On November 5, 2025, the Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus, Metropolitan Veniamin of Minsk and Zaslavl, led celebrations at the Eliseevsky Lavrishevsky Monastery of the Novogrudok diocese dedicated to the 800th anniversary of the monastery's foundation and the 775th anniversary of the death of St. Elisha.
At the end of the service, Archbishop Guriy addressed the audience at the celebrations. The bishop noted that the beginning of the monastery's revival in our days was laid by the ever-memorable first Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus, Metropolitan Filaret (Vakhromeev): "It was a real desert, separated from the world by the Neman River. And it took a lot of hard work to get here. There were times when only one abbot Seraphim was a resident of this monastery. But today— thanks be to the Lord and Saint Elisha, the monastery is being revived and beautified. People from all over our country and abroad can come here."
An icon of St. Elisha Lavrishevsky and a bouquet of flowers were presented to Metropolitan Veniamin in prayerful memory.
In his archpastoral address, Metropolitan Veniamin wished the Father Abbot and the ascetic brethren to preserve the traditions of monasticism in White Russia, so that the image of the heroic deed and selfless service of St. Elisha Lavrishevsky would inspire them to monastic life. So that numerous pilgrims can receive an example of a true Christian life here, which will also inspire in modern conditions, when sometimes many temptations, temptations and renewed paganism confuse people's hearts.
In memory of the celebrations, the Patriarchal Exarch donated to the monastery an image of the Kazan Mother of God and a facsimile edition of the Lavrishevsky Gospel. Metropolitan Veniamin presented an icon of St. Elisha to Bishop Eusebius of Drutsk (in 2009-2022, he was the vicar of the Lavrishevsky Monastery) as a sign of gratitude for his efforts.
In conclusion, the bishops and their fellow clergy performed a procession around the monastery and glorified St. Elisha. During the prayer procession, a stop was made at the newly erected chapel in honor of the Zhirovichi Icon of the Mother of God. The Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus consecrated the chapel.
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The Monk Elisey was the son of the Lithuanian Prince Troinat and held a high position at the court of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Mindovga, the founder of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. After being baptized, Elisha became burdened by the habits of the nobility, left the service and went to the desert, where he asceticized with a certain Orthodox monk. Around 1225, they founded a monastery, which later became a monastery.
The Monk Elisha suffered martyrdom at the hands of a young possessed novice, who, touching the murdered man, was cured of his illness.
Saint Elisha was canonized in 1514.
The Lavrishevskaya monastery underwent many difficulties in Uniate times and was almost completely ruined by the end of the 18th century. In 1836, the monastery was abolished. An attempt to revive it was made at the beginning of the twentieth century. During the First World War, the monastery church burned down. The relics of Saint Elisha were lost and have not been found to this day.
In 1998, Bishop Guriy of Novogrudok and Lida consecrated a church in honor of St. Elisha Lavrishevsky on the site where the monastery had previously been located. Since 2001, a parish of the church of St. Elisha Lavrishevsky in the village of Gnesichi, Novogrudok district, has been registered at the church. By the decision of the Synod of the Belarusian Orthodox Church dated April 21, 2007, the parish was transformed into the Eliseevsky Lavrishevsky Monastery.
Now there are four temples on the territory of the monastery. An alley of Orthodox shrines is being created around the monastery's perimeter. It is assumed that it will include 33 chapels according to the number of earthly years of the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. To date, 15 chapels have been built.