The authorities did not permit the former rector of the Catholic parish of the Red Church in Minsk, Father Uladzislau Zavalenyuk, to hold a service at the sarcophagus of the church’s founder, Edward Voinilovich.
This was reported by the priest himself, according to the publication Zerkalo.
Uladzislau Zavalenyuk asked the management of the state enterprise “Minskaya Spadchina” “Minsk Heritage” to allow him access on April 10 to the sarcophagus of the church’s founder, Edward Voinilovich, for prayer. The priest is responsible for the process of Voinilovich’s beatification, and the specified date marks the tenth anniversary of the start of this procedure.
“At the beginning of the conversation, I immediately warned that our intention to visit the sarcophagus of the founder Edward, buried in the Red Church he built, was purely spiritual and prayerful in nature, as a tribute to his memory, without any political undertones,” the priest said.
However, according to Zavalenyuk, he was denied permission to pray.
The Red Church of Saints Simon and Helena is considered one of the most well known religious landmarks in Minsk.
In 2020, the church became a refuge for protesters against the falsification of the presidential election. Many Christians, including priests, supported the protesters and issued statements against the violence carried out by security forces.
The church was closed to believers after a small fire broke out there on September 26, 2022 under unclear circumstances. The results of the investigation into the incident have never been made public. According to the official version, the cause was faulty wiring, but believers said they heard the sound of breaking glass before the fire started and saw suspicious individuals near the church.
In October 2022, the authorities decided to take the Red Church away from the believers by terminating the agreement with the community for the free use of the building.
In mid March 2025, it became known that the authorities were planning renovations at the shrine. The parish was ordered to remove all its belongings.
At present, the church building is fenced off, and access to the territory is prohibited.
