My route
Sign in
WorldBelarusBrestChurch of the Exaltation of the Holy CrossMy routeRoute

Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Brest

The white neoclassical Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross with twin bell towers on Lenin Square in Brest
Photo: Mike1979 Russia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

The essentials in 10 seconds

Entry
Free, no tickets
Hours
Mass: Monday–Saturday 9:00 and 18:00, Sunday 9:00, 10:30, 12:00 and 18:00; adoration daily at 17:00. The parish publishes no separate visiting hours
Time on site
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes.
20 min
With kids
Better without small kids
Weekday Mass
Monday–Friday 9:00 and 18:00
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Saturday Mass
9:00 and 18:00 (the evening Mass counts for Sunday)
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Sunday Mass
9:00, 10:30, 12:00 and 18:00
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Solemnities
9:00, 12:00 and 18:00
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Adoration
Daily at 17:00
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Open for visitors
Usually during the day between morning and evening Mass; the parish gives no exact hours
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Address
Lenin Street (vul. Lenina) 34, Brest
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Coordinates
52.09306, 23.68611YesGo MapGoogleApple
Parish phone
+375 29 826-07-99
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Candles and donations
Cash in Belarusian rubles (BYN)
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.

Key facts

1856year the church was completed
4 sourcesRussian and Polish WikipediaZnai svoi krai (my-places.by)Radzima.orgWikidata
Our Lady of Brestone of the most revered Catholic icons in Belarus, crowned in 1996
2 sourcesRussian WikipediaZnai svoi krai
1990the building was handed back to Catholics after four decades as a museum
2 sourcesZnai svoi kraiPolish Wikipedia
Jakub Fardonthe Grodno provincial architect who designed it
3 sourcesRussian WikipediaZnai svoi kraiRadzima.org
Neoclassicalstyle — columns, pilasters and a triangular attic
2 sourcesRussian WikipediaRadzima.org
1 of 37icons of the pre-war church to survive — the Brest icon
2 sourcesRussian WikipediaZnai svoi krai
Santa Maria Maggiorethe Roman basilica whose Marian icon the Brest image copies
2 sourcesRussian WikipediaZnai svoi krai
1950–1957rebuilt as the regional history museum; the front towers were pulled down
2 sourcesRussian and Polish WikipediaZnai svoi krai
Organin the choir loft, used for organ concerts
2 sourcesRussian WikipediaZnai svoi krai
Listed monumenton Belarus's State List of Historical and Cultural Values
2 sourcesRussian WikipediaWikidata
Diocese of Pinskthe parish belongs to it, in the Brest deanery
3 sourcesRussian Wikipediaparish websiteGCatholic

Holy Cross Church Mass times and opening hours

According to the parish's official schedule, Mass is said Monday to Saturday at 9:00 and 18:00 and on Sundays at 9:00, 10:30, 12:00 and 18:00. The Saturday evening Mass is the Sunday vigil. On solemnities the times are 9:00, 12:00 and 18:00, and there is Eucharistic adoration every day at 17:00.

The parish does not publish visiting hours for tourists. The doors are usually open during the day between the morning and evening Masses, but that is unofficial — on a weekday the church may be locked earlier than you expect. The surest way in is to arrive 15–20 minutes before the 18:00 Mass.

The schedule does not say which language each Mass is in, and there is no mention of an English Mass, so do not count on one. If it matters, call the parish on +375 29 826-07-99.

Is it free to enter?

Yes. There is no ticket and no entrance fee — it is a working parish church, not a museum. Candles and donations are up to you.

Bring a little cash in Belarusian rubles (BYN) for that. Foreign Visa and Mastercard cards work patchily in Belarus, and Russian rubles are not accepted anywhere — both points are unofficial, so withdraw BYN at a bank ATM in the centre before your walk.

What is the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross?

