Belarus – West (Brest, Hrodna, Baranavichy) June 27-28, 2019
I left Minsk on June 27 to go to Belarus West. I saw this after the Raziwell Palace.
Mir Castle Complex.
History. Duke Juryj Ivanavič Illinič began construction of the castle near the village of Mir after the turn of the 16th century in the Polish Gothic style. Five towers surrounded the courtyard of the citadel, the walls of which formed a square of 75 metres (246 ft) on each side. In 1568, when the Ilyinich dynasty died out, the Mir Castle passed into the hands of Mikołaj Krzysztof “the Orphan” Radziwiłł, who refitted it with a two-winged, three-story stately residence along the eastern and northern inner walls of the castle. Plastered facades were decorated with limestone portals, plates, balconies and porches in the Renaissance style.
In 1817, after the castle had been abandoned for nearly a century and had suffered severe damage in the Battle of Mir (1812), owner Dominik Hieronim Radziwiłł died of battle injuries and the castle passed to his daughter Stefania, who married Ludwig zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. Later the castle became a possession of their daughter Maria, who married Prince Chlodwig Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst.
Their son, Maurice Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, sold the castle to Mikalaj Sviatapolk-Mirski, of the Bialynia clan, in 1895. Nikolai’s son Michael began to rebuild the castle – he was a dandy, diplomat, atheist and a polyglot and renovated the castle after 1910. . The Sviatapolk-Mirski family owned the castle until 1939, when the Soviet Union occupied eastern Poland.
When German forces invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, they occupied the castle and converted it to a ghetto for the local Jewish population, prior to their murders. Between 1944 and 1956, the castle was used as a housing facility, resulting in damage to the castle’s interior.
In December 2000, the Mir Castle was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Park on the SW side.
Enter the castle with fortified walls on the south and east and buildings on the north and west. There are four corner and one guard tower. The castle was once moated and with ravelins. Now there is a lake at the back. The rooms have some armor, swords, portraits, furniture, tapestries, great ceramic fireplaces and oddly a scale model of the Old Castle in Grodno and two of the fortified churches. Climb the steep spiral stairs to the second story with a some great ceilings, parquet floors, crystal, women’s stuff and grand rooms. Continue down into the basement with barrel vaulted rooms holding a wine cellar. It is a lovely restoration. 14 BYN
BARANAVICHY
Church of Alexander Nevsky. This is a lovely Orthodox church, white with brown onion domes and trim on the outside and white walls and many clear glass windows. Big murals cover the front walls and elaborate carved wood frames surround the many icons. The iconostasis is carved wood. Free
Railway Museum (Muzei Zheleznodorozhnoii Tehniki). This has the usual – several steam and diesel locomotives and carriages (none were open) but several very unusual cars: a war one with two sets of 4 machine guns on a rotating base, 3 crane cars, two full of large electrical insulators (one a generator that I assumed were movable power stations) and an unusual “track laying” car?? Because of construction on an overpass, half the museum couldn’t be visited. 5 BYN
Zhyrovichy Monastery (several — Uspenskiy Monastery?). I couldn’t tell which one was meant and went to Uspenskiy – a big white church with blue domes, this Orthodox church is larger than most. The bottom of the columns and sidewalls are grey marble and the walls and columns have large murals. The iconostasis is light blue and gilt. One tiny icon at the front was the subject of great devotion – it was unusual with several small crosses, a wreath of leaves and I assume under the dark glass, some bone fragment relic of some long-lost dude. Free.
On the drive to Ruzhany, Google Maps took me on a non-road forest path and then on about 12kms of gravel.
Ruzhany Palace, Ružany. Ruzhany began its life in the late 16th century as the site of Lew Sapieha’s castle, the palace being completed in 1602. The Sapieha residence was destroyed in the course of the internecine strife in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1700.
It was rebuilt as a grand Neoclassical residence in the 1770s set in an English park landscape. Aside from the palace, there was a theatre (1784–88), an orangery and several other outbuildings. Becker also designed the local church (rebuilt in the 1850s).
By the time of King Stanisław II’s visit in 1784, work on the palace had been suspended. The Sapieha estates were nationalised in the aftermath of the November Uprising (1831). Three years later, the palace compound was sold to be used as a textile mill and weaving factory.
In 1914 the palace was accidentally set on fire by factory workers. The First World War and subsequent financial hardships prevented the building’s restoration until 1930, however the partially restored palace became a ruin again within fifteen years, a casualty of the Second World War. The ornate palace gate survives and has recently been restored.
