Borisov. Resurrection Cathedral.

The first reliable mention of an Orthodox church operating in Borisov since ancient times dates back to 1510. Since 1795, with the annexation of the lands of Belarus to Russia, Borisov became the center of the deanery, uniting 12 churches of the district. The current Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ is a remarkable architectural decoration of the ancient city. According to official statistics, in 1865 Borisov survived five fires that destroyed 345 houses. The fire did not spare the wooden cathedral, which was located next to the market.

In the first half of 1867, a project and estimate for the construction of a new, already stone cathedral in the city of Borisov were presented. The final project was developed by the architect P. Merkulov with the participation of the rector of the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg L.N. Benois and was approved by the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs on January 25, 1868, at the personal request of the Bishop of Minsk and Bobruisk Alexander (Dobrynin).

The construction of the 9-domed cathedral, consecrated in honor of the Resurrection of Christ the Savior, was completed on October 15, 1874. And on October 20, a ceremonial consecration took place, which was performed by Bishop Alexander with the participation of the provincial authorities and high-ranking clergy. The cathedral has three aisles. The main altar is consecrated in honor of the Resurrection of Christ, the right one - in honor of the holy blessed prince Alexander Nevsky, the left one - the holy equal-to-the-apostles prince Vladimir. The first rector of the Resurrection Cathedral was priest Kliment Groditsky.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a local official, who was also a church warden, Nil Burtsev, initiated the construction of a brick bell tower. This idea was brought to life in 1907 by the Minsk diocesan architect Viktor Struev. Built with Burtsev's own funds, the bell tower and the cathedral formed a beautiful, integral ensemble.

In 1937, the cathedral was closed for worship: the believers were expelled from the church, the crosses were cut down from the domes, and the interior was looted. A grain storage facility was set up in it, and the bell tower was converted into a parachute tower. During the German occupation, the church was handed over to the believers. All the interior had to be restored anew. After the liberation of Belarus from the Nazi invaders, the persecution of the clergy and believers continued. However, the church was never closed, although the ringing of bells was banned during Khrushchev's rule.

In the early 1970s, as a result of a drop in groundwater levels, the oak piles began to deteriorate and the cathedral's foundation sank. This led to the formation of cracks in the walls, vaults and columns. The building was declared unsafe, and in 2005, services in the church were stopped. Since 2006, the Resurrection Cathedral, which is of historical value and is under state protection, has been under restoration.

On April 28, 2013, Bishop Veniamin celebrated the first Liturgy in the renovated church in 7 years of restoration. In 2014, the final opening of the Resurrection Cathedral became a Christmas gift for the residents of Borisov and the surrounding area: on the eve of the Nativity of Christ, Bishop Veniamin performed a minor consecration of the church.

A detailed list of the relics of the Borisov Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ can be found here: https://borisov-spas.by/svyatyini-2