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Church of St. Mary of Egypt
Vileika and surrounding
Architecture,  Temples, Churches
Architecture, 
Temples, Churches

Built in the central square of the Belarusian city of Vileyka, this Orthodox church differs from other religious buildings, both in its original appearance and in eventful history. It appeared in 1865, during a fierce confrontation between the Orthodox and Catholic churches. The Russian Empire strongly contributed to the construction of Orthodox churches in these lands. At the same time, there was the oppression of Catholic believers. Thus, the Church of St. Mary of Egypt was built directly opposite the majestic Catholic temple, the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

The saint who gave the name to the snow-white stone shrine also had a complicated history. The beautiful girl Mary was born in Alexandria, Egypt, in the middle of the 5th century. She became a loose woman at the age of 12. One day, she went with pilgrims to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, trying to seduce them. Thanks to the stamina of the believers, the girl did not commit sins. So she decided to go with them. Soon, the pilgrims and the Egyptian harlot reached the Catholic church. Mary got shocked as she could not even come close to it. She entered the church only after realizing her impurity and repenting of her sins. She went to the True Cross and passionately prayed to the Mother of God. After that, she was baptized and parted to the desert, where she lived as a hermit for more than 50 years. Since then, the Venerable Mary of Egypt has been considered a paragon of redemption and the patroness of reclaimed harlots.

The appearance of the church is no less impressive than its history. The romantic Russian Revival style combines the traditions of ancient Russian architecture and elements of Byzantine architecture. Although this style was popular in the 19th-20th centuries, only a few examples have been preserved. The church was designed by the Russian engineer Alexey Polozov.

There is a distinctive feature, unusual for Orthodox churches: the church has the clock installed on the tower. The interior is adorned with icons by the famous Russian artist, professor of the Imperial Academy of Arts, Mikhail Vasiliev.

Address: Lenina Sq

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