Belarus.
Belarus is a majority-Orthodox country where roughly three-quarters of the population identify as Eastern Orthodox Christians, served by the Belarusian Orthodox Church — an exarchate of the Moscow Patriarchate established in 1989.
Orthodoxy in
Belarus.
A living tradition — its history, its faithful, its sacred places.
Eastern Orthodox Christianity in Belarus
Orthodox Christianity has shaped the spiritual and cultural life of the Belarusian lands for more than a millennium. The earliest Christian centers emerged in the Principality of Polotsk and the Principality of Turov shortly after the Baptism of Rus' in 988, producing enduring monuments such as the eleventh-century Saint Sophia Cathedral in Polotsk and the twelfth-century Kalozha Church of Saints Boris and Gleb in Grodno. The venerable figure of Saint Euphrosyne of Polotsk (12th century), foundress of the Saviour Convent and patroness of Belarus, remains a central figure of local Orthodox piety.
Between East and West
Following the union of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with Poland, the Orthodox Church of the Belarusian lands experienced the pressures of the Union of Brest (1596), which transferred many eparchies to communion with Rome as the Ruthenian Uniate Church. The Zhirovichi monastery, for instance, remained a center of Uniatism for more than two centuries before Bishop Joseph (Siemaszko) presided over the 1839 Synod of Polotsk, which reunited most of the Uniates with the Russian Orthodox Church. The nineteenth century thus saw a large-scale return of Belarusian parishes to Orthodox communion.
Soviet era and revival
The twentieth century brought severe repression: the 1918 Soviet Decree on Separation of Church and State stripped the Church of property and legal standing, and the Stalinist persecutions devastated the clergy and monastic life. A limited revival began after the Second World War, and a decisive turning point came in 1989, when the Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, under Patriarch Pimen, established the Belarusian Exarchate on 9–11 October 1989, with Metropolitan Philaret (Vakhromeyev) as its first Patriarchal Exarch.
The Church today
Today the Belarusian Orthodox Church (officially the Belarusian Exarchate of the Moscow Patriarchate) is by far the largest religious body in the country. It is headed by Metropolitan Benjamin (Vital Tupieka) of Minsk and Zaslavl, who became Patriarchal Exarch in 2020. According to figures reported in 2024, the Church comprises:
15 eparchies (dioceses)
More than 1,700 parishes and around 1,878 active Orthodox churches
36 monasteries, 15 brotherhoods, and 9 sisterhoods
Several theological seminaries and academies, including the historic school at Zhirovichi
Orthodoxy enjoys a de facto privileged status through a 2003 concordat-style agreement with the Republic of Belarus. Pilgrimage centers such as the Holy Dormition Monastery of Zhirovichi, the St. Elisabeth Convent in Minsk, and the shrines associated with Saint Euphrosyne of Polotsk continue to draw the faithful from across the country and the wider Orthodox world.
Saints of
Belarus.
1 venerated soul with ties to this land — fathers and mothers of the faith who are remembered here still.
Famous Orthodox churches and monasteries in Belarus
The sacred architecture of Orthodox Belarus — cathedrals, parishes, and the mountain monasteries that keep the lamps burning.
- Holy Spirit Cathedral, Minsk — The principal cathedral of the Belarusian Exarchate and the seat of the Metropolitan of Minsk. The building, completed in 1642, originally served a Bernardine convent and was transferred to Orthodox use; it today houses the wonder-working Minsk Icon of the Mother of God.
- Saint Sophia Cathedral, Polotsk — One of the oldest churches in the East Slavic world, originally built in the eleventh century in imitation of the Hagia Sophia of Constantinople. Repeatedly rebuilt, it stands as a symbol of the ancient Orthodox heritage of the Principality of Polotsk.
- Kalozha Church of Saints Boris and Gleb, Grodno — The oldest surviving structure in Grodno, built in the twelfth century and the only remaining monument of Black Ruthenian architecture. The church is a UNESCO tentative-list site famed for its walls inlaid with polychrome faceted stones.
