If you are planning excursions to Belarus, visit the city of Grodno. It is located in the western part of the country, on the border with Lithuania and Poland. Grodno is primarily interesting for its architectural sights. This city is one of the oldest in the Republic of Belarus; he managed to save a lot of historical buildings. One of the brightest monuments of ancient architecture is the Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier (unofficial name - Farny Church). This is one of the main and most beautiful sights of the city, certainly worthy of the attention of tourists who sometimes specially call in Grodno in order to see the famous temple with their own eyes.
Location
The address of St. Francis Xavier Cathedral: Grodno, Sovetskaya Street, house 4. You can get there on foot from the bus or train station along Eliza Orzeszko Street. Walking will allow you to enjoy the beauty of the streets of Grodno.
The history of the monument of architecture
The Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier in Grodno was erected in 1683. It was built by the Jesuits for collegium meetings. Services have been held since 1700, and the name of Francis Xavier, the holy Catholic missionary, was assigned to the cathedral in 1705. The consecration of the temple was witnessed by the King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Augustus the First and Russian Emperor Peter the Great. Later, in addition to services, they began to conduct philosophy lessons there, and a pharmacy opened. The library gradually expanded, new scientific treatises appeared. Then for a while in the history of the cathedral there was a lull associated with the period of wars. Only in the thirties did activity on its arrangement and development resumed. In 1736 the church was decorated with an altar by Jan Schmidt. Until 1762, the cathedral was being completed, and new courses were introduced into the curriculum.
Nowadays
During the time of active struggle against religious views, the temple was about to be blown up. Learning about this, the Grodans surrounded the temple and stayed there for several days, reading a prayer. The cathedral thanks to their efforts managed to defend.
Unfortunately, in 2006 there was a fire in the cathedral. Some sculptures burned down completely, several were badly damaged. Donations were collected for the reconstruction, it lasted from 2009 to 2011. At the moment, the Cathedral of St. Francis of Caveria attracts not only Catholic believers for prayers, but also tourists - connoisseurs of ancient architecture. Admission is free. Services are conducted in three languages: Russian, Polish and Belarusian, depending on the schedule. By the way, it is curious that a pharmacy, opened in the XVIII century, is working now.
Cathedral exterior
The cathedral was built in the Baroque style. The towers reach 65 meters in height, so the church is visible from almost any part of the city. One of them is decorated with an antique clock, one of the most rare in Eastern Europe (they are about 600 years old). Despite this, they are still operational. The clock was first mentioned in the distant 1496, and even then it was said that they are quite ancient. In the 20th century, watches were repaired; this happened in 1995, but the mechanism was still not replaced.
The old bells cast in 1665, unfortunately, have not been preserved. During the First World War, they were taken to Germany. Now in the cathedral are the bells that were installed there in 1938.
On the facade of the cathedral, in niches, statues of saints are installed. The topmost is decorated with a sculpture of Francis Xavier himself; in the lower - the apostles Peter and Paul.
Opposite the doors of the temple is a statue of Jesus Christ carrying the cross. The inscription on which the Christian liturgy begins is engraved on the pedestal: Sursum Corda, which in Latin means "we will lift our hearts."
Temple interior
The famous altar of John Christian Schmidt is still the main decoration inside the cathedral. The figure of St. Francis Xavier is located in the center of the first tier. To the left and to the right of it are sculptures of biblical apostles: Paul, Peter, Andrew the First-Called, James Zebedeev, Nathanael, James Alfeev, Thaddeus, Philip, Simon. Paying attention to the second tier, the tourist will see the figure of Christ in the center and the statues of Mark, Luke, Matthew and John - the four gospel apostles. There are four holy preachers of Catholicism: Ambrose, Jerome, Gregory and Augustine. The altar is made of wood and tinted with light and gray marble. It is decorated with lots of gilding. The iconostasis is also made entirely of wood. The main altar is recognized as one of the highest in Eastern Europe.
In addition to this altar, the church has 12 more, and they are dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the holy images of Catholicism, the Trinity.
The cathedral is also decorated with frescoes and stained glass windows.
By right, in the cathedral there is a bust of King Stephen Batory, who at one time made a donation for the construction of churches for the collegium, including this one.
Icon of Our Lady of Student
This is one of the most valuable treasures of the cathedral. It was granted to students even during the existence of the Jesuit College by the gentry Wojtech Jalerowski. This icon is known for a large number of healings and miracles after prayer in front of it. During World War II, a shell hit the Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier, however, flying past the icon, it did not explode.
In honor of Our Lady of the Student, a holiday is celebrated annually on August 5.
The icon is more ancient than the church. The first mention of it came in 1644-1650, when it was brought from Rome.
The image is a copper sheet measuring 17 by 22 centimeters with the image of the faces of the Mother of God and the Savior. The small size is explained by the fact that the icon was originally made for pilgrims to carry it on their chest in a special handbag. It is made completely in oil paints.
On the frame that surrounds the icon are various donations. Their Catholic believers bring as thanks for help or miraculous healing: pectoral crosses, coins, rings, metal figures.
Reviews of tourists about the cathedral
Everyone who saw this ancient architectural monument and went inside notes the beauty and luxury of the church. It is very convenient for tourists that you can see it from almost any part of the city, so it’s difficult to miss or not to find it. Many consider this cathedral the most interesting and beautiful place in the city. Those who are still going on an excursion to Belarus are sure to plan a visit to the city of Grodno and this church.