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Difficulties of our lives are steps towards our salvation

Galina Goncharova is a sister of charity at our Convent. She is also an inspired teacher of music and the leader of a musical group. In our interview, we discuss how her coming to God changed her life and gave it a new meaning.

Rehabilitation Center for homeless and disadvantaged men

We follow the footsteps of our Convent’s heavenly patroness, Saint Elisabeth, therefore helping disadvantaged poor people is one of our top priorities. We have established two rehabilitation centers near Minsk - for women and for men.

The long and thorny road from darkness to light

As our Patron Saint Grand Duchess Elisabeth wrote, God's image in a person may dim, but it can never be destroyed. Today, we asked Ruslan Gurin, a brother from our monastic farmstead, to share his story of his progress.

Orthodox Church - a place for creativeness

To be an Orthodox faithful is to be versatile; we are looking for and exploring the best means to express our spiritual movements and sensations in the fullest and most vivid way. We have a great challenge and a duty to ourselves - never to…

Yury Norstein: challenging the boundaries of the conceivable

Our Convent has welcomed a known visitor, Yury Norstein, author of the internationally acclaimed animation films «Hedgehog in the fog» and «Tale of Tales». In an interview, he shares his views on the present state of film art and animation.

First take the plank out of your eye

The Scripture provides us with some explanations as to why people who heard the word of God and saw the churches do not see, though seeing, and do not hear or understand, though hearing - many centuries ago or today, and why their hearts remain…

Boarding Homes for adults under the protection of the Mother of God

We continue to tell you more about the different ministries that we conduct here at Saint Elisabeth Convent. We have already touched upon the topic of bringing God into the lives of disabled children that live in the boarding homes of Minsk.

What is the Women’s Rehabilitation Centre of St Elisabeth Convent?

A Women’s Rehabilitation Centre of St Elisabeth Convent was established in 2011 near village Nialidavičy close to Minsk. The plan was to build a safe place where homeless, unemployed, disadvantaged women - from all kinds of difficult life situations.

The Joy of the Protection of the Theotokos Festival

This autumn JOY Festival offers its visitors an exciting and busy programme including concerts, theatrical productions, workshop sessions, special projects, interactive zones, and other events that will have something for everyone.

Working with special children

It’s been almost twenty years since the sisters and brothers of Saint Elisabeth Convent started to visit the Boarding Home for children with special needs, which is located near the Convent grounds in Minsk. 

Celebrating God's love

Spiritually, we are still as immature as little children; we are not prepared to face serious hardships and trials, so let us all be thankful to God for understanding our weakness and for his mercy on us sinners.

Sermon about Saint John the Baptist

Can we call the beheading of the Righteous Prophet a celebration? In the Russian language, the word ‘celebration’ is from the word ‘idleness’, ‘doing nothing’ and it happens from some event that we are experiencing and such event can not only…

Linger a while!

Movement is life. We are always in a hurry, racing somewhere. This ongoing race forms a habit that won’t let us stop and see, hear and perceive what is happening now, at this moment. So what’s the whole point of rushing, really? Where are we…

Endurance - a prerequisite to our salvation

There is so little and so much that is expected of us: to meet with patience and humility the things and people we may not fully like. By leading their lives in prayer, fasting and hard work, the great saints attained the glory of God.