Collective letter to Archbishop Demetrios of Vitebsk and Orsha prepared local historians, concerned about the state of the architectural monument, which belongs to the diocese of Vitebsk Orthodox Church. For 10 years, the building stands without a roof, and orshantsy forced to watch as their eyes destroyed historical value transmitted by the local authorities of Vitebsk Diocese.

"We have to turn to you have to prevent the destruction of the shrine. It is a monument of architecture of the XVIII century, former residence of the Orsha Basilian monastery, which later housed the Holy Virgin Orthodox Monastery and Orsha religious school. You may already introduced earlier this problem: in October 2013, we received a response to our letter to the Metropolitan of Minsk and Slutsk, Exarch of All Belarus Filaret, which indicated that our letter was sent to you. Unfortunately, while we did not wait for your reply. But the most unpleasant thing that we did not wait and actions, "- said in the letter.

"This building - a piece of art and the memory of our history. He is actually a reminder of the best qualities and abilities of our ancestors. Finally, this building - the messenger of eternity, which claims its existence eternal values. It can not belong to one person or group of people, as it could belong to any other building or a material object. This building - a national value. In fact, it belongs to the whole of the Belarusian nation, all its members who live in Belarus now lived before us, and will live after us. Possession of such a building - it is a social mission, which imposes an obligation on the owner of a very serious charge. The present dilapidated condition of the building, thus undermining the foundations on which rests your church, actually refutes what is said from the pulpit, every day with the fact of the existence of the Orthodox Church as an association of people based on the priority of spiritual values ??"- written by historians and Orsha activists.

Members of the public city outraged that a constructive response they could not get to any of his previous letters, in whatever jurisdiction they are accessed. Everywhere they write only one thing: for the state historic building meets the owner, respectively - Vitebsk Diocese of the Orthodox Church.

Orsha residents and many concerned people from other cities have tried to help in the conservation of the building - donated money to ensure that over the Basilian monastery was built at least a temporary roof. However, once the construction season ends, will soon begin the autumn rains, and the fate of the money collected is not known, the letter says: "Even the creation of a charitable bank account over a misunderstanding. When previously voiced considerable collected it means to lose even one construction season, during which it was possible to at least cover the building of a temporary roof. Meanwhile, in a letter signed by "responsible for the revival of the Holy Protection Monastery in Orsha" abbess MAIL (Lyubchak) and a nun Daniel (Tyatkova) was in black and white, that the work will start in April. And we do not understand why all over the city apart piggy banks, funds are also collected during the public events organized by the Orthodox Church, but these funds are used for the construction of new churches, while when given to your church monuments for decades can not be repaired and are destroyed."

The letter's authors remind us that the residents and natives of Orsha not the first time have to deal with the salvation of historical and cultural monuments. Many of these activities have started during perestroika, when the country was ruled a political force aims to fight against religion and the destruction of any reminders of her. Thanks to the social group "Povyaz" in 1980 in Orsha managed to preserve and save from destruction a number of iconic landmarks. In what was then the situation activists could not rely on the support of the church, but since then, many churches returned to believers. Why is it not "lucky" Basilian monastery building, which is why the current owners do not perceive as historical value, listed as an architectural and historical monuments of national significance, and reduced to a simple "real estate", which allow you to keep yourself in a dilapidated condition?

orshatut.by