People come to pray for the gift of children. What is remarkable is the Church of St. Casimir in the agro-town of Allyub

A village with a poetic name, in which everyone’s love for everyone is heard, celebrated its 600th anniversary a few years ago. Historians are sure that the Catholic Church is no less! This means that it claims to be the oldest preserved church in Belarus.

Early fifteenth century. After an impressive victory in the Battle of Grunwald, the stableman of Prince Vytautas Jan Nemir (founder of the Nemirovich dynasty) receives a gift from the town of Vselov with the surrounding lands. The new owner is almost immediately taken for the construction of a temple in honor of his heavenly patron John the Baptist.

White-stone, with pronounced Gothic features, it, however, was not deprived of the obvious influence of Belarusian architecture. They built thoroughly, sparing neither strength nor means. Walls one and a half meters thick were laid on a solution of chicken eggs. Therefore, it is not surprising that they have been standing indestructibly for so many years, although they have been repeatedly subjected to attempts at external changes.

In the second half of the XVI century, the new owner of Vselyub Nikolai Radziwill the Red wished to convert the church into a Calvinist cathedral. But it did not go beyond small reconstructions: already in the XVII century the temple was returned to Catholics. However, this time it was consecrated in honor of Saint Casimir.

Another family, whose history is closely intertwined with Allyub and his ancient church, are the Counts of O’Rourke with Irish roots. They supported the shrine at their own expense: in 1897 a three-tiered bell tower was attached to the temple. It eventually became the hallmark of the temple and serves as its decoration to this day.

And in 1941, the Church of St. Casimir became a refuge for those who sought salvation from the inhuman ideology of the German fascist occupiers. Allyubsky priest Joseph Kuchinsky, together with the priest from Novogrudok Mikhail Daletsky, sheltered Jews who were persecuted. Alas, they paid with their lives: in 1942, the priests were shot.

After the Great Patriotic War, the Soviet authorities closed the church. They tried to equip the building with a granary, a sports hall, a dance hall. In 1962, there was a fire, after which no one was engaged in repairs. The unique historical and cultural value was ignored for several decades. Only in the late 1980s did the clergy and public figures return to the idea of restoring the shrine. In September 1991, the temple was consecrated again.

Despite the fact that the Catholic parish is relatively small (about 200 people), the Church of St. Casimir attracts many pilgrims and tourists. People come here to pray to the figure of the Mother of God’s New Life – for the gift of children.

In addition, after Sunday mass, you can often get to a classical music concert. At the temple there is a museum, a gallery and a souvenir shop. During the excursions, visitors have the opportunity to climb the 34-meter tower and admire the picturesque surroundings. By prior arrangement, master classes are held here on baking fragrant bread on leaven, which is called Kazimirovsky.

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