Religion
|
Stolin District occupies one of the leading places in the region in terms of the number of religious communities. As of January 1, 2025, 77 religious communities united into 5 confessions are registered and operating in the district: Orthodox Church - 41, Roman Catholic Church - 3, Evangelical Christians Baptists - 6, Christians of the Evangelical Faith - 24, Seventh-day Adventists - 3 communities. The main share in the structure of confessions is occupied by the Orthodox Church and Protestant communities. 68 ministers of religion carry out their activities (38 Orthodox priests, 1 priest, 29 Protestant clergy). There are no foreign clergy in the district. The Belarusian Orthodox Church (hereinafter - BOC) in the district is represented by 41 communities. Sixteen Orthodox churches are architectural monuments that are included in the state list of historical and cultural values of the Republic of Belarus. The Roman Catholic Church is represented by three communities in the city of Stolin, the city of D-Gorodok, and the village of Osovaya. In the district, Protestant communities are represented by three denominations: Christians of the Evangelical Faith, Evangelical Christians Baptists, and Seventh-day Adventists. The largest Protestant religious movements are Christians of the Evangelical Faith (Pentecostals) (24 communities), Evangelical Christians Baptists (6 communities), and Seventh-day Adventists (3 communities). One of the largest communities of Christians of the Evangelical Faith in the district is located in the village of Olshany. In recent years, the process of creating new religious communities has intensified. In 2012, a Catholic community was registered in the city of Stolin, an Orthodox community in the ag. Tereblichi, and a community of Christians of the Evangelical Faith in the village of Mochul. In 2013, a community of Christians of the Evangelical Faith was registered in the village of Uzlyazhye. In 2014, a community of Christians of the Evangelical Faith was registered in the ag. Olgomel. In 2017, a Catholic community was registered in the city of D-Gorodok. In 2018, an Orthodox community was registered in the ag. Fyodory. To date, three religious buildings are being built in the district: an Orthodox church in the city of Stolin and two prayer houses of Christians of the Evangelical Faith in the ag. Olshany and the r.p. Rechitsa. This situation indicates an equal attitude towards religious communities. In 2023, the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Cooperation Agreement between the Republic of Belarus and the BOC was celebrated. The implementation of the Agreement in the district is facilitated by the implementation of joint events between government bodies and the Belarusian Orthodox Church, within the framework of which the Orthodox culture festival "Kladez" was held in the district three times. As part of the interaction of the state with religious communities, a public Commission for Assistance to Control over the Implementation of Legislation on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations has been operating in the district since 1997, with meetings held quarterly. The Commission includes representatives of the Department of Ideological Work and Youth Affairs, the Department of Education, the Department of Sports and Tourism, the Department of Culture, the District Department of Internal Affairs, City Village Executive Committees, and the editorial board of the district newspaper. The Commission for Assistance to Control over the Implementation of Legislation on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations monitors religious organizations' compliance with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus. There are constructive relations between government bodies and the leaders of religious communities. Executive and administrative bodies maintain close ties with religious denominations in matters of spiritual education of youth, participate in patriotic events, and anniversaries of religious buildings. The executive authorities regulating state-confessional and national relations are implementing the Program for the Development of the Confessional Sphere, National Relations and Cooperation with Compatriots Abroad for 2020-2025. The implementation of programs at the local level is reflected in numerous specific events to preserve morality and spiritual education of people, overcome negative social phenomena, protect and restore historical and cultural heritage, help socially vulnerable members of society, and increase the social significance of the institution of marriage and family. The district has organized work on the targeted promotion of a healthy lifestyle with the wide involvement of the media, public organizations, including representatives of religious denominations. Medical workers together with clergy conduct preventive campaigns, health days and holidays, seminars, theme nights, debates, quizzes, and organized speeches by medical specialists to the population. There are a significant number of unique religious buildings of various religious denominations on the territory of the district, a visit to which is provided for by excursions and tours. The district has developed a tourist route "Heritage of the Stolin Land": the city of Stolin - the Stasino tract - the village of Novo-Berezhnoye - the city of David-Gorodok - the agricultural settlement of Remel - the village of Tereblichi. The website stolinrfsk.brest.by contains information about the churches of the Stolin district. Meetings, seminars and trainings with the participation of the chairman of the district executive committee, heads of district services, departments, departments of the district executive committee, members of the commission for assistance in monitoring the implementation of legislation on freedom of conscience and religious organizations and leaders of religious communities have become traditional in the district. Issues of interaction between the state and religious organizations are constantly covered on the pages of the district newspaper "Naviny Palessya" in the sections "Light of Faith", "We are Young", "Interethnic and Interfaith Relations", as well as in social networks, instant messengers and on the website. There is ongoing work to cover the development of the religious sphere in the region, traditions of religious tolerance and tolerance, major religious holidays and events, the history and anniversaries of religious buildings, their construction, patronal feasts, clergy, the work of Sunday schools, the holding of sports events under the auspices of the Orthodox Church, and so on. Every year, the editorial board of the district newspaper "Naviny Palessya" takes part in a competition held by the Commissioner for Religious and National Affairs of the Republic of Belarus. Every year, the staff of the district newspaper is awarded a Diploma for highly professional coverage of issues of interethnic and interfaith relations, intercultural dialogue in the Republic of Belarus and cooperation with fellow countrymen abroad. Religious communities are involved in charitable activities: they hold Christmas trees, provide financial assistance to the social and pedagogical center, individual families, and public associations of disabled people. They work with obligated persons, difficult teenagers, families who abuse alcoholic beverages. The district annually hosts the following events: the folklore and ethnographic festival "Brotherly Candle", Christmas meetings, the Sretensky Ball of Orthodox youth, the Diocesan Congress of Orthodox youth "For a healthy lifestyle" in the physical culture and sports complex "Aquamarine", Orthodox chants. With the participation of clergymen, events dedicated to Victory Day, Independence Day of the Republic of Belarus, National Unity Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Family Day, City Day, Village Day and others are held on the territory of the city village executive committees and the city of Stolin. Sunday schools are organized in communities to study religious rites and traditions. Representatives of religious communities are invited to meetings of executive committees, participate in meetings of the OPOP Council, provide charitable assistance, participate in improvement issues (in cleaning up cemeteries), citizens' gatherings. In general, the ethno-confessional situation in the region is stable, characterized by mutual understanding and religious tolerance, tolerance and constructiveness between believers of different faiths and residents of different nationalities.
|
ONLINE RESOURCES
