Slutsk. Chapel of St. Barbara (Varvarinskaya).
Church
Belarus, Minsk region, Slutsk, Maxim Bogdanovich St., 1.
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Description
St. Barbara's Chapel in Slutsk is one of the most unusual and recognizable sights of the city. It is located near the bridge over the Sluch River and stands out prominently among urban developments.
The Varvarinskaya Church in Slutsk is mentioned in archival records dating back to the 16th century. However, it is possible that its foundation took place long before that. In 1792, due to a severe fire, the church was almost destroyed, but the memories of it remained in the memory of the inhabitants of the city.
In 1996, a new wooden church was erected on the banks of the Sluch River, in the very heart of the city.
The Varvarinskaya chapel in Slutsk is made in the retrospective Russian architectural style. In 2012, in honor of the 400th anniversary of the death of St. Sophia of Slutsk, the church underwent reconstruction. During the work, the configuration of its domes was changed.
Categories
Historical
Comments
Reviews to the Place
1Ольга Ерёменко
03.06.2025
This picturesque chapel is very popular with tourists and is the most frequently photographed place in Slutsk.
The St. Barbara Chapel in Slutsk is rightly considered one of the most attractive architectural landmarks in the city. This picturesque chapel is very popular with tourists and visitors of the city, being the most frequently photographed place in Slutsk.
According to historical records, the Barbara Church used to stand on the site of the current chapel. At the end of the 18th century, it was seriously damaged by fire and subsequently destroyed. The name of the church and all the preserved valuables were moved to a new church built in another part of the city, at the cemetery. However, this temple suffered the same fate: in 1962 it burned down.
In 1996, a wooden chapel in honor of St. Barbara was erected on the site of the original shrine.
Saint Barbara is a Christian great Martyr. Around 306, she was martyred for her faith in Christ during the reign of the Roman emperor. Barbara's father, a noble pagan, kept his daughter imprisoned in a specially built tower to protect her from the outside world. However, this only intensified her desire to know the harmony of the world around her and led to the adoption of Christianity. Upon learning of his daughter's faith, her father imprisoned her, and then handed her over to the governor of the city, Martian. Martian subjected Barbara to severe tortures, but, failing to renounce the faith, ordered the beheading of the saint, and her own father carried out the execution. Soon the tormentors suffered God's punishment: they were struck by lightning.
Since the 12th century, the relics of St. Barbara have been kept in Kiev, where they were brought by the wife of Prince Mikhail, the Byzantine Princess Barbara. Saint Barbara is deeply revered by both Catholics and Orthodox.
The architecture of the chapel of St. Barbara in Slutsk reflects the traditions of church architecture of the Russian North of the XII century. The chapel was built in record time – in just a month. Wood was used in the construction, which was an unusual solution for the 90s. The height of the building is 14.5 meters. Special attention was paid to the sketches of golden crosses, which give the building a unique appearance. The chapel harmoniously fits into the surrounding landscape and is a real decoration of the embankment.
In 2012, work was carried out on the improvement of St. Barbara's Chapel in Slutsk, while the main features of the building remained unchanged. The galvanized iron roof turned a dark green shade (instead of gray), the domes' bulbs changed shape and became golden instead of matte silver, and the walls were treated with a protective compound.
The chapel of St. Barbara offers a picturesque view of the city and the nearby monument to Sofia Slutskaya, which is an important cultural site.