Independence Square
Minsk, Belarus
Red Church (Saints Simon and Helena), Minsk
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Photo: KpokeJlJla, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia CommonsFit in nearby today
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Entry
- Closed inside, outside free
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Hours
- Closed for restoration, no entry; the exterior can be seen at any time
- Time on site
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A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes. - 30 min
- With kids
- Fine with kids
- Status
- Closed since September 2022; restoration under way behind a site fence
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Going inside
- Not possible — the site is closed to outsiders
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Seeing the outside
- Free, any time
- Mass
- No services in the building since September 2022
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Reopening
- No official date; the works deadline has already slipped into 2027
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Address
- Savetskaya (Sovetskaya) street 15, on Independence Square
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Metro
- Ploshcha Lenina (line 1, blue), 3–5 min walk
- Owner
- Minsk Heritage (Minskaya Spadchyna), a city-owned company
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Key facts
1905–1910built: foundation stone in 1905, consecrated on 20 September 1910
2 sourcesi
English WikipediaRussian WikipediaSimon and Helenanamed after the two children of founder Edward Woyniłłowicz, who died young
3 sourcesi
English WikipediaTonkosti TurizmaIn Your Pocket MinskSince 2022closed after a fire that September; restoration since June 2025
3 sourcesi
Russian WikipediaForum 18Nasha Niva50 mthe main bell tower; the two smaller towers are 36 m each
2 sourcesi
Russian WikipediaTonkosti Turizma1932closed and handed to the State Polish Theatre, later a film studio and the House of Cinema
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English WikipediaRussian WikipediaTonkosti Turizma1990returned to Catholics for free use — never as their property
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English WikipediaRussian Wikipedia1996a bronze St Michael slaying the dragon was set up by the entrance
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Russian WikipediaTonkosti Turizma2000the Nagasaki Bell, a copy of the Urakami Cathedral bell, was added
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Russian WikipediaTonkosti TurizmaIn Your Pocket Minsk2006Edward Woyniłłowicz was reburied in the church
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English WikipediaTonkosti TurizmaTomasz Pajzderskithe Polish architect behind the design
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English WikipediaRussian WikipediaWhy is the Red Church closed?
In short: after a small fire in September 2022, the district authorities banned use of the building, the utilities were cut off and the city later ended the parish’s agreement. The last Mass inside was on 25 September 2022, and the congregation has worshipped in other Minsk churches since.
The building has never belonged to the parish. When it was handed back in 1990, Catholics got free use, not ownership. Since 2012 it has been city property, managed by Minsk Heritage (Minskaya Spadchyna), which is also the client for the current restoration.
The official cause of the fire was faulty wiring; no investigation results were published. The former parish priest has suggested arson — that is his view, not an established fact.
When will it reopen?
Nobody has given a firm date. Work started on 9 June 2025 and was due to finish at the end of January 2027. In autumn 2026 the completion date on the site notice moved to the end of April 2027, and the team restoring the murals and stained glass has a deadline in mid-March 2027.
The bigger question is who gets the church back. Officials have not said whether it will return to the parish after the works, so the doors may stay shut for a while even when the scaffolding comes down. For trip planning, treat the Red Church as an outside-only sight; we will update this page once there is an official date.
Red Church history in brief
The church was paid for by Edward Woyniłłowicz, a Minsk landowner and public figure, and his wife Olimpia. Their son Simon died at 12 and their daughter Helena at 18 or 19, depending on the source, and the church carries the names of their patron saints. A local legend says Helena dreamt of the church and sketched it shortly before she died — a nice story with no evidence behind it.
Polish architect Tomasz Pajzderski drew the plans. The foundation stone went down in 1905 and the church was consecrated on 20 September 1910. The 50-metre bell tower stands for the parents’ grief, the two 36-metre towers for the children.
The Soviets closed it in 1932 and turned it into the State Polish Theatre, then a film studio, later the House of Cinema. It reopened briefly for worship during the wartime occupation. A hunger strike by believers helped win it back for Catholics in 1990. The St Michael statue came in 1996, the Nagasaki Bell in 2000, and Woyniłłowicz was reburied here in 2006.
What you can still see
- The façade and bell tower — the reason to come. The deep red brick stands out against the pale government buildings around the square.
- The three towers — one tall for the parents, two smaller for the children; the best view is from the middle of Independence Square.
- St Michael slaying the dragon — the 1996 bronze by the entrance. While the courtyard is fenced, you probably won’t get close.
- The Nagasaki Bell — a copy of the “Angel” bell of Urakami Cathedral, which survived the atomic bombing of 9 August 1945. Also inside the fence.
- Government House and its Lenin statue across the same square, with the Stolitsa underground mall beneath it.
- The interior murals and stained glass are being restored — not visible for now.
