Orsha. Ilyinskaya church.

On the left bank of the Dnieper in Orsha near the Kutein Monastery, the brick Holy Ilyinskaya Church was built in 1880. The first wooden church was built in the 15th century. According to legend, this church of St. Ilya was built by order of the king and Grand Duke Casimir in honor of the rescue of his wife Elizabeth, who was bathing on the day of the prophet Ilya and almost drowned. And so, in honor of her rescue, Casimir ordered the construction of churches of St. Ilia throughout the country. The parishioners were residents of Ilyinska slobada in Transdnieper. The Ilyinskaya Church is a monument of retrospective Russian-style architecture. In addition to the church, there are several other religious and economic buildings. The territory of the temple was surrounded by a brick wall in the 19th century. It is worth paying attention to the buttresses at the corner of the fence, which have a semicircular shape. A memorial stone with an inscription dating back to the 17th century is laid in the foundation of the brick fence. The canonical four-part composition of the temple consists of the following parts: vestibule - belfry, refectory, prayer hall and pentagonal apse with side sacristy. The entrance to the church from the main facade is distinguished by a traditional 17th-century Russian temple doily with a four-pillar vault, which is finished with a faceted marquee with a poppy. The multi-tiered bell tower is the architectural dominant. There are many ancient icons in the interior of the church. Old burials of priests and parishioners have been preserved around the temple. Now there is a women's Holy - Dormition monastery at the church of St. Ilya.