Back
The history of the creation of the St. Simeon Cathedral
For more than 150 years, the ministry in St. Mimeon's Cathedral has not stopped. It was built on the site of a monastery that was abolished in 1824. The temple is dedicated to Saint Simeon the Stylite ‒ this man had the gift of converting the erring ones to the true faith. In 1834, in connection with the construction of the Brest Fortress, the government decided to destroy the building, and give the adjacent territories for the strengthening of the fortress under construction. The city itself was moved three kilometers eastward. The Orthodox Church wandered around various buildings for a long time, until the nobles Kurovsky, Buninsky and Molevsky appealed to the Russian government with a request to build a new church on the Kobrin suburb. Thirty years later, by decree of Emperor Nicholas I, construction was allowed, but they were able to start it only during the reign of Alexander II. It was decided to build the temple for funds received in the form of compensation for church property, land and buildings alienated during the construction of the fortress. In 1865, the construction of the stone cathedral was completed and a one-hundred-dollar bell, bought in Moscow for state funds, was consecrated and raised to the bell tower. On November 8, 1865, the church was consecrated. The day before, a procession of the cross took place from the fortress to the new church, with which the relics of the Monk Martyr Athanasius were brought. In the year of war and Soviet power, the temple was not closed; the maximum number of believers in 1945 reached 1000 people. In the cathedral there is a shrine «Stavrotek» ‒ an ark for keeping the great shrine of the Cross of Venerable Eurosinia of Polotsk. The walls of the temple were painted in a picturesque style on their own. In 2007, the cathedral was included in the list of historical and cultural values of the Republic of Belarus. A church school, a library, a sisterhood of mercy in the name of the holy martyrs Faith, Nadezhda, Lyubov and their mother Sophia, consisting of mothers of sick children, operate at the church. It also hosts meetings of the Inexhaustible Chalice Center for Alcoholics Anonymous, meetings are held twice a week.
The architect of the St. Simeon Cathedral
This church was built by the architect Skarzhinsky. The architecture of the building is designed in the Russian-Byzantine style. The church has a centric composition; it has a paneled base, faced with pink granite. The top of the building is decorated with onion domes on faceted necks. There are 4 corner towers with hipped roofs. The openings of the central light drum are decorated with kokoshniks. This decorative motif is also used in the design of the main and side entrances, high arched window openings. The interior is divided inside by columns into 3 naves with cross and cylindrical vaults, decorated with polychrome ornamental painting along with the walls. The altar is divided by a wide arched opening and a wooden iconostasis.
Church shop of St. Simeon's Cathedral
There is a church shop at the church, contact phone: +375162 20 56 25. Also, if you have questions for the priests, you can contact by phone +375162 20 47 91. The shop is open daily from 7 am to 7 pm. There is a wide selection of Christian books, ritual accessories and candles. You can also be given advice on the nuances of performing ritual actions.
How to get to St. Simeon's Cathedral
The exact address of the temple: the city of Brest, Karl Marx Street, 84. The city is easily accessible by any type of public transport: rail, bus or minibus. By car from Minsk, the road will take about 3 hours, the exact GPS coordinates: 52.0507. 23.4124.