How to get to the Red Church
Tap a route to highlight it on the map.
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
- Independence Square is about 1 min away on foot.
- Minsk Town Hall and Upper Town is about 16 min away on foot.
- Trinity Suburb is about 24 min away on foot.
More tips
- From the Town Hall and Upper Town, walking is easiest: go down from Freedom Square (Ploshcha Svabody) to Independence Avenue (Praspekt Nezalezhnastsi) and follow it south-west to Independence Square — about 20 minutes.
- By metro from Nyamiha: one stop to Kupalauskaya, change to Kastrychnitskaya, then one stop to Ploshcha Lenina on line 1.
- Take any exit onto Independence Square — the red tower is visible straight away, 3–5 minutes on foot.
- Walk round the fence along Savetskaya street and the edge of the square to see the church from every side.
- From the main railway station it is about a 15-minute walk north.
Before you go: checklist
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Red Church vs other Minsk churches
| Red Churchyou are here | Catholic | Closed — restoration | Neo-Romanesque red-brick façade | Independence Square | Ploshcha Lenina |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cathedral of the Holy Name of Mary | Catholic | Open outside services | Baroque, 18th-century frescoes | Freedom Square | Nyamiha |
| Holy Spirit Cathedral | Orthodox | Open | Belarus’s main Orthodox cathedral | Above Nyamiha street | Nyamiha |
To see a Catholic interior, walk to the cathedral next to the Town Hall. See the Red Church from outside together with Independence Square.
Central Minsk in half a day
Independence Square and the Red Church, a walk up the avenue to the Town Hall, then Trinity Suburb and the Island of Tears. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and walks.
- Independence Square30 min · Free, open 24/7
- 3 min walk from the previous stopRed Church (Church of Saints Simon and Helena)you are here30 min · Closed inside, outside free
- 17 min walk from the previous stopMinsk Town Hall and Upper Town1 h · 10 BYN, square free
- 10 min walk from the previous stopTrinity Suburb45 min · Free; museums extra
- 3 min walk from the previous stopIsland of Tears20 min · Free
5 places · about 3 h 38 min with walks · 33 min on foot in total
Nearby — add to your day
Minsk Town Hall and Upper Town
Minsk, Belarus
Trinity Suburb
Minsk, Belarus
Island of Tears
Minsk, Belarus
How to do it right
- Don’t build a trip around the interior — until there is an official reopening, nobody gets in.
- Pair it with Independence Square: one stop, 30–40 minutes for both.
- For a Catholic church you can actually enter, walk 20 minutes up the avenue to the cathedral by the Town Hall.
- Signs use Belarusian transliteration — look for Ploshcha Lenina, Kastrychnitskaya and Kupalauskaya rather than the Russian forms.
- The best full shot of all three towers is from the centre of the square, where the fence barely shows.
- Check the news before you go — the works deadline has already moved more than once.
Questions
Is the Red Church in Minsk open?
No. It has been closed since September 2022 and is now a restoration site behind a fence. You can only see it from outside.
When will the Red Church reopen?
There is no official date. The works deadline has moved into spring 2027, and officials have not said whether the church will go back to the parish.
Why was the Red Church closed?
After a small fire in September 2022 the authorities banned use of the building and later ended the parish’s agreement. The city-owned Minsk Heritage now runs the restoration.
Is the Red Church worth visiting?
For 15–30 minutes from outside, yes — especially combined with Independence Square. Don’t make a special trip for it while the inside is closed.
How do I get to the Red Church?
Metro line 1 to Ploshcha Lenina, then 3–5 minutes on foot. From the Upper Town it is about a 20-minute walk along Independence Avenue.
Where is the Red Church in Minsk?
On Independence Square, at Savetskaya street 15, close to Government House.
Why is it called the Red Church?
Because it is built entirely of red brick. Its official name is the Church of Saints Simon and Helena.
Who built the Red Church?
Landowner Edward Woyniłłowicz paid for it in memory of his children Simon and Helena; Tomasz Pajzderski designed it. It was consecrated in 1910.
What was the church used for in Soviet times?
From 1932 it housed the State Polish Theatre, then a film studio and later the House of Cinema. It went back to Catholics in 1990.
Have you been? Was it worth your time?
1 — no, 5 — absolutely
Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.
Sources and fact-check
- English Wikipedia: Church of Saints Simon and Helena
- Russian Wikipedia: Church of Saints Simeon and Helena (Minsk); Wikidata Q1742825
- Nasha Niva: reports on the Red Church restoration, May, September and October 2026
- Forum 18: on the Red Church closure and restoration, March 2026
- Tonkosti Turizma: Church of Saints Simeon and Helena in Minsk
- In Your Pocket Minsk: Church of Sts Simon and Helena
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