"The fence of this monastery hides a rather beautiful church in the Western architectural style..." – that is what the famous Russian author, Nikolai Leskov, wrote in his book named "From a Travel Journal" about the Cathedral of St. Barbara.

Nothing has changed since then: this Belarusian church, described by the writer, is still beautiful and even more attractive for hundreds of travelers and historians, visitors of the amazing city of Pinsk.

The first wooden church was built there in 1712. For the first time, it was mentioned in written sources in 1750 under the name of the Church of St. Michael the Archangel, along with a one-story building of the wooden Bernardine monastery. Later, in 1786, the monks replaced the wooden church with a more solid stone one, built in the Baroque style.

The domeless single-nave building with a large altar apsis was covered with tiles and had a small basement. The laconic main facade was decorated with an arched portal with a triangular pediment and relief pilasters of a large order. Two three-tiered towers had beautiful domes. Besides, the complex got the temple bell tower, built separately in 1795.

Unfortunately, the Polish uprising of 1830-1831 led to the closure of the Bernardine monastery and the conversion of the temple into an Orthodox church, which significantly changed its original design.

In the middle of the 20th century, the interior of the church was renovated in honor of its 180th anniversary: indoor restoration work was carried out, the floor and heating were changed, part of the altar wall was painted, and a new iconostasis was installed. However, a 19th-century fresco depicting the Mother of God was perfectly preserved on the altar wall.

The Cathedral of St. Barbara is an operating church. So everyone can visit it to see its most valuable relic – the icon of the Holy Great Martyr Saint Barbara, which contains fragments of hallows. Moreover, there is a Sunday school and an Orthodox youth center in honor of the martyred monk, Macarius.