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A Chapel for Chernobyl

The Belarusian Church in London

Belarus was heavily affected by the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the neighbouring Ukraine back in 1986 when both countries were part of the Soviet Union. In the thirtieth anniversary year of that event, the Belarusian Catholic community in London dedicated a new chapel built to a striking modern design but evoking the folk churches of the old country.

Founded in 1947 as the White-Ruthenian Catholic Mission of the Byzantine-Slavonic Rite, the church grew out of the postwar migration to London of Belarusians who had served with the Polish army during the Second World War.

Succeeding the chapel of Sts Peter & Paul in Marian House, the new chapel is dedicated to St Cyril of Turau and All the Patron Saints of the Belarusian People.

In terms of church hierarchy, this mission is under the wing of the Ukrainian Catholic eparchy in Great Britain, part of the eastern-rite Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church which is in union with Rome.

Designed by Spheron Architects, the timber-framed structure’s undulating exterior is inspired by the baroque spirit present in many of Belarus’s old Catholic churches. The onion-domed spire and shingled roofing are more reminiscent of the more rustic chapels in the largely wooded country.

St Cyril’s is believed to be the only building in Britain whose architecture is of Belarusian inspiration.

Published at 9:00 pm on Wednesday 13 May 2020. Categories: Architecture Errant Thoughts Tags: , , .
Comments

A gem! An inspiration to see this in our “challenging/uncertain/etc.” times. A fine write up. Well done Andrew.

— Steve MacDonald 14 May 2020 8:44 pm
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