Holy assumption Zhirovichi Patriarchal monastery – the most important Holy abode of modern Belarus. The monastery in its present form was built in XVII-XVIII centuries. The Zhirovichi village grew up around the monastery.

With the emergence of the monastery is connected by an ancient legend concerning the end of the XV century. Herding sheep herders in the forest looking for a lost sheep when he noticed growing on the hill near the stream wild pear tree, the icon of the Mother of God. They took the icon from the tree and brought it to his master Alexander Soltan. The owner did not believe the stories told by the shepherds, but from time to time decided to lock icon from the chest. The next morning the icon was not in the trunk. Then the landlord called his shepherds and told them to go out into the woods to the place where the icon was found. She was on the same pear. And then believed a devout gentleman in the miracle and decided to build on the spot where the icon was found, the Church.

In 1520, the monastery was burned by a large fire. As the thought burned and the miraculous icon, but it was bestowed on it by a miracle. Playing in the woods the children saw sitting on the stone virgin Mary, in whose hands was Zhirovichi miraculous icon. The children were frightened and ran away, but when they returned with the priest, saw imprinted on the stone of the feet and palms of the virgin.

In 1613 wooden Uspenskaya Church was transferred to the Basilian monks who built a monastery and a Church of stone, which have survived with minor changes. In 1839, with the permission of Emperor Nicholas I the entire monastery headed by Bishop Joseph Semashko converted to Orthodoxy.

In Soviet times, the monastery was not only closed, but some time, and at the theological Seminary, which trained priests.

In our times the current Holy Dormition monastery is stored Zhirovichi icon of the Mother of God – the smallest miraculous icon, with traces of stone virgin, handwritten Zhirovichi the gospel. The bar draws many pilgrims to venerate the miraculous icon and the stone that brings healing.