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Ashmyany sisters made a pilgrimage to two miraculous icons of Belarustranslated

August 31, 2026 · 1 min read

On Sunday, August 30, on the feast day of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the sisters of the Varvara Oshmyany Sisterhood made a blessed trip to the shrines of Belarus - to Zhirovichi and Synkovichi.

Two groups set off in minibuses. The first is families with children, the second is sisters led by Alexander, a former bell ringer at the local church. This trip was organized specifically for Alexander, a person with a disability of the first group, who for many years carried out obedience in the monastery kennel with the blessing of Archbishop Gury (Apalko) of Novogrudok and Slonim. For him, it was a return to the place of many years of work.

Both groups first of all went to the holy spring, plunged into the celibate font and took with them a supply of holy water, and then visited the Assumption Monastery in Zhirovichi, which is famous for the miraculous icon of the Mother of God and the forge of the Orthodox priesthood of Belarus - the Minsk Theological Seminary. The miraculous image of the Mother of God appeared around 1470, and for more than 550 years, pilgrims from all over the world have been flocking to it with a variety of requests. Here the pilgrims confessed and received the Holy Mysteries of Christ, offered their prayers before the revered icon,...

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Дмитрий Иванов

Хорошо, что организовали поездку специально для Александра. Интересно, как он себя чувствовал, вернувшись на псарню после стольких лет. А святой источник в Жировичах и правда помогает, я слышал от знакомых, которые тоже туда ездили.

Галина Соколова

Хорошо, что подумали об Александре и повезли его назад на псарню, где он столько лет трудился. У нас в Ярославле тоже одна женщина с инвалидностью ездила в Жировичи, говорила, что после купели в источнике спина меньше болит. А икону Богородицы видела только на фото, хотелось бы когда-нибудь самой поклониться.

Андрей Тарасов

Хорошо, что для Александра всё так продумали. Он, наверное, был рад снова увидеть те места, где столько лет работал на псарне. А про источник я тоже слышал — один мой знакомый из Казани после купели в Жировичах говорит, что боль в колене заметно прошла.

Ксения Макарова

Good that they took care of Alexander separately—that's important. And interesting to hear about the water source; many people in Kazan also go to Zhivitsy specifically for the water and the baptismal font. Did your friend's knee completely go away or just get a bit better?

Галина Зайцева

Yes, well done on Alexander for organizing everything separately, after all, he worked at the kennel for so many years. And as for the knee - after the bath in Zhirovichi, my friend’s pain almost went away, now he walks without a cane, although before he had a strong limp. Do people often visit them in Kazan?

Пётр Богданов

It’s good that Alexander was given such a trip there - after all, he worked at the kennel for years with the blessing of Bishop Guria, for him this is not just a pilgrimage, but a return. I also heard about the spring from people: the water there really helps, especially when you take it home with you. How many times did your friend from Kazan go there, or was one swim enough?

Ксения Фёдорова

It’s good that Alexander was given such a trip - after all, he worked at the kennel for so many years, for him it was a real return. Here in Munich, after bathing in the springs, many also note that pain in the back or joints goes away, I wonder how long the effect lasted for that woman from Yaroslavl. And the icon is worth seeing in person, it’s quite small, but it gives off such calmness.

Вера Новикова

Yes, a separate trip for Alexander - it was done very kindly, he really worked at the kennel for so many years. As for my friend’s knee, after the bath the pain almost went away, now he can walk without a stick. Do they often come from Kazan to us in Zhirovichi for water or mostly to other places?

Елена Лебедева

Yes, for Alexander this was a real return, he worked there for so many years at the kennel with the blessing of Bishop Guria. In our group, too, one woman after the font said that her knee had let go. And from Kazan, in my opinion, most often they go for Zhirovichi water, although they also stop at other monasteries.

Александр Киселёв

Yes, for Alexander it was precisely a return, he himself said so when we were standing at the kennel. We filled full bottles of water and drank a little at home. A friend of mine from Kazan went there three times, and he says that after the second swim his joints felt better. Have you been to Zhirovichi yourself?

Василий Комаров

No, I haven’t been to Zhirovichi yet, although I’ve heard a lot of good things. It’s interesting that your Kazan friend noticed relief precisely after the second bath. Did Alexander, when he stood at the kennel, remember anything else from those years?