- Holy Dormition Monastery of Zhirovichi — The largest Orthodox monastery in Belarus, founded in the late fifteenth century. Its Holy Dormition Cathedral was built in 1613–1650, and it enshrines the miraculous Zhirovichi Icon of the Mother of God, one of the principal shrines of Belarus.
- Saviour Transfiguration Church, Polotsk — A twelfth-century church of the Convent of the Saviour and Saint Euphrosyne, founded by Saint Euphrosyne of Polotsk. It preserves some of the most important medieval Orthodox frescoes in Eastern Europe and returned to the Belarusian Exarchate in 1990.
- Saint Elisabeth Convent, Minsk — A prominent contemporary women's monastery on the outskirts of Minsk, widely known for its icon workshops, social ministry, and publishing activity, and a major pilgrimage destination in modern Belarus.
Orthodoxy
kept here.
The shape of the faith as it is lived and prayed across Belarus today.
The Orthodox Church in Belarus functions as the Belarusian Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church. It is a canonical part of the Moscow Patriarchate with a limited degree of self-administration — considerably less than the autonomy historically enjoyed by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church under its 1990 tomos. The Exarch, who bears the title Metropolitan of Minsk and Zaslavl and Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus, presides over a Synod of Belarusian bishops.
The liturgical languages are Church Slavonic for the services and predominantly Russian for preaching and parish life, though Belarusian is used in a growing number of parishes and in certain translations approved by the Exarchate. The typikon and calendar follow the Russian Orthodox tradition, including the use of the Julian calendar for the fixed feasts.
Surveys consistently show that a large majority of Belarusians — around 73 percent according to a 2017 Pew Research Center study — identify as Orthodox Christians, though regular church attendance is modest, with about 12 percent of adherents attending weekly. Catholic, Greek Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish minorities are present, particularly in the western regions.
Outside the canonical Exarchate, a small Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, based in the diaspora and not recognized by the wider Orthodox communion, traces its origins to a 1922 separation and later 1948 reorganization in exile. It is not in communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate or the other autocephalous Orthodox Churches.
Asked
of this land.
Frequently asked questions about Orthodoxy in Belarus
Is Belarus an Orthodox Christian country?
Yes. Belarus is a majority-Orthodox country. According to a 2017 Pew Research Center survey, about 73 percent of Belarusians identify as Eastern Orthodox Christians, making Orthodoxy by far the largest religious tradition in the country.
What is the Belarusian Orthodox Church?
The Belarusian Orthodox Church is the official name of the Belarusian Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church. It was established by a decision of the Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church held in Moscow on 9–11 October 1989 under Patriarch Pimen, and it is headed by a Patriarchal Exarch with the title Metropolitan of Minsk and Zaslavl.
Who leads the Orthodox Church in Belarus today?
Since 2020 the Patriarchal Exarch is Metropolitan Benjamin (Vital Tupieka) of Minsk and Zaslavl. His predecessor, Metropolitan Philaret (Vakhromeyev), served as the first Exarch from 1989.
How many Orthodox parishes are there in Belarus?
As of 2024, the Belarusian Orthodox Church reports more than 1,700 parishes organized into 15 eparchies, with approximately 1,878 active Orthodox churches, 36 monasteries, and several theological schools.
Is the Belarusian Orthodox Church autocephalous?
No. The canonical Belarusian Orthodox Church is an exarchate of the Moscow Patriarchate and is not autocephalous. A separate body known as the Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, active mainly in the diaspora since 1948, is not recognized by the Orthodox communion.
What liturgical language is used in Belarusian Orthodox worship?
Services are celebrated predominantly in Church Slavonic, the traditional liturgical language of the Russian Orthodox tradition. Russian is the common language of preaching and parish life, while Belarusian is used in a smaller number of parishes. The Julian calendar is followed for fixed feasts.