It is Brest's main Roman Catholic church, a parish of the Diocese of Pinsk. The white columned building with two towers stands at Lenin Street 34, on the edge of Lenin Square, a three-minute walk from pedestrian Sovetskaya Street. Locals simply call it the kostel — the Polish-derived word for a Catholic church.

It was completed in 1856 to a design by Jakub Fardon, the provincial architect in Grodno, in late neoclassical style.

After the Second World War the Soviet authorities closed it, and in 1950–1957 it was rebuilt as the regional history museum: the towers on the front came down and the interior was changed. It was returned to Catholics in 1990, the towers were rebuilt, and the church now looks much as it did in the nineteenth century.

What to see inside

  • The icon of Our Lady of Brest — a copy of the famous Marian icon of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, in a silver cover. It was crowned in 1996 and is the only one of the pre-war church's 37 icons to survive.
  • The façade — columns, pilasters and twin towers; the best view is from the middle of Lenin Square.
  • The organ in the choir loft above the entrance. If an organ concert is on in town, it is the best reason to come in the evening.
  • Lenin Square itself — the white church stands out sharply against the Soviet-era buildings around it.

How to get to Holy Cross Church

Tap a route to highlight it on the map.

Loading the map…

on footdestinationStreet view

Where are you starting from?

We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.

On foot

More tips

  1. Head for Lenin Square in the city centre: the church stands on its edge at Lenin Street 34, and the white towers are easy to spot.
  2. From Sovetskaya Street and the Brest Millennium Monument it is a 5–7-minute walk to Lenin Square.
  3. From Brest-Tsentralny railway station walk 20–25 minutes south along Lenin Street, or take a city bus a few stops to Ploshchad Lenina (Lenin Square).
  4. The St Nicholas Brotherhood Church and the Winter Garden are about 10 minutes north along Sovetskaya Street.
  5. The Brest Fortress is about 2.5 km away — 30 minutes on foot along Heroes of Defence Street (vulica Hierojaŭ Abarony), or 10 minutes by bus or taxi.

Is Holy Cross Church worth it?

Yes, if you are already in the centre: it is free, next to Sovetskaya Street and takes twenty minutes. The interior is not lavish — light, plain and calm — but it shows how Catholic and Orthodox Brest grew side by side. For Catholic pilgrims, the icon of Our Lady of Brest is reason enough to come.

It is not worth a special trip unless you are a pilgrim. With one day in Brest, the Brest Fortress comes first, and the church is a short stop between the station and Sovetskaya Street. For the full story of the icon and the museum years, book a guided walk of the centre.

Before you go: checklist

Ready: 0 of 5

Tick what is ready — your ticks stay in this browser.

Holy Cross Church or St Nicholas Brotherhood Church

Holy Cross Churchyou are hereRoman CatholicLenin Square, Lenin Street 34Icon of Our Lady of Brest, organFree≈ 20 min
St Nicholas ChurchOrthodoxCorner of Sovetskaya and Mickiewicz StreetsPainted interior and iconostasisFree≈ 20 min

Both churches fit into one short walk: start at St Nicholas at the north end of Sovetskaya Street and finish at the Catholic church on Lenin Square.

Central Brest and the fortress in a day

The Brotherhood church, a stroll down Sovetskaya Street to the Catholic church on Lenin Square, then the fortress and Berestye. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

  1. St Nicholas Brotherhood Church20 min · Free
  2. 13 min walk from the previous stopSovetskaya Street1 h · Free, open 24/7
  3. 10 min walk from the previous stopChurch of the Exaltation of the Holy Crossyou are here20 min · Free
  4. 44 min walk from the previous stopBrest Fortress2 h 30 min · Grounds free, museum 12 BYN
  5. 7 min walk from the previous stopBerestye Archaeological Museum45 min · 8.45 BYN, school pupils 4.15 BYN