There is a early 20th century gate with two-story buildings joining it on both sides but the old part is a ruin, although it must have been a very impressive place once. The large 3-story main building has a curved collonaded arcade on both sides, the west building is gone but the east is intact but has no roof. It is being renovated at the present time.
There are little old ladies selling stuff on the side of the road all over Belarus – raspberries, blueberries, cherries, vegys – and I bought of large tub of blueberries for 5 BEY.
I stopped at a roadside pull over for the night. I took out a lawn chair and set up by outside table (a California has everything). A gorgeous purple butterfly landed on my salad and hung around for a ½hour sipping at the droplets of moisture. She landed on my hair, sleeve, hand. It was nice to have company on this lonely adventure of mine.
June 26 was another hot day. It seems like it has been over 30°C for weeks. Belarus is also known for its high humidity.
BREST
Brest Orthodox Church (Orthodox Church of St Nicholas). There are many Orthodox churches in Brest but this seemed to be the most popular.
It is very cute – light blue with white trim, blue with gilt stars on the dome and steeple and many small domes. Inside it has a wood barrel vault ceiling with a canopy of blue stars. It is a single nave church with 8 small side chapels pre side each with lovely floral decoration and gilt framed icons. The iconostasis is wood with many gilt background icons. Service was on – all women in kerchiefs. The congregation does not participate in service in any way, the priests in their gold vestments chant and do a bunch of rituals behind the screen, a choir sings, the congregation stands and bows and crosses themselves hundreds of times, a few kneel, touch their head to the floor.
Brest Fortress. This is basically a huge treed/grass park with earthen battlements encircled by a moat. A small river flows through the center and forms an island with the main fort – only some ruined walls and brick buildings. On the island is a very tall square obelisk, a church and a mammoth sculpture – a huge block of grey stone with a head covering the entire end. Free
Brest Railway Museum. This is a lovely railway museum with nice walkways and grass. It is almost entirely locomotives, some diesel and most steam, all beautifully restored with red stars on the front, red cow-catchers and red/white wheels. The few passenger cars are a dining and seating car. Plus there are the usual trucks, switches and demonstration of gauges. Zero English. 3 BYN
Brest Archaeological Museum. This is well worth seeing with many lovely pieces (most Russian) not typical of an archaeological museum – not a pot in the place! And almost all labels in English. Start with many intricately painted icons, silver jackets for icons with enamel and gems, many small mother of pearl icons (Palestine) and one carved from walrus ivory, hinged icons, crosses, jewelry, daggers, East Asian (Mongolian Bhuddist, China, Japan, metal from Central Asia), German porcelain, paintings, and the highlight lovely engravings with unusual subject matter (artist? Only in Cyrillic), 2.83 BYN
Museum of Confiscated Art (Museum of Salvaged Artistic Valuables – 39 Lenin Street – Prior Bank bookmarked in Maps). In the NM “Bizzarium” series (one of my favourites), the “archaeological museum” may have been this?
Tower of Kamianiec, Kamianiec. Erected in 1271–1289 as a frontier stronghold on the northern border of the principality of Volhynia, Once similar towers were built in Brest (Byerastsye), Grodno, Turaw, Navahradak, but they were destroyed in the course of wars. The tower of Kamieniec is the only one that survived in Belarus today. Standing atop a gentle rise overlooking the Liasnaja river, the tower is the main landmark of Kamyenyets today. Since 1960 the tower houses a branch of the Brest regional museum.
It was originally the keep of a castle built as an enclosed community. Like many European castles, it had a great round tower, on the raised mound, enclosed by a moat and the river on the northern side, and an adjoining enclosure (bailey), that was completely destroyed in 1903. It is 30 meters (98 ft) high, the redbrick walls are about 2.5 m (8.2 ft) thick, with a pitched roof at the top.
The tower was entirely built of brick, that makes it unique. The brick construction was rarely used in this part of Europe until the close of the Middle Ages, as the brick production was costly in those days. Till the 16th century mostly rubbleworks prevailed in fortifications and churches and monasteries, only some parts of exterior were built of brick.
