Khmelevo. Transfiguration of the Lord church. Monastery.

The Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior, located in the village of Khmelevo, is one of the most ancient temples in Brest region. It was built in 1725 in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord.

50 years later, after the wars, the temple required partial restoration. In 1774, the famous magnate Adam Czartoryski made a significant contribution to its restoration. Since then, the church has remained open, having been preserved from desecration and fires. Locals are surprised to notice that the walls look like stone, although they are made of wood; even a nail is difficult to drive in.

This temple is included in the register of cultural heritage of Belarus and is a monument of wooden architecture in the Baroque style with classical elements.

The church is located on the western side of the agricultural town of Khmelevo, next to an old cemetery surrounded by a pine forest. A solid concrete fence is installed around it. Unfortunately, the name of the architect who created the temple has not been preserved.

In 1839, a vestibule was added to the main facade, and a wooden two-tiered belfry was built nearby, forming a single architectural complex.

The Transfiguration Church has a cross-shaped shape. Its interior retains elements of monumental painting and decorative art of the XVIII-XIX centuries, including a carved iconostasis. Two wonderful icons, the "Mother of God of Czestochowa" and the "Apostle Mark," representing ancient Belarusian painting, attract special attention.

There are many legends about this icon. According to one of them, the Czestochowa icon is one of the seventy painted by the Apostle Luke. After the destruction of Jerusalem, Christians were able to save the shrine, which later ended up in Byzantium and was brought to Russian lands by Lev Danilovich. The icon has repeatedly helped in disasters and has been copied for various churches. The Miraculous Icon The Mother of God of Czestochowa is both the patroness and healer of the Khmelevskaya Desert. The chapel church built in Khmelevo for the brethren of the monastery is named after this icon.

Today, one of the ancient copies is kept in the Khmelevsky monastery. During the fire of the chapel where it was kept, this icon remained intact, which contributed to its transfer to the church. Since then, the temple and shrines have gone through many trials, but they continued to serve people. In the 20th century, there were many attempts to steal the icon, but it always came back.

Today, pilgrims from all over the world come here to worship and receive healing, especially from serious ailments. The Khmelevsky Monastery is also famous for the fact that services are held here specifically for people with various addictions.