The Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in the Village of Novaya Mysh
Churches, katolik churches, сathedral, monasteries
As you know our country is rich in unusual and interesting places. Western Belorussia is especially famous for this. One of such places is the village of Novaya Mysh that is situated on the River Myshanka bank in the Brest region.
The village of Novaya Mysh was first mentioned in the papers of the XV century. Then it was a big village that was a present of The Prince Sigismund Augustus to Yan Hodkevich. By the XVII century the big village had got the status of a town. At that time there were a school, a monastery and a church.
The first mentioning of the church of the Transfiguration of the Lord is found in the historical documents of 1641. It is known that it was a wooden building constructed under decree of Kazimir Sapegi, a Vice-Chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Unfortunately, like many others that building has not survived to our days. The cause of that incident was rather trivial – the Russian-Polish War and the partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Later, as a result of the third partition, when Novaya Mysh became a part of the Russian Empire, in 1825 (according to some data - in 1824) a brick building of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord was constructed. The church was destroyed by the fire again. The Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord recommenced functioning only in 1890 thanks to church people, who funded its restoration.
The Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord was constructed in architectural style called classicism, it has an unusual exterior and especially interior, as it combines element of Empire and Gothic style. At first glance, you can think that it has no decorations, especially if you don’t watch it from the main facade. But the main entrance immediately draws the eye. The building is enclosed by a traditional low fence and an arched topgallant with crosses and forged gates. Behind it, on the left there is a belfry, and straight ahead you can see the main facade. It is notable for its eight columns located in pairs. They are crowned with a triangular frontal. The exterior of the church is also remarkable for its lancet windows that make the building look like European cathedrals.
If you came into the church, you will understand to what extent the exterior can be deceptive. The interior will impress your imagination and will break your stereotype of small churches and small towns. The mixture of styles of Gothic, Renaissance, rococo and baroque catches the eye immediately at entrance and it captivates the attention. Gold colors prevalence in the interior. A huge number of carved figures of the Saints and carved frames of ancient icons capture the attention. The benches in the prayer hall and the confessional with the silver figure of a pelican are also unusual. Among other things, the part of the interior, particularly, the three altars were brought from the closed monastery in Nesvizh. In the church there is also an ancient organ decorated with chase carving in the style of rococo. Generally, the whole inner decoration of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord is in sharp contrast with the exterior, and it remains forever attached to the memory, leaving only positive emotions.