5 places · about 6 h 9 min with walks · 74 min on foot in total

Go · my route

Nearby — add to your day

Sovetskaya Street

Brest, Belarus

1 h · Free, open 24/7 · 10 min walk

Brest Winter Garden

Brest, Belarus

40 min · 11 BYN per hour, reduced 5.50 · 10 min walk

Brest Railway Museum

Brest, Belarus

1 h · ≈ 7 BYN, unofficial · 22 min walk

How to do it right

  • Aim for a weekday around noon: no service, a quiet nave and the best light through the windows.
  • To hear the organ, come to Sunday Mass or look out for an organ concert poster in the centre.
  • For a photo of the whole façade, step back to the middle of Lenin Square — from the pavement the towers get cut off.
  • A translation app helps with the notices at the door, which are not in English.
  • Pair it with an evening stroll: Sovetskaya Street, with its cafés and the lamplighter at dusk, is three minutes away.

Questions

What are the Mass times at Holy Cross Church in Brest?

Monday to Saturday at 9:00 and 18:00, Sunday at 9:00, 10:30, 12:00 and 18:00, and on solemnities at 9:00, 12:00 and 18:00. Adoration is daily at 17:00. Times are from the parish website.

Is there an English Mass?

The parish schedule does not mention one and gives no languages for its Masses — call the parish if you need to know.

Is it free to visit?

Yes, entry is free. Candles and donations are optional; bring a little cash in Belarusian rubles.

When is the church open for visitors?

The parish publishes no visiting hours. It is usually open during the day between Masses, but the safest time is just before the 18:00 service.

Where exactly is it?

At Lenin Street 34 on Lenin Square in central Brest, 5–7 minutes' walk from Sovetskaya Street and 20–25 minutes from Brest-Tsentralny station.

What is the icon of Our Lady of Brest?

A copy of the Marian icon of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, in a silver cover, crowned in 1996. It is one of the most revered Catholic icons in Belarus and the only survivor of the church's 37 pre-war icons.

Can I take photos inside?

The parish publishes no ban. Shoot without flash and never during Mass or adoration — put the phone away if people are praying.

What should I wear?

Cover shoulders and knees; men should remove hats. A headscarf is not required for women.

How long do I need?

About 20 minutes for the icon, the nave and the façade. Staying for Mass takes about an hour.

Have you been? Was it worth your time?

1 — no, 5 — absolutely

Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.

Sources and fact-check

  • Parish of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Brest (brestcatholic.by): Mass schedule, address, phone, 30.10.2026
  • Russian Wikipedia: Kostyol Vozdvizheniya Svyatogo Kresta (Brest)
  • Polish Wikipedia: Kościół Podwyższenia Krzyża Świętego w Brześciu
  • Znai svoi krai (my-places.by): Brest, Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
  • Radzima.org: Catholic church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Brest
  • Wikidata Q3936974; GCatholic: Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Brest
  • Travel money guides on Belarus — card acceptance, unofficial
  • OpenStreetMap — location, streets and walking distances
YesGo editorial team · facts checked 30.10.2026 ·
How we checkedMass times, the address and the phone come from the parish's official website. The parish gives no visiting hours, so that row is unofficial and marked as checking, as is card acceptance in Belarus. History is checked against at least two sources. Where they disagree: Znai svoi krai and Polish Wikipedia give 1990 for the return to Catholics, Russian Wikipedia says "the 1990s" and one tourist directory says 2001 — we use 1990. Znai svoi krai dates the museum both 1950–1990 and 1950–1957; we give 1950–1957 as the years of the museum conversion, as both Wikipedias do. Sources disagree on the icon's own age (16th or 17th century), so we leave it out. The organ's installation year and the reconsecration date come from a single source each and are not shown. There is no English Wikipedia article. Walking times are measured on OpenStreetMap.

Top YesGo picks: Brest

Brest Fortress

Brest, Belarus

2 h 30 min · Grounds free, museum 12 BYN

Fort V

Brest, Belarus

1 h · 12 BYN, students 6 BYN

Kamenets Tower

Brest, Belarus

1 h · 8.45 BYN; rooftop by tour only

All places: Brest →