The rout: Hlybokaje – Udzela – Mosar – Budslaŭ.
Length: 400 km.
Duration: 10 hours.
The Christianity on Belarusian lands goes back more than a thousand years. Hundreds of shrines were built in the cities, towns, villages and even in deep forests. They were built on requests of magnates, according to needs of local people or… in the places where miracles took place. During this tour we offer you to get acquainted exactly with such miraculous places, with the most interesting and famous shrines of north-western Belarus.
The town with strange name Hlybokaje is famous for its manufacturing of condensed milk and for two beautiful baroque churches, that tower above the central square. One of them is the Roman Catholic church of St. Trinity, which was built in the first part of XVIIIcentury. The second is the former Carmelite Monastery and now it is the church of Nativity of God’s Mother. This is the place where the valuable icon that is still captures the attention of the faithful is situated. This icon was brought to Belarus a hundred years ago from the Greek Monastery that was situated on the Mount Athos. This church can tell many stories because it has seen a lot. It can tell us about its founder Jazep Korsak who was the magnate of XVII century and about Carmelite monks and about the secrets of mysterious underground passages and, curiously enough, about Napoleon Bonaparte that was a guest of the church in 1812.
By the way, Jazep Korsak was also a founder of the monastery. The clutch of this monastery one can see when leaving Glubokoe. He also founded the Franciscan monastery and the Roman Catholic Church which has remained in village Udelo, not far from the regional center. Precisely Udelo is the following point of our tour.
Two Franciscan monks still live in the Roman Catholic Church in Udzelo. With the help of local children they have made a very unusual batleyka, organized the museum of St. Maximilian Kolbe and hung out the photo exhibition dedicated to Franciscan missions all over the world in the dungeons of the church.
However in Mosar village that is situated only 7 km from Udzelo have never been a monk mission. Everything that is done here is the initiative of one man. He is the catholic priest Joazas Bulka. He served in the village church in 1988-2010. All the guests of the village are amazed by the gorgeous landscape garden that lies around the humble Catholic Church of St. Hanna (was built in 1792.). The garden may boast of exotic flowers, sculptures and even little menagerie. The paths lead from the church to ancient churchyard, spring with healing water, island of lovers and the alley of sobriety (this is a separate issue of priest Joazas’s biography). Another surprise is waiting for you inside the church of St. Hanna - the relics of St. Justin, he was the roman philosopher who lived in the beginning of Christian era in Palestine. The cult of this saint used to be very popular in Belarus in former times.
And to complete the day we offer you to visit probably the most important landmark of our tour – the Catholic Church of Assumption of Mary Panna in village Budslav. This is the real wonder of Christian culture in Belarus. When driving up to the village one can see the mighty towers of baroque Catholic Church from afar. The unique frescoes, organ of XVIII century and carved wooden altar that was made especially for the Church in XVII century is preserved inside the church. And among all these is the main wonder – the icon of Budslav God’s Mother. Pilgrims from all over the country have been going to the icon for 500 years to say their prayers and thanks. And when you are on this tour you join them.
