Zhirovichi: there will be final inspection in spring, everything must be perfect

President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko visited the Holy Dormition Zhirovichi Metropolitan Monastery. The Belarusian leader inspected the reconstruction and restoration of the Holy Dormition Cathedral, as well as the landscaping of the Zhirovichi Monastery and its grounds.

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Immediately upon arrival, Aleksandr Lukashenko posed a number of questions to the officials. First of all, he drew attention to the territories adjacent to the temple, “Some parts around this monastery suggest that some work was done in a hurry. Not everything has been completed. Definitely not everything. 

Keep in mind, this is a gem of Orthodoxy. Once a decision is made, it must be carried out properly. There should not be a single neglected area. We need to create an ideal place for Orthodoxy here.”

According to the Head of State, this also relates to the reclamation of the surrounding lands. “You will have a final inspection here in spring,” the President warned. “Everywhere: the agro-town of Zhirovichi — everything in its vicinity must be perfect.”
The President of Belarus signals state assistance for developing religious centres of various denominations to preserve peace and tranquillity on Belarusian land.

“We must assist everyone to some extent to maintain religious peace and harmony in Belarus,” the Belarusian leader emphasised. “Helping only one religious denomination could offend others and cause conflict. We need to begin by determining what is truly necessary to maintain peace and tranquillity in our society. Religious peace is an essential part of our overall peace.”

Aleksandr Lukashenko highlighted that the Orthodox faith received significant support in Zhirovichi, and similar assistance was provided to the Catholics at the Budslav Church, which the President also intends to visit. Similarly, followers of Islam and Judaism, as well as other smaller religious communities, seek to put their religious centres in order and encourage their development.
However, as Aleksandr Lukashenko pointed out, it is necessary to focus on the most urgent tasks, since the state also has social responsibilities, such as housing development and other sectors. “We have a lot of nationwide issues. Housing is one of them. There are numerous problems with the roads. People raise concerns about healthcare, housing and public utilities. Many issues require attention. Yet, I have not heard anyone complain about lacking a place to go to church to pray,” the President stated.
The Head of State also mentioned that sometimes certain churches of different faiths are completely empty. In other words, people do have places to go to pray. “Let’s determine the place we should go to relieve our souls or hearts, where we should worship,” Aleksandr Lukashenko urged. “But what about housing? People will not live in religious buildings, no matter how unpleasant that may sound to me. Housing is essential and necessary. Regarding the second child [referring to additional support for families having a second child], young people are already raising this issue. There are many demands everywhere. I have frankly said that we are not yet ready to provide financial support for having a second child. Similarly, we probably are not ready to restore all the churches and chapels that once existed. Secondly, is it really necessary?”
Aleksandr Lukashenko expressed similar views when speaking with clergy members, including Metropolitan Veniamin. He underlined that the Orthodox Church is the largest and most widespread denomination in Belarus, but it is also important to support other faiths. “If we have money, let’s build churches. If not, we will assist in other ways,” he said. 
“However, housing must come first. We will allocate funding for this. As for roads, there are still areas that remain inaccessible or impassable. Farmers lack sufficient equipment — not everywhere, but in certain areas. We need to assist because it is essential to provide food for people, and so on and so forth.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko also instructed to take a more rational approach to spending public funds. In particular, the President emphasised that not every proposed project should be included into the state programme, “First and foremost, we need to focus on order. Currently, churches are being built all across the country — both where they are needed and where they are not. 

We need to establish priorities. The main priorities are having a roof over your head and, most importantly, the military. Housing is one of these key priorities,” the Head of State highlighted.

On September 19th, President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko visited Holy Dormition Zhirovichi Monastery, located in
agro-town of Zhirovichi in Slonim District, Grodno Region                   belta 

Today the country has determined the following spiritual centres:

• Orthodoxy — Holy Dormition Zhirovichi male monastery and Saint Euphrosyne Convent in Polotsk
• Catholicism — catholic church of the Budslav Icon of the Mother of God
• Islam — mosque in Ivye 
• Judaism — synagogue in Bobruisk
Spiritual centres will become venues not only for religious education but also for cultural exchange, social initiatives and the strengthening of interfaith peace.

‘Monasterying’ trend popular among young people

There is no need to force anyone to turn to religion, but it is necessary to create conditions for young people to go to church — as stated by the President of Belarus.
While talking with Metropolitan Veniamin, the Head of State touched upon the topic of educating the modern youth on traditional values and inspiring young people to turn to religion. As noted by Aleksandr Lukashenko, no one should be forced to go to church. “There is no need to force anyone, but conditions must be created in the church so that young people come there,” he said, adding that spiritual and moral foundations are being created in the church. At the same time, it is necessary to be flexible in certain issues, to take into account modern realities in order to be closer to people. “We cannot transform them [young people]. You should work over it, but we will not be able to change the youth drastically. Therefore, we need to adapt a little bit so that people go to church,” the Head of State guided.

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Holy Dormition Zhirovichi Monastery is one of the most visited shrines in Belarus and a spiritual centre for Orthodox believers. In 2025, the monastery celebrates the 505th anniversary of its foundation and the 555th anniversary of the discovery of the miraculous Zhirovichi Icon of the Mother of God. To mark the significant date, the monastery has undergone a large-scale reconstruction.
Since 2022, the Grodno Regional Executive Committee alongside the Culture Ministry and the Belarusian Orthodox Church have been fulfilling a work plan for the repair and restoration of churches, facilities and buildings of the Zhirovichi Monastery, as well as for landscaping its territory. The work affected not only the Holy Assumption Cathedral, but also the Bogoyavlenskaya and St. George churches.
Since the early 2000s, the monastery complex has been gradually renovated: the seminary’s educational buildings were restored, followed by the fraternity house and other facilities.
During his visit to the Zhirovichi Monastery in June 2021, the President of Belarus instructed the monastery that the landscaping of not only the monastery and its grounds, but also the agro-town of Zhirovichi itself must be completed within four years, “Our Zhirovichi is an agro-town, and the monastery and the temple are part of this agricultural town. It must be restored to a perfect condition. It should be the gem. I promise you that we will allocate all the money needed. But everything must be done in a cost-effective manner.”
After the Belarusian leader’s visit, a protocol of instructions was created. The Holy Dormition Cathedral and the Bogoyavlenskaya Church have been reconstructed and restored. The reconstruction of the St. George Church is underway.

In February this year, Aleksandr Lukashenko proposed creating centres of attraction for all religious denominations in the country at a meeting with representatives of religious denominations. In terms of Orthodox Christianity, the Zhirovichi Monastery is intended to be one of such centres.

Based on materials of sb.by and belta.by