Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Budslau

Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Касцёл Унебаўзяцця Найсвяцейшай Дзевы Марыі
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
54°47′N 27°27′E / 54.783°N 27.450°E / 54.783; 27.450Coordinates: 54°47′N 27°27′E / 54.783°N 27.450°E / 54.783; 27.450
Location	Budslau, Myadzyel Raion, Minsk Region
Country	Belarus
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	http://site.catholic.by/budslau/
History
Status	Parish church
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architect(s)	K. Pens
Completed	1783

Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Belarusian: Касцёл Унебаўзяцця Найсвяцейшай Дзевы Марыі) is a former Bernardine, now parish Catholic Church in village Budslau, Myadzyel Raion, Minsk Region, Belarus. The church is a monument of architecture of the late Baroque, it has Budslau icon of Our Lady - one of the most revered Catholic images. In 1996 Pope John Paul II proclaimed this icon the patron of Belarus.

History[]

Bernardine Monastery, from pictographic map of 18th century.

First time the church was mentioned in documents in 1504, when the Grand Duke Alexander granted Vilnius Bernardines 6000 morgens of forest in the Minsk district. Monks lived for 2-4 people in the buildings, also they had a chapel.

In 1591 a wooden church of Visitation was built, in which there was the miraculous icon of the Mother of Our Lady, the last was brought by from Rome (a gift from Pope Clement VIII) in 1598 and transferred to the church in 1613. In 1643 a new church was built, and in 1750 - a residential housing. The construction of a new church was started on June 29, 1767; some walls of the chapel of 17th century were used during this construction.

In 1783 the church was consecrated in honor of the Dormition of the Mother of God. During the second half of the 18th century there were added various rooms to the church. Since 1756 there was a music school at the monastery, and in 1793-1842 - two-year school and a hospital. In 1731-1797 the moral theology and rhetoric was studied in the theological school, the number of monks was about 4-17 people.

The temple was closed in 1852, some of his monks took part in the uprising of 1863-64.

The house of the priest of 19th century preserved near the temple.

Architecture[]

The temple is three-nave two-towered basilica without apse with a transept. The main facade with two towers on the sides decorated with rich plastics: pilasters, engaged columns. The interior covered with barrel vaults. Spherical dome is located at the intersection of the main nave and transept. In the chapel of St. Barbara carved wooden altar of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is located (around 1643) - one of the most outstanding early Baroque monuments in Belarus. The back sides of the altar are resolved in a Corinthian colonnade, which serves as the scenes for 20 sculptures. The excellent frescoes of the church survived to our time without later changes.

• 

  Budslau icon of Our Lady

• 

  Wooden side altar of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 17th century

Literature[]

• Дзяржаўны спіс гісторыка-культурных каштоўнасцей Рэспублікі Беларусь: [Даведнік] / Склад. В. Я. Абламскі, І. М. Чарняўскі, Ю. А. Барысюк — Мн.: БЕЛТА, 2009. — 684 с. — ISBN 978-985-6828-35-8.
• Ярашэвіч А. А. Будслаўская базіліка Унебаўзяцця Найсвяцейшай Панны Марыі. — Мінск, 2005.
• Габрусь Т. В. Мураваныя харалы: Сакральная архітэктура беларускага барока / Т. В. Габрусь. Мн.: Ураджай, 2001.— 287 с.: іл. ISBN 985-04-0499-X, с. 238-240.