Orthodoxe Kathedrale Mariä-Schutz-und-Fürbitte-Kirche zu Witebsk / Vitebsk (1821) 1 - 1944
Originally the Intercession Cathedral (Mariä-Schutz-und-Fürbitte-Kirche) was Roman Catholic. It belonged to the Order of Trinitarians, and was built in classical style in 1821. As the history of the city of Vitebsk testifies, first there was a wooden church which foundation was laid in 1758.
In 1831 it was decided to close the Catholic Church and the monks who were there, were expelled from the city. A monk two-storey building accompanying the church, was later redesigned into a shelter for orphaned children. That was in 1840, but after ten years instead of the shelter a women's prison was opened.
All this time the church had been empty. It was only in 1858, when it was given to the Orthodox Church, the life returned here. Reconstruction had begun - and soon, the parish faced the temple instead of the Roman Catholic Church. However, it was decided not to change the basic architecture and the layout. By the way, the repairs were carried out on the donations of one of Vitebsk merchants. It was industrialist Gregory Volkovich. The reconstruction was completed in 1865 - and the Intercession Church bells sounded for the parishioners, now - the Cathedral.
In 1913 the church was rebuilt again in honor of the 300th anniversary of the Romanovs. During the reconstruction of the central part of the Intercession Cathedral a drum with a dome and two towers was built, and a triangular pediment became semicircular.
But in 1930 the Soviet power closed the Intercession Cathedral. Such an order related the other Vitebsk temples.
Since the beginning of World War II, during the German occupation, the bells of the Intercession Cathedral rang again, that was overjoyed by Orthodox believers.
And in August 1941 the church experienced one more important event: as Vitebsk history shows, the relics of Saint Euphrosyne of Polotsk were transferred here. They were here until 1943.
It's no secret that the war is ruthless. So the architecture of Vitebsk experienced difficult years of the war years, losing the original and unique works of art. It is not difficult to guess that the Intercession Cathedral also hurt: the towers and the roof were destroyed, the dome was abolished. By the way, after the war they did not fasten to recover the church, but there wasn`t an order about its demolition either. However, the time put everything in its place, slowly destroying the church and quietly wiping out the bright attraction of Vitebsk.
Although in 1980 the situation changed, and it was decided to demolish the Intercession Cathedral after all. And, in fact, the insidious plan was close to implementation, but people only managed to save the relics due to confluence of circumstances: first, alterations were obvious and, secondly, movement of intellectuals "Uzgorye" has played its significant role: the people rose to defend the church.
For the first time the matter was got off the ground in 1986 when the government made the final decision to rebuild the temple. The restoration was carried out according to architects Ratko and Lyadenko and ended in 1992. Although the first service at the Intercession Cathedral was held much earlier – on the feast of the Holy Virgin October 14, 1990.
Witebsk ist die wichtigste Industriestadt im Nordosten Weissrusslands. Am Zusammenfluß von Wisba und Düna (Dwina) liegt die alte Handelsmetrople.
Witebsk schaut auf eine über 1000jährige Geschichte zurück.
Als mittelalterliches Handelszentrum wechselte es mehrfach den Regenten. Die Stadt war litauisch, polnisch, russisch und wurde von Angehörigen vieler Nationen und Religionen bevölkert. Napoleon belagerte und zerstörte Witebsk; damit legte er 1812 den Grundstein für das katastrophale Ende seines Russlandfeldzuges.
In den beiden Weltkriegen wurde Witebsk wie so viele osteuropäische Städte fast vollständig zerstört und anschließend mühevoll wieder aufgebaut, wobei jedoch von der historischen Originalsubstanz nur wenig erhalten und überliefert wurde.
Lichtbild : Klaus Seidenfaden
Heute sieht es da so aus :
get.google.com/albumarchive/104992091075399512625/album/A...
Orthodoxe Kathedrale Mariä-Schutz-und-Fürbitte-Kirche zu Witebsk / Vitebsk (1821) 1 - 1944
Originally the Intercession Cathedral (Mariä-Schutz-und-Fürbitte-Kirche) was Roman Catholic. It belonged to the Order of Trinitarians, and was built in classical style in 1821. As the history of the city of Vitebsk testifies, first there was a wooden church which foundation was laid in 1758.
In 1831 it was decided to close the Catholic Church and the monks who were there, were expelled from the city. A monk two-storey building accompanying the church, was later redesigned into a shelter for orphaned children. That was in 1840, but after ten years instead of the shelter a women's prison was opened.
All this time the church had been empty. It was only in 1858, when it was given to the Orthodox Church, the life returned here. Reconstruction had begun - and soon, the parish faced the temple instead of the Roman Catholic Church. However, it was decided not to change the basic architecture and the layout. By the way, the repairs were carried out on the donations of one of Vitebsk merchants. It was industrialist Gregory Volkovich. The reconstruction was completed in 1865 - and the Intercession Church bells sounded for the parishioners, now - the Cathedral.
In 1913 the church was rebuilt again in honor of the 300th anniversary of the Romanovs. During the reconstruction of the central part of the Intercession Cathedral a drum with a dome and two towers was built, and a triangular pediment became semicircular.
But in 1930 the Soviet power closed the Intercession Cathedral. Such an order related the other Vitebsk temples.
Since the beginning of World War II, during the German occupation, the bells of the Intercession Cathedral rang again, that was overjoyed by Orthodox believers.
And in August 1941 the church experienced one more important event: as Vitebsk history shows, the relics of Saint Euphrosyne of Polotsk were transferred here. They were here until 1943.
It's no secret that the war is ruthless. So the architecture of Vitebsk experienced difficult years of the war years, losing the original and unique works of art. It is not difficult to guess that the Intercession Cathedral also hurt: the towers and the roof were destroyed, the dome was abolished. By the way, after the war they did not fasten to recover the church, but there wasn`t an order about its demolition either. However, the time put everything in its place, slowly destroying the church and quietly wiping out the bright attraction of Vitebsk.
Although in 1980 the situation changed, and it was decided to demolish the Intercession Cathedral after all. And, in fact, the insidious plan was close to implementation, but people only managed to save the relics due to confluence of circumstances: first, alterations were obvious and, secondly, movement of intellectuals "Uzgorye" has played its significant role: the people rose to defend the church.
For the first time the matter was got off the ground in 1986 when the government made the final decision to rebuild the temple. The restoration was carried out according to architects Ratko and Lyadenko and ended in 1992. Although the first service at the Intercession Cathedral was held much earlier – on the feast of the Holy Virgin October 14, 1990.
Witebsk ist die wichtigste Industriestadt im Nordosten Weissrusslands. Am Zusammenfluß von Wisba und Düna (Dwina) liegt die alte Handelsmetrople.
Witebsk schaut auf eine über 1000jährige Geschichte zurück.
Als mittelalterliches Handelszentrum wechselte es mehrfach den Regenten. Die Stadt war litauisch, polnisch, russisch und wurde von Angehörigen vieler Nationen und Religionen bevölkert. Napoleon belagerte und zerstörte Witebsk; damit legte er 1812 den Grundstein für das katastrophale Ende seines Russlandfeldzuges.
In den beiden Weltkriegen wurde Witebsk wie so viele osteuropäische Städte fast vollständig zerstört und anschließend mühevoll wieder aufgebaut, wobei jedoch von der historischen Originalsubstanz nur wenig erhalten und überliefert wurde.
Lichtbild : Klaus Seidenfaden
Heute sieht es da so aus :
get.google.com/albumarchive/104992091075399512625/album/A...