3.4 million Belarusian rubles will be allocated from the fund of the President of the Republic of Belarus for the support of culture and art for the restoration of the iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral of the Assumption Monastery in Zhirovichi. The corresponding decree was signed on June 11, 2026 by the head of state Alexander Lukashenko.
Restoration of the iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral in Zhirovichi with the support of the funds of the Foundation of the President of the Republic of Belarus began in 2025. By now, the upper section of the 1670 iconostasis has been completely restored. In 2026, restoration work will continue on the remaining elements of the iconostasis.
The implementation of the project will make a significant contribution to the preservation and enhancement of the country's cultural heritage, the press service of the head of state said.
***
The Assumption Cathedral, which is the main temple of the Zhirovichi monastery, was built in 1613-1650. (according to other sources, in 1628-1644). The benefactor was the owner of Zhirovich Ivan Meleshko, the castellan of Smolensk, and the money for the interior decoration of the cathedral was donated by the Chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Lev Sapieha.
The cathedral did not always look like it does today. The original plan was obviously never implemented: for example, two towers on the main facade remained unfinished. According to sources, the cathedral was damaged by the troops of Bogdan Khmelnitsky in 1655; then it was repaired and rebuilt.
In 1821, the reconstruction of the cathedral began, while the towers were dismantled, the exterior decoration was made in the style of late classicism. The final work on the cathedral was completed during the renovation in 1867. The cathedral was also damaged during the military operations in the First World War. An interesting fact is that during the Second World War none of the buildings of the monastery was damaged by bombing and shelling.
There were large basements under the building, where a mass tomb was located in the XVII-XVIII centuries; many notable people of their time were buried here. In the first half of the 19th century, this tomb was walled up, and the deceased monks were buried in the fraternal cemetery.
The temple was built in the heyday of Belarusian temple architecture, the Baroque style. Despite the alterations and changes in the exterior, the Assumption Cathedral has retained its Baroque architectural decoration inside. Initially, the temple had only a central iconostasis, which has survived to our time. In 1779, master Grigory Medvedsky was invited to paint this iconostasis, as well as the iconostasis of the Jawlenskaya Church. The iconostasis of the cathedral was executed in a characteristic Baroque manner. The side iconostases date back to the renovation of the temple in the 60s of the XIX century, as well as the silver chasubles on the images. Murals of various times have been preserved on the walls of the temple. The paintings on the pillars and walls, made in the post-war period, depict the most revered saints, including Belarusian ones, as well as major church holidays.