The Church of the Christ’s Resurrection

History

According to legend, the Church of the Christ’s Resurrection in Dzisna has existed since the beginning of the XIII century. Since 1633 there was an Orthodox monastery  for men at the church.

Accidents and fires often struck the town and the Сhurch. Legend says that during the last fire the inhabitants of Dzisna discovered a miracle-working icon of the Mother of Jesus ‘Hodegetria', which had come along the Western Dvina River. The residents made a procession with the icon through the streets of the town, afterwards the fires stopped.

On the 12th of May, 1870, a new stone church was consecrated. It was built on the funds of the treasury and significant donations from the Governor-General of the Vilna Governorate Mikhail Muravyov. The Church of the Christ’s Resurrection became the main church in Dzisna district for many years.  

During the Great Patriotic War (the Eastern Front of World War II) the church served as a place of salvation for many. According to the memories of the oldest residents of Dzisna, the Priest was respected even by the Nazis. This helped him to save people, including Jews, from arrests. For example, one Jewish woman, when she and her son were arrested by the Nazis, stealthily pushed her son into the priest's house. Due to the fact that there were many people like her, the Nazis did not notice it. The priest hosted the boy, christianised him according to the Orthodox faith and raised him as his own son.

In 1944, during the liberation of Dzisna from Nazi invaders, the Church of the Resurrection was slightly damaged. Although its bell tower was partially destroyed, the church itself could have been rebuilt. However, permission to do so was not granted, and the church was used as a warehouse for a fruit and vegetable factory. In 1989 it was returned to the religious people thanks to the solicitation of the parishioners and prayers of Bishop of Vitebsk and Polotsk Dimitriy.

Owing to the funds collected from all the surrounding villages, the restoration work was completed within two years with the active support of Archpriest Gennady Koronevsky, the current rector of the church. In 1991 the church was reopened and consecrated after reconstruction. In 2011, amid the canonisation of the holy martyr Konstantin Zhdanov, the church was renewed.

The Church of the Christ’s Resurrection Today

Today the Church of the Christ’s Resurrection in Dzisna is the objects of  the cultural heritage. 

Three relics are kept in the church: the icon of the Mother of Jesus ‘Hodegetria' of the XVI century, the letter of Patriarch Tikhon and the hallows of priest Konstantin Zhdanov, who was consecrated a saint. These shrines serve not only as a reminder of the spiritual heritage, but also as a source of inspiration for the religious people, drawing their attention to the wealth of history and holiness they represent.