Ilya. The Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The small village of Ilya, located in the Vileysky district of the Minsk region, attracts tourists due to its historical and cultural attractions. This place is located on the Ilia river, just 40 kilometers from Vileyka.

Historical documents reveal interesting facts about the village's population: for four centuries, Jews lived here mainly, who were engaged in trade, various crafts, renting mills and working in gardens. At the beginning of the 19th century, a glass factory was founded in Ilya, which by 1847 accounted for more than half of the local population. The village is also known for prominent personalities, including Talmudist Menashe ben Joseph Ilier.

Ilya is famous for its Church of the Heart of Jesus, which is considered a beautiful architectural landmark and is located near the Minsk–Myadel road. It is known that the first church in the area was built in 1669, and the current one was erected in 1907.

The main shape of the temple is rectangular, with a gable roof. Adjacent to it is a low semicircular apse and one wing of the transept, located on the southeastern side, while the second wing is missing. The main facade is divided into three parts by two pairs of buttresses, in the center there is an arched entrance with a portal and framed by carvings. The facade is completed by a dihedral shield, in the tympanum of which there are three arched niches and lucarns, united by an arch. The side walls are about a meter thick and are rhythmically separated by arched windows and buttresses. The architectural decor, including the baseboards and cornices, is made of brick. The interior previously had a vaulted ceiling, which has not been preserved.

During the war, the church was closed, then used as a dairy, and in 1993 it was returned to Catholics and restored.

I am glad that after difficult historical events, the temple has become operational again and continues to attract both locals and tourists due to its neo-Romanesque style and importance in the history of Belarus.