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Мемориальная колонна Святого Симплициана

4.4

8 ratings

Magiliowskaja voblasc, Shklowski rajon, Fashchawski sielsaviet, agragaradok Fashchawka

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Magiliowskaja voblasc, Shklowski rajon, Fashchawski sielsaviet, agragaradok Fashchawka

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4.4

8 ratings

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Павел Ш. Вокруг Могилева

Level 20 Local Expert

Right in front of the store, turn left and drive a little bit, right behind the houses it will be visible. It is located within the boundaries of the second cemetery (or maybe the first one, who knows this numbering). It's an amazing building in terms of how it has survived to our times in the first place. Two huge wars, the revolution, the Soviet system... I found several versions of the construction - in honor of the constitution of the USSR in 1791 and after the Polish Uprising of 1830-31. Both versions speak of Jesuit monks. Which is not surprising, because there was a large Jesuit church in Faschevka, which was blown up during the path to communism. There is not much left of Simplician's wooden sculpture, but one can guess the leg and other parts of the body and clothing. The column itself is damaged. Possible bullet and shrapnel potholes. A part of the plaster has been preserved on the north side. In some places it is smeared with modern cement. The difference between native masonry and modern renovation is striking, so if someone likes to touch the pristine antiquity with their hands, then it's hard to make a mistake.

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Олег Бабков

Level 30 Local Expert

Initially, this location was marked incorrectly on Yandex maps - south of the actual location by about a kilometer. But, in early April 2026, I initiated edits on Yandex Maps and now the location is in its place. The column and the wooden figure on it (presumably St. Simplicianus) have already been almost destroyed by the elements over the many years of their existence. The wooden figure is partially preserved only in the lower part. By the way, the column with the monument is quite high and noticeable. Knowing about this ancient monument, I decided to ride a motorcycle to it as soon as the roads became suitable for this after the winter this year. I assumed that the past very snowy winter would destroy it completely, but there is still something left. However, judging by the condition of the monument, it is possible that I saw it today for the last time in this form. It looks like everything here is going to collapse any minute. At the same time, this monument has somehow stood here not for dozens, but for hundreds of years! There is absolutely no accurate information about who, when and why this monument was erected here. There are several versions. There are even mystical versions, there are versions related to treasures, there are versions related to the murder of a certain knight named Simplician, there are versions similar to realistic ones. But there is no exact, documented information. I will outline one of them: a wooden Catholic church was built on this site back in the 17th century, but it was destroyed during the Northern War. In 1754, a new stone church was built and consecrated on this site in honor of the Virgin Mary. The relics of St. Simplicianus, the Catholic bishop and Pope of the first centuries of Christianity, and the particles of the Holy Cross of the Lord were kept in this temple! It is not known where they came from in this outback. After the uprising of 1830-1831, the relics and particles of the cross were moved and buried in a local cemetery, and a four-sided red brick column was erected over the burial site. The bricks for the construction were allegedly brought here from Poland. A wooden sculpture of Saint Simplicianus was installed at the top of the column. I saw this column with the remains of the sculpture today. But the church was closed during the Soviet period, besides, on December 24, 1967, it was blown up, then completely destroyed. The Belarusian writer Vladimir Korotkevich wrote about this monument in his famous historical detective novel "The Black Castle of Olshansky" (the first edition was published in 1980).: "In the village of Faschevka (Khvashchava) near Shklov, there was once a Jesuit mission in the Middle Ages and a statue stood (or perhaps still stands) on a high column near it. The grateful people forgot who it was: a saint or some kind of statesman, but they firmly fixed the words "yelup khvashchouski" (berk, blockhead khvoshchevsky) in the dictionary to define something stupid and useless." Interestingly, this note is only in the Russian version of the novel, but for some reason it is not in the Belarusian version. However, in fact, the locals currently revere the monument and sculpture of St. Simplicianus. It is believed that it can be used for various diseases. By the way, there is still a modern building in the village nearby, where the Catholic Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is located. Access to the monument is not always convenient. The passage along Shosseynaya Street is good, but along Belskaya Street the road is bad and at the end of the village the road surface ends altogether - then there is a primer. And here, if you're lucky with the weather.

See original · Русский