Gomel. The Church of St. Michael the Archangel.

The wooden Church of Michael the Archangel is an outstanding monument of wooden architecture dating back to the beginning of the 20th century. Nevertheless, it was installed on the territory of Gomel only in 2005.

The temple is a cross-domed structure with a pentagonal apse. A large dome rises above the intersection of the central volume, resembling a helmet mounted on a light octagon. The main accent of the architectural composition is a two-tiered bell tower with a hipped roof. The central and side entrances are emphasized by steps with canopies. The walls of the temple are horizontally sheathed with boards and cut through with high rectangular window openings with architraves, sandricks and decorative grilles. This church is a monument of folk architecture with elements of pseudo-Russian style.

Initially, the wooden church was located in the village of Vylyovo, the construction of which began in the early 20th century and ended with consecration in 1909. Archival materials and signatures of workers on the inner wall of the temple have been preserved to this day. In 1986, the Chernobyl disaster occurred, as a result of which many territories were exposed to radioactive contamination. The village of Vylyovo was among the 176 settlements of Belarus to be resettled.

In 2005, the wooden church was moved to Gomel and consecrated in honor of Michael the Archangel. Although the Gomel parish existed before, all services were held in a temporary church.

The church is not only a functioning religious building and an architectural monument, but also an important reminder of the numerous victims of the Chernobyl disaster. During the transfer, the temple was restored and renovated. At the first memorial service in honor of the next anniversary of the disaster, it was decided that this church would become a memorial temple to all the victims of Chernobyl.

Today, this temple attracts many people, including parishioners, pilgrims and former Chernobyl victims. There is a pond on the territory of the temple, and here you can meet a variety of animals: dogs, cats, rabbits, turtles and fish. Geese, ducks, stork, turkey and goat get along peacefully in a separate enclosure.