There are many temples on the territory of Belarus which were damaged during the implementation of the anti-religious policy. One of them did not manage to recover and to open its doors. Only stone ruins and beautiful legends were left from the rest of them. However, some temples were preserved and restored. Thanks to the unwavering faith and efforts of our ancestors, today we have an opportunity to visit those shrines and touch the centuries-old stones, take a look at the works of geniuses that adorn their walls.

The Church of the Annunciation in Vitebsk is one of this kind of ancient temples. It has been miraculously preserved to our time: it still opens its doors for parishioners every morning. The church was built in the 12th century on the place of a former 10th-century wooden church founded by Princess Olga. According to some sources, it was built by Byzantine masters who were invited by Polotsk princes. The Byzantine brickwork also indicates that: it is the alternation of hewn limestone blocks and double rows of flat bricks. Later the appearance of the Orthodox abode was changed many times, but it was always the main city shrine. However, things changed in 1619 when it was transferred to the Uniate (Greek-Catholic) Church. At the same time, the church was adjoint to two towers. The temple became Orthodox only in 1832, and the building was rebuilt again in the Russian Revival style.

During the Great Patriotic War, the church was damaged by numerous bombardments, but it cannot be compared to the damage from the city authorities' vandalism during the post-war period. In 1961, it was decided to blow up the Orthodox temple, but, fortunately, its walls were not ruined, and the rebelling believers managed to protect them from future bombings.

In 1977, the survived remains of the temple were conserved, and in 1993, the thorough restoration started. The restoration was conducted according to the project of architect Gennady Lavretsky. In 1998, the Church of the Annunciation was fully restored. So today visitors can enjoy its initial appearance. On the facades, you can still see the fragments of the 12th-century brickwork. In 2006, the painting of its walls was finished.