see roughly painted, but time-faded inscriptions "ZAGS" (Civil Registry Office) and "Club." But you hardly notice them and enterstep inside, captivated by the silence and tranquility of this place…
The fate of this architectural masterpiece, consecrated in 1906 and featuring elements of classicism and pseudo-Russian style, reflects all the hardships our lands endured in the 20th century. Since 1935, during the struggle against religion, services were not held here. The ceiling has turned green in places from rain, and the brickwork is exposed, not covered by plaster. The holy altar currently lacks an iconostasis, and the blue spring sky peeks through the church windows and the semi-ruined left aisle.
— An artillery shell hit the aisle during the war, — the priest explains. — And four Germans were on the belfry, directing the fire of artillerymen stationed in Sokorovo. They were eliminated during the offensive.
Nevertheless, the church is filled with vibrant life today: two builders, Alexander Korotkov and Sergey Vitushko, were found working here. They were partitioning off the left aisle of the church to gradually prepare the central part for divine service. Currently, only prayers for pilgrimage groups are held here.
— I am originally from the Gomel region; after the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident, I moved to Vitebsk, — Alexander shares his story. — I visited this place with pilgrims and fell in love with it and the church named in honor of my heavenly patron, Alexander Nevsky. I bought a house nearby, found builders, and we started renovating the shrine. There was no electricity: we brought a generator. The central part was covered with a roof. Now we hope that with God's help and people's support, we will be able to gradually restore it.
Father Rodion also doesn't shy away from changing into work clothes and climbing scaffolding to participate in the reconstruction.
— Before I graduated from the Vitebsk Theological Seminary, I was involved in building houses with my team, — the priest explains. — But after my ordination, I closed the company and dedicated my time entirely to serving.. My father served as a priest at the Ull parish for several years before me. He has already built and restored three churches in his life. And we live by construction. For myself, I see the goal in the next ten years, with the blessing of Vladyka Dmitry, to work to repair the holy places entrusted to me. Although everything is in God's hands, and none of us even knows if we will wake up tomorrow.
Having inhaled the village silence, we return to Ulla, where parishioners of the Church of the Holy Trinity are already waiting. At one time, there were two churches in the urban settlement: the Transfiguration of the Lord and the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos. Both were destroyed by fire. The Trinity Church is currently located on the site of the Transfiguration Church. Near them, when the area was cleared of thickets, stone crosses of the 16th-17th centuries were discovered growing. Two years ago, a wooden cross was erected where the Intercession Church was located, and in time they want to recreate a chapel here.
— Our priest can rightfully be called Rodion the Builder, — Raisa Pistunovich does not hide her emotions. — He is constantly busy, the right side chapel of the church, consecrated in honor of John the Baptist, was cleared of debris under him. By the way, there is a very unusual iconostasis here: the icons on it are ceramic. Recently, a boiler room was built, heating was installed, because before that the temperature inside in winter was almost below freezing!
A native resident of Ulla is a living witness to the tragic fate of this architectural gem. Locals well remember how, during the period of godlessness, young people threw crosses from the domes.
— We told them, dear ones, don't touch, don't desecrate the shrine, — the interlocutor says with tears. — They all died at a young age.
Today, young people are educated differently. Students of the Ull State College named after L. M. Dovator regularly attend the church, including children with developmental disabilities. Students of the local school have created a model of the church. Volunteers of "silver" age, together with teenagers, conduct charity events, visit the nursing home, and lonely elderly people.
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Many residents of the agro-town associate important family events with the church. In 1995, Raisa Pistunovich's granddaughter was baptized in the churchyard when the church had only just begun to be restored from ruins. There were no domes by then, and trees grew inside.
Support is primarily provided by local authorities, including the chairman of the district executive committee, Galina Unukovich. They also help with building materials and transport. The director of the Ulla college, Alexander Pashkevich, never refuses requests.
In addition, Father Rodion also performs obedience at the diocesan pilgrimage center "Odigitria," established in May 2016 at the Vitebsk Diocese. During pilgrimage trips, he met many believers who decided to support the construction of the church. The priest patiently collected precious relics – icons with particles of saints' relics.
— A particle of the relics of Saint Alexander Svirsky was sent to us from Karelia, — Father Rodion shows some of them. — Also Saint Anthony Dymsky from the Tikhvin Diocese, and many other saints.
With special feeling, the priest takes into his hands the icon of the righteous warrior Feodor Ushakov, brought from the Rozhdestvo-Bogorodichny Sanaksarsky Monastery in Mordovia. And he draws our attention to the inscription: "Do not despair! These terrible storms will turn to the glory of Russia."
— It all depends on people's heartshey, he simply says. — Labor helps to save. Times are hard now, the enemy is trying to divide us. But there must be unity, like the Holy Trinity: one God, one faith, one baptism.
The rector of the church is Father Rodion.
First of all, we should talk about the church in the agro-town, a special historical place near the confluence of the Ulla and Western Dvina rivers. A defensive fortress began to be built on the cape at the end of the 16th century, which marked the beginning of the settlement's history, which later became a town with the privilege of Magdeburg law. There were two ancient churches in those parts, and both burned down. But first, let's go with the rector of the Church of the Holy Trinity, Father Rodion Radevich, 20 kilometers from here to the village of Martinovo.
Getting there during the spring thaw is an adventure: if something happens, and you get stuck in the mud, you'd have to call for tractors for help. The village is small, with only one street, and there are practically no local residents left. But the places are beautiful: gardens run down the hill right to the river.
