Oshmyany. Mount Calvaria or "Mountain of Crosses".

On the eastern outskirts of the city of Oshmyany stands a place that is difficult to find on tourist maps, but which has been the living heart of the local Catholic community for a quarter of a century. This is Mount Calvaria, the highest point of the city, which today is more often called Golgotha or Mount of Crosses.

History in ruins.

The history of this hill goes back centuries. The top of the mountain preserves evidence of a turbulent past: the ruins of the former Franciscan church still stand here. It is believed that the temple was built in the middle of the XVI century. Originally Gothic, in 1822 it was radically rebuilt and acquired the features of classicism.

However, just ten years later, in 1832, the monastery was closed, and the magnificent building, left unattended, began to gradually collapse. For a long time, a Catholic cemetery was also located on the mountain, but today the main role in the appearance of this place is played not by old stones, but by living traditions.

A lifelong tradition.

About 25 years ago, after the church was returned to the faithful, an amazing tradition was born in Oshmyany, which is repeated every year on Palm Sunday.

Long before the holiday, local men carve a huge cross out of wood. Its parameters are impressive: it reaches a height of four meters and weighs at least 400 kilograms. On the feast day, the Way of the Cross begins. Believers gather at the Church of St. Michael the Archangel, and the procession, led by men carrying a heavy cross on their shoulders, sets off.

The peculiarity of the procession is that the cross is carried without ever being lowered to the ground for almost two kilometers. The path lies along the narrow, winding Franciscan Street and repeats the sufferings of Christ: along the way, believers make 14 stops - exactly the same number as Jesus did on his way to Golgotha. Residents of Oshmyany are preparing for this day with special trepidation: they decorate stops, take out tables with festive tablecloths, icons and fresh flowers.

The mountain that speaks.

The culmination of the procession is the planting of a cross on top of a hill, among the ruins of an ancient church and dozens of similar crosses erected here in previous years. From the outside, this painting looks monumental: old crosses against the sky resemble ships sailing into eternity.

This place has become a true symbol of unbroken faith. It is unique in that the tradition here was not artificially invented or revived according to archives - it was born spontaneously out of the sincere desire of people to live important events for every Christian.

Today, Mount Calvaria in Oshmyany is not just a geographical point or a historical monument. It is a living monument to human faith and unity, which grows exactly one four-meter high cross every year. If you find yourself in these parts at Easter, you will see not a tourist attraction, but an authentic Belarus, as it is created by the people themselves.