O początkach żyrowickiego sanktuarium
THE ORIGINS OF THE ZHYROVICHY MONASTERY

Summary/Abstract: Zhyrovichi Temple, the largest shrine in Belarus, has been the subject of numerous publications and studies. The Zhyrovichi cult centre was known as early as the end of the 15th century, in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Believers of various faiths (Orthodox, later Uniates, Roman Catholics and even Protestants) flocked to the miraculous icon of the Mother of God. Seeking help and consolation, rulers, princes, magnates, nobles, clergy, townspeople and peasants were drawn to the Zhyrovichy Orthodox Church and Monastery. The icon of the Mother of God was venerated in the same way during the period of the centre’s state affiliation with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Republic of Poland, Russia, the Second Republic of Poland and Belarus. This unique place, chosen by the Blessed Virgin Mary, has remained deeply rooted in the religious consciousness of many nations, but especially among Belarusians. The article presents the oldest accounts of the apparition of Our Lady of Zhyrovichi; it also discusses how the event was depicted in different periods. The author has made acritical presentation of known and unknown sources for the history of the Zhyrovichi shrine. In the next part of the article, he focused on the issue of the affiliation of Zhyrovichi with Aleksander Sołtan in 1470 and the possibility of Mary’s apparition in his presence that year. This part of the study polemicizes with previous findings and provides the most reliable description of the events surrounding the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Zhyrovichi Picture and the establishment of the monastery.

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