— There are four residents here, — explains Father Rodion. — I myself bought a house with an almost hundred-year history; once a deacon who served in the church lived in it. We want to restore the road to make it easier for people to get here and create a community here. It's painful to see fewer and fewer young people in the village. It's especially upsetting when people who are not yet old die. I counted about seven strong men in the parish who have died in recent years due to alcohol or fires. It's a shame how much good they could have done!
The crown of the street in Martinovo is an elegant red brick church built at the end of the 19th century. There is still a stork's nest on the belfry, but the cross has already been made and is waiting for its time. Above the doors, we see roughly painted, but time-faded inscriptions "ZAGS" (Civil Registry Office) and "Club." But you hardly notice them and enterstep inside, captivated by the silence and tranquility of this place…
The fate of this architectural masterpiece, consecrated in 1906 and featuring elements of classicism and pseudo-Russian style, reflects all the hardships our lands endured in the 20th century. Since 1935, during the struggle against religion, services were not held here. The ceiling has turned green in places from rain, and the brickwork is exposed, not covered by plaster. The holy altar currently lacks an iconostasis, and the blue spring sky peeks through the church windows and the semi-ruined left aisle.
— An artillery shell hit the aisle during the war, — the priest explains. — And four Germans were on the belfry, directing the fire of artillerymen stationed in Sokorovo. They were eliminated during the offensive.
Nevertheless, the church is filled with vibrant life today: two builders, Alexander Korotkov and Sergey Vitushko, were found working here. They were partitioning off the left aisle of the church to gradually prepare the central part for divine service. Currently, only prayers for pilgrimage groups are held here.
— I am originally from the Gomel region; after the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident, I moved to Vitebsk, — Alexander shares his story. — I visited this place with pilgrims and fell in love with it and the church named in honor of my heavenly patron, Alexander Nevsky. I bought a house nearby, found builders, and we started renovating the shrine. There was no electricity: we brought a generator. The central part was covered with a roof. Now we hope that with God's help and people's support, we will be able to gradually restore it.
Father Rodion also doesn't shy away from changing into work clothes and climbing scaffolding to participate in the reconstruction.
— Before I graduated from the Vitebsk Theological Seminary, I was involved in building houses with my team, — the priest explains. — But after my ordination, I closed the company and dedicated my time entirely to serving.. My father served as a priest at the Ull parish for several years before me. He has already built and restored three churches in his life. And we live by construction. For myself, I see the goal in the next ten years, with the blessing of Vladyka Dmitry, to work to repair the holy places entrusted to me. Although everything is in God's hands, and none of us even knows if we will wake up tomorrow.
Having inhaled the village silence, we return to Ulla, where parishioners of the Church of the Holy Trinity are already waiting. At one time, there were two churches in the urban settlement: the Transfiguration of the Lord and the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos. Both were destroyed by fire. The Trinity Church is currently located on the site of the Transfiguration Church. Near them, when the area was cleared of thickets, stone crosses of the 16th-17th centuries were discovered growing. Two years ago, a wooden cross was erected where the Intercession Church was located, and in time they want to recreate a chapel here.
— Our priest can rightfully be called Rodion the Builder, — Raisa Pistunovich does not hide her emotions. — He is constantly busy, the right side chapel of the church, consecrated in honor of John the Baptist, was cleared of debris under him. By the way, there is a very unusual iconostasis here: the icons on it are ceramic. Recently, a boiler room was built, heating was installed, because before that the temperature inside in winter was almost below freezing!
A native resident of Ulla is a living witness to the tragic fate of this architectural gem. Locals well remember how, during the period of godlessness, young people threw crosses from the domes.
— We told them, dear ones, don't touch, don't desecrate the shrine, — the interlocutor says with tears. — They all died at a young age.
Today, young people are educated differently. Students of the Ull State College named after L. M. Dovator regularly attend the church, including children with developmental disabilities. Students of the local school have created a model of the church. Volunteers of "silver" age, together with teenagers, conduct charity events, visit the nursing home, and lonely elderly people.
>
Many residents of the agro-town associate important family events with the church. In 1995, Raisa Pistunovich's granddaughter was baptized in the churchyard when the church had only just begun to be restored from ruins. There were no domes by then, and trees grew inside.
Many people contributed to the revival of the church, but there is still a lot of work to be done today. Father Rodion points to the belfry, renovated last year, but other parts of the building also need restoration.The priest lives permanently in Ulla, and Mother Olga with two children lives in Ushachi, regularly visits and helps. The priest himself works on a large plot of land, over a hectare, growing vegetables for sale, grain, and manages a walk-behind tractor. He is considering a farming business: construction work requires significant funds. But how does he manage to find funding sources now, when the small parish has a constant core of parishioners of only 10-20 people?
Support is primarily provided by local authorities, including the chairman of the district executive committee, Galina Unukovich. They also help with building materials and transport. The director of the Ulla college, Alexander Pashkevich, never refuses requests.
In addition, Father Rodion also performs obedience at the diocesan pilgrimage center "Odigitria," established in May 2016 at the Vitebsk Diocese. During pilgrimage trips, he met many believers who decided to support the construction of the church. The priest patiently collected precious relics – icons with particles of saints' relics.
— A particle of the relics of Saint Alexander Svirsky was sent to us from Karelia, — Father Rodion shows some of them. — Also Saint Anthony Dymsky from the Tikhvin Diocese, and many other saints.
With special feeling, the priest takes into his hands the icon of the righteous warrior Feodor Ushakov, brought from the Rozhdestvo-Bogorodichny Sanaksarsky Monastery in Mordovia. And he draws our attention to the inscription: "Do not despair! These terrible storms will turn to the glory of Russia."
— It all depends on people's heartshey, he simply says. — Labor helps to save. Times are hard now, the enemy is trying to divide us. But there must be unity, like the Holy Trinity: one God, one faith, one baptism.