Synkavichy Fortified Church, Synkavichy, Belarus

The Church of St. Michael in Synkavichy is a Gothic church was built in 16th century. It is one of the first fortified churches in Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In 1880-1881, the temple was significantly reconstructed. In 1926, it was rebuilt as a Catholic church. In 1988-1990, it become Orthodox. This site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2004.

The defensive system of the church consists of four towers and loopholes placed under the vaults. The interior of the church looks like a hall, its cross-shaped vaults with nervuses rest on six pillars. With the purpose to improve the defence capacity the windows are raised high above the ground.

References:

Religious sites in Belarus

Address

P99, Synkavichy, Belarus

See all sites in Synkavichy

Details

Founded: 16th century
Category: Religious sites in Belarus

More Information

en.wikipedia.org
www.belarusguide.com

Rating

4.9/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Ruzhany Palace Ruins (34 km)
Kosava Palace (39,8 km)

User Reviews

Максім Пыжэўскі (20 months ago)
Как памятник архитектуры - оценка "10" по пятибалльной системе. Всё остальное, по моему мнению, не служение Богу, а бизнес. Своими глазами наблюдал неприятную картину. Перед началом службы к матушке подходит древняя бабуля (на вид далеко за 80) и хочет заказать сорокоуст. Далее начинается чистой воды развод. Бабушке вливается информация, что для "лучшего действия" сорокоуста она ещё должна купить массу иконок и всякого рода амулетов, чтобы развестись их по всему дому. В итоге, по моим подсчётам, бабушка на всё это отдала 2/3 своей пенсии. На содержание храма? Может быть. Но при такой версии в эту историю не вписывается шуба матушки (не берусь оценивать её стоимость, поскольку не являюсь экспертом в этой области). Но шуба выглядит явно не бедно.

Алина Кунцевич (20 months ago)
Первый раз я была в церкви на Рождественские праздники. Незабываемый голос отца Арсения, лучезарная икона Пресвятой Богородицы "Всецарица", святой источник, искренность и красота молитвы, божья благодать ... сюда хочеться возвращаться ещё и ещё.... и верить, что Господь услышит ...и все будет хорошо

Светлана Мелешкина (2 years ago)
В этом храме проводятся службы о болящих раком первую пятницу и третью субботу месяца. В храме находится список Чудотворной иконы "Всецарица". Начало в 9.00. Поклониться иконе приезжают тысячи людей. В благодарность исцелившиеся привозят и вешают на икону подарки.

Таня Крем (2 years ago)
Внутри красиво, но это не главное! Главное, что в ней проводится молебен иконе Всецарицы, по онкологичским заболеваниями прихожан. Люди молятся иконе и исцеляются!

Paulouski Family (3 years ago)
Very nice and interesting church and place.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Makser

Historic Site of the week

Derbent Fortress

Derbent is the southernmost city in Russia, occupying the narrow gateway between the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus Mountains connecting the Eurasian steppes to the north and the Iranian Plateau to the south. Derbent claims to be the oldest city in Russia with historical documentation dating to the 8th century BCE. Due to its strategic location, over the course of history, the city changed ownership many times, particularly among the Persian, Arab, Mongol, Timurid, Shirvan and Iranian kingdoms.

Derbent has archaeological structures over 5,000 years old. As a result of this geographic peculiarity, the city developed between two walls, stretching from the mountains to the sea. These fortifications were continuously employed for a millennium and a half, longer than any other extant fortress in the world.

A traditionally and historically Iranian city, the first intensive settlement in the Derbent area dates from the 8th century BC. The site was intermittently controlled by the Persian monarchs, starting from the 6th century BC. Until the 4th century AD, it was part of Caucasian Albania which was a satrap of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. In the 5th century Derbent functioned as a border fortress and the seat of Sassanid Persians. Because of its strategic position on the northern branch of the Silk Route, the fortress was contested by the Khazars in the course of the Khazar-Arab Wars. In 654, Derbent was captured by the Arabs.

The Sassanid fortress does not exist any more, as the famous Derbent fortress as it stands today was built from the 12th century onward. Derbent became a strong military outpost and harbour of the Sassanid empire. During the 5th and 6th centuries, Derbent also became an important center for spreading the Christian faith in the Caucasus.

The site continued to be of great strategic importance until the 19th century. Today the fortifications consist of two parallel defence walls and Naryn-Kala Citadel. The walls are 3.6km long, stretching from the sea up to the mountains. They were built from stone and had 73 defence towers. 9 out of the 14 original gates remain.

In Naryn-Kala Citadel most of the old buildings, including a palace and a church, are now in ruins. It also holds baths and one of the oldest mosques in the former USSR.

In 2003, UNESCO included the old part of Derbent with traditional buildings in the World Heritage List.

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Synkavichy Fortified Church