Zhyrovichy Monastery

Zhyrovichy grew around an icon: a very small image of the Mother of God carved in jasper, found according to tradition in a pear tree by shepherds in the 1470s, which became a focus of pilgrimage and remains the most venerated icon in Belarus. The monastery around it was Orthodox, then Uniate for two centuries, then Orthodox again, and the complex reflects that layering, with the baroque Dormition cathedral of the 1650s at the centre and further churches, a bell tower, a seminary and gardens within the walls. It is the seat of the theological seminary and academy and functions as the centre of Orthodox life in the country, with pilgrimages particularly around the icon's feast in late May.

What you actually see

• The Dormition cathedral - the seventeenth-century baroque church.
• The Zhyrovichy icon - the small jasper image venerated in the cathedral.
• The monastery complex - the churches, bell tower and seminary in the walls.
• Pilgrim life - the visitors and the seminary community.

When to go

May to September for the approach; the icon's feast in late May brings the largest pilgrimages. The monastery is open year round. Services run daily and dominate the timetable.

Honest expectations

This is an active monastery and seminary with dress and behaviour rules: covered heads and skirts for women, no shorts. Photography inside churches is generally prohibited. Services take precedence over visiting. The icon is very small.

Nearby

Slonim lies north; Ruzhany is southwest.