A small stone Catholic church was built in 1785 next to the Vitebsk Catholic cemetery. After the construction was completed, the church was consecrated by the first archbishop of Mogilev Stanislav Bogush-Sestrantsevich in the name of the Holy Martyr Barbara. At first he played the role of a cemetery church, then he became a parish church.
At the end of the XIX century, the number of parishioners of the temple grew so much that the building ceased to accommodate believers. In 1884-1885, the church was rebuilt in the Neo-Romanesque style by architect V. Piotrovsky, which significantly increased its capacity. After the reconstruction, the church was re-consecrated on December 4, 1885.
In 1935, the Church of St. Barbara was closed, the building was used as a warehouse. During During the Great Patriotic War, the towers were destroyed, and in the post-war period the temple building stood abandoned.
Restoration of the church building began in 1988. Initially, it was planned to organize a concert hall there, but after the collapse of the USSR and the restoration of the structures of the Catholic Church in Belarus, St. Barbara's church was returned to the faithful. In 1993, the church, which was returned to the parishioners, was consecrated by the archbishop By Kazimir Sventek. October 13, 1999 from A separate diocese of Vitebsk was allocated to the Minsk-Mogilev archdiocese, and St. Barbara's Church became the cathedral of the new diocese.
I studied at the 27th school next to the church... I remember when I was a child it was destroyed, there were various legends about it, we ran inside as children, everything was interesting, especially the spiral staircase around the towers...and now it's a beautiful Church, I'm going to go in, but I don't have enough time as always....
Definitely visit this vibrant landmark of the city. The walls of the church have been preserved despite everything, although the interior has been completely lost (in Soviet times it was used as a warehouse). It was built in 1783-1785 in the Baroque style, significantly expanded and rebuilt in 1884-1885 with elements of the neo-Romanesque style. If you walk from the city center over the bridge, the journey will take about an hour. If it's 15 minutes from the train station.
It is a very beautiful church. We didn't regret getting there. The architecture and decoration were very impressive. But you need to keep in mind the schedule when it is open to the public: a couple of hours in the morning and a couple of hours in the evening.
I really liked the Church.A nice woman told us a lot of interesting things. I was struck by the icons, there are not many of them, but they are very beautiful, painted with paints, of huge size!
The Lord is good. We arrived late and the Church should no longer be working, but fortunately the Church was open. I really wanted to go to the service, but there was no time. The church is really beautiful.
One of the sights of Vitebsk that amaze the imagination both inside and outside. Read the history of this church. Take a look inside. Sit down and listen to the organ. And you will remember this for the rest of your life!
The church of the 18th century, a monument of historical and cultural heritage in the Borocco style. The old tombstones have been preserved on the territory, the church itself is functioning, you can go in to see, learn something new for yourself
A great place to feel peace and tranquility. You get to the territory of the Church and feel yourself in a place that has not been touched by civilization for 200 years.
Первый раз был в действующем костеле. Конечно, внутри все достаточно консервативно. Но само здание.... Это отвал всего! Архитектура поразительная. Настоятельно рекомендую просто зайти посмотреть
Прекрасный Костел 18в в с стиле барокко. Очень красивый, тёмный кирпич и умиротворённая атмосфера внутри. Нигде я себя так спокойно не чувствую, как здесь.
Однозначно рекомендую к посещению, если будете в Витебске.