Unlike the narrow loopholes on lower levels, the pointed big lancet windows and niches on the upper floor are an excellent example of early Gothic architecture in Belarus. The openings of the windows and niches were plastered and whitewashed. The windows were designed to permit the entry of light into the apartments, where the nobility used to live during sieges. Glass windows was another contribution to Gothic architecture. It is apparent that the residents were eager to make themselves at home in the keep. The upper part of the tower was furnished with battlements and a pattern of surface modeling of the brickwork, several nice ring dog tooth courses running below the battlements. 10,000 bricks were used for the work. This is an impressive red brick round tower. It has a crenelated roof line and arrow slits. Enter a small door at the bottom and see the 5 floors of exhibits. Paintings show them accessing the tower via a long ladder. 2 BYN
Białowieża Forest is one of the last and largest remaining parts of the immense primeval forest that once stretched across the European Plain. The forest is home to 800 European bison, Europe’s heaviest land animal. The forest has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It straddles the border between Poland and Belarus and is 70 kilometres (43 miles) north of Brest, Belarus and 62 kilometres (39 miles) southeast of Białystok, Poland. The Białowieża Forest World Heritage site covers a total area of 141,885 ha (1,418.85 km2; 547.82 sq mi). Since the border between the two countries runs through the forest, there is a border crossing available for hikers and cyclists.
The entire area of northeastern Europe was originally covered by ancient woodland similar to that of the Białowieża Forest. Until about the 14th century, travel through the woodland was limited to river routes; roads and bridges appeared much later. Limited hunting rights were granted throughout the forest in the 14th century. In the 15th century the forest became a property of king Władysław II Jagiełło. A wooden manor in Białowieża became his refuge during a plague pandemic in 1426. The first recorded piece of legislation on the protection of the forest dates to 1538, when a document issued by Sigismund I instituted the death penalty for poaching a bison. The King also built a new wooden hunting manor in a village of Białowieża, which became the namesake for the whole complex.
The forest was declared a hunting reserve in 1541 to protect bison. In 1639, all peasants living in the forest were freed in exchange for their service as osocznicy, or royal foresters. They were also freed of taxes in exchange for taking care of the forest.
After the Partitions of Poland, Tsar Paul I turned all the foresters into serfs and handed them over to various Russian aristocrats and generals along with the parts of forest where they lived. Also, a large number of hunters were able to enter the forest, as all protection was abolished. Following this, the number of bison fell from more than 500 to fewer than 200 in 15 years. However, in 1801, Tsar Alexander I reintroduced the reserve and hired a small number of peasants to protect the animals, and by the 1830s there were 700 bison. However, most of the foresters (500 out of 502) took part in the November Uprising of 1830–31, and their posts were abolished, leading to a breakdown of protection.
Tsar Alexander II visited the forest in 1860 and decided to re-establish the protection of bison. Following his orders, locals killed all predators: wolves, bears and lynx. Between 1888 and 1917, the Russian tsars owned all of primaeval forest, which became the royal hunting reserve. The tsars sent bison as gifts to various European capitals, while at the same time populating the forest with deer, elk and other animals imported from around the empire. The last major tsarist hunt took place in 1912.
During World War I the forest suffered heavy losses. The German army seized the area in August 1915 and started to hunt the animals. During three years of German occupation, 200 kilometres (124 miles) of railway tracks were laid in the forest to support the local industry. Three lumber mills were built. Up to 25 September 1915, at least 200 bison were killed, and an order was issued forbidding hunting in the reserve. However, German soldiers, poachers and Soviet marauders continued the slaughter until February 1919 when the area was captured by the Polish army. The last bison had been killed just a month earlier. Thousands of deer and wild boar had also been shot.
In 1923 it was known that only 54 European bison survived in zoos all around the world, none of them in Poland. In 1929, a small herd of four was bought by the Polish state and to protect them, in 1932 most of the forest was declared a national park.
In 1939 the local inhabitants of Polish ethnicity were deported to remote areas of the Soviet Union and replaced by Soviet forest workers. In 1941 the forest was occupied by Germans and the Russian Soviet inhabitants were also expelled. After July 1941 the forest became a refuge for both Polish and Soviet partisans and Nazi authorities organised mass executions. In July 1944 the area was liberated by the Red Army. Withdrawing Wehrmacht troops demolished the historic Białowieża hunting manor.
The forest contains a number of large, ancient pedunculate oaks some of which are individually named. Trunk circumferences are measured at breast height, 130 cm (51 in) above the ground.
HRODNA World Cities and Popular Towns
SS. Boris and Gleb (Kalozha) Church in the city of Hrodna. A tentative WHS (30