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27.09.2012 18:41
MOGILEV, 27 September (BelTA) – Holy spring wells in the village of
Berezovichi near Bobruisk and in the village of Proshcha near Osipovichi
were opened for the public after cleanup and landscaping on 26
September, BelTA learnt from the UNDP Office in Belarus.
The project Live Water - Purification of Spring Wells in Belarus is run
by the interfaith mission Christian Social Service in partnership with
the Office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Belarus
and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The project envisages
cleanup and landscaping of four spring wells under the patronage of
church communities of Mogilev and Vitebsk Oblasts. During a media tour
journalists could familiarize themselves with the work that was done to
clean up and landscape the spring wells near Bobruisk and Osipovichi. A
trip to Vitebsk Oblast will be arranged in October after the completion
of the cleanup of the other two holy spring wells.
“Thanks to the work done the spring wells got a new lease on life – a
beautiful tent has been installed under the spring wells; the
surrounding territory has been cleaned up and landscaped with walkways,
benches and belvederes installed. It is noteworthy that local people
took an active part in the work. Local residents will take care of the
spring wells and the surrounding territories, while the quality of water
in the springs will be regularly checked in specialized laboratories,”
project manager Vasily Zavadsky said. He noted that spring wells have
always been venerated by Slavic peoples. From ancient times people
believed in the healing powers of spring wells. This pertains to the
spring wells that were cleaned up in line with the UNDP project.
The most famous and venerated spring well in Belarus is the one in the
village of Proshcha. The locality was first mentioned in historical
documents in 1864. According to a legend, two blind travelers drank the
water from the spring well, washed with it and saw the light. An icon of
the Holy Virgin appeared on a tree near the spring well. Three times
local residents carried the icon away to the nearest church, but each
time in some miraculous way it returned to the same tree in the forest. A
church was built in that exact place in 1864. Thousands of pilgrims
from all over Belarus and abroad come to Proshcha to pray and wash with
the holy water, which attests to the real healing properties of the
spring well. The very word “Proshcha” testifies to the miraculous power
of the water. The word means “pardon of sins”.
The major goal of the project is to improve access to clean drinking
water, reduce the number of polluting runoffs and raise awareness of
environmental issues and encourage people to take part in nature
conservation activities. The project is financed by Coca Cola and the
Global Environment Facility. The time frame of the project is 12 months.
Click here to read this @ news.belta.by: http://news.belta.by/en/news/society?id=694405
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