Vitebsk Holy assumption Cathedral – the temple that was destroyed and restored 12 times.

The hill on which the Cathedral now stands was known since ancient times. Once on the hill was a pagan temple, later abandoned the sanctuary of the old gods began to use a bad reputation, and was called Bald mountain. Came to Vitebsk Orthodox priests planned on the site of the former temples to build the Church of the blessed virgin Mary, and carried out safely. In 1406, found mention of the Orthodox Church, standing on Prechistenskaya mount (so was called the Bald mountain).

At the beginning of the XV century on the ruins of a wooden Church was built a new stone Cathedral of the Dormition, which was Bishop's courtyard, and the hill began to be called the assumption of the mountain. In 1619 the Uniates took the assumption Church. Beside her gave his residence Archbishop Josaphat, who advocated the transfer of all of the lands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania to Catholicism. It was here, at the residence of Josaphat Kuntsevich on assumption (Bald) mountain, occurred the memorable assassination of the Uniate Archbishop, after which his body was thrown from the mountain into the river. The temple, hated Orthodox Christians, ravaged by the rebels, and then it was dismantled and rebuilt by the rebels by the court.

In 1629 there was a fire. In 1636 on the site of the burned Church rebuilt the temple. This temple somehow quickly became dilapidated and in 1682, in its place was built a new Church and Basilian monastery. In 1708 Peter I ordered to burn Vitebsk, and with it, the Basilian monastery. Hastily rebuilt the Church under the new Basilian monastery was too small. In 1715 it was dismantled, and in its place the means of bourgeois Myron Galuzo built a monastery for a more spacious Church.

In 1722, during the fire burned the Basilian monastery, and with it the Church. 20 years assumption the mountain was empty. He has remembered its former name of Bald mountain and again spread malicious rumors about this place. In 1743, at the same place it was decided to rebuild the Basilian monastery and a Church of stone. In 1799, a large and beautiful stone Basilian Church was transferred to the Orthodox Christians, who rebuilt and decorated it in their own way.

Did not pass the new Cathedral by the French in 1812. They liked the building on the confluence of the Vitba and the Western Dvina, and they made in the temple infirmary, simultaneously thoroughly looting it and destroying the interior. The temple was restored. In 1831 it was the funeral of the deceased from cholera of Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich.

After coming to Vitebsk Bolsheviks, it was decided for the immediate demolition of the Church of the assumption. He was blown up in 1936. After the great Patriotic war on the assumption the mountain was built a factory that makes machines. In the 1980s, the plant apparently did not bring profit, and was abandoned. For many years this place went the most terrifying urban legends.

September 26, 1998 was a solemn ceremony at which the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II laid the first stone of the Church with a commemorative diploma for posterity.

Archaeological finds discovered during the construction of the temple, shocked builders: in the former monastic cellars were discovered hundreds of human remains. However, despite the terrible discovery, construction proceeded, and found human bones were buried near the temple after his consecration in 2005.

Bearing in mind the history of previous temples, the construction of literally the priests were on duty, each phase of construction was consecrated and gave a blessing. Fully built, decorated and embellished assumption Cathedral was opened for parishioners 7 April 2011.