Lukashenko celebrating Easter in Shklov
The President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, is celebrating the bright holiday of Easter among his fellow countrymen in the Saviour Transfiguration Church in Shklov. As is traditional, the Head of State lit a candle and took part in the Easter service.
The construction of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour in Shklov began in late 18th century by Empress Yekaterina II’s favourite, Semen Zorich, and was completed in late 20th century at the expense of Agafia Sidorova, a deeply religious resident of Shklov, who is considered the founder of this shrine. The temple remained active during the years of atheism and the Great Patriotic War. In 2014, the 150th anniversary of its foundation was celebrated.
The temple complex includes the Saviour Transfiguration Church itself, the building of the Sunday school and the parable house.
The Church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour – of cruciform, with four turrets along the edges and a massive octagonal light drum in the centre – is a monument of eclectic architecture, made in a pseudo-Byzantine style with ‘modern’ features. Different heights of the volumes of the temple give the building a vertical orientation and sophistication. All facades are made with pronounced symmetry. There are three entrances to the temple, in the south-western tower there is a staircase to the bell tower. In front of the main entrance is a brick gate built in the 20th century.
The Church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour is a historical and cultural value of the third category. The capacity of the temple is up to 500 people.
The most revered icon of the temple is a copy of the icon of the Mother of God Assuage My Sorrows, the original of which disappeared without a trace after the revolution.
The Church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour has a Sunday school.
Archpriest Andrei Rybakov has been the rector of the Transfiguration Church since 2015.
