Neo-Gothic miracle of Belarus – church in Gervyaty

Today we are going to one of the most beautiful churches in Belarus – Trinity, built in the Gothic and Neo-Gothic style. There are few such majestic and beautiful Catholic churches around the world. The Trinity Church in Gervyaty is one of the three tallest churches in Belarus. The height of the Hervyatsky tower is 61 meters, which corresponds to the height of a twenty-storey building (only 11 meters below the tallest building in Minsk - the National Library). This is not just a temple, a building, a historical monument. Before us is a neo-Gothic miracle. It is often called the Belarusian Notre Dame, and the area around it is called little Switzerland, compared with Notre Dame Cathedral and Cologne Cathedral. The church itself has a rich history and hides many secrets.
The predecessor of the church in Gervyaty began its history in 1526, when Bishop Jan laid a wooden church of the Holy Trinity here in honor of the appearance of a Catholic parish in Gervyaty and the surrounding area. Three centuries later, a magnificent red church in the Neo-Gothic style appeared here.

As it turned out, the place for the construction of the temple was not chosen the most successful: groundwater constantly eroded its foundation. To rectify the situation, the builders had to turn the course of the local Loshi River. And a brick factory was specially raised on its shore, where high-quality building materials were made – they say a chicken egg was added to each brick.

It's hard to believe that we have such beauty in Belarus, and we can see it with our own eyes. Next to the entrance there is a sign in Lithuanian with the name of the temple and the years of construction. There is nothing surprising in this, because the Lithuanian border is very close. There is also a sign in the Belarusian language. Services inside the church are performed in 3 languages at once.

We go in, inside the Trinity Church makes an impression no less than outside. Perfect symmetry, perspective stretching into the distance, the ceiling somewhere high above your head. The temple is as impressive as it was a hundred years ago, when it was just built.

At the far end from the entrance is the main altar of the temple. In the center of the altar is an icon of the 17th century "Ascension of Mary". It was moved from an old wooden temple that stood on this site. On the left and on the right are side altars. There is an atmosphere of calm and tranquility inside. I want to sit on one of the benches and sit in silence. The pulpit from which the sermons are read also looks elegant. The interior of the temple is not overloaded with details and is designed in a single style. The side aisle (nave) is separated by columns from the central part of the church. Electric light bulbs are now used in chandeliers, not candles, as a hundred years ago.

After leaving the temple, do not be lazy to walk around it. An arboretum has been laid along the perimeter of the church. Here you can see 2 thousand exotic plants. The adjacent territory is decorated with figures of 12 apostles. On the territory of the Trinity Church in Gervyaty in a beautiful garden, you can see interesting, stylized crosses carved from wood. Such crosses are traditional for the Lithuanian population. And there are a lot of flowers, trees, bushes in the garden. All this is perfectly groomed. Despite the beauty of the garden, attention is still focused on the church, which looks very impressive from all sides.
To take in the whole temple again, let's go to the Losha River flowing nearby. On its shore there is a watermill of the 19th century. Now there is a cafe in it, where everyone can have a delicious meal and drink a cup of hot tea.
There are many amazing places to travel in Belarus, but we assure you that the Trinity Church in Gervyaty will be remembered for a long time!

Welcome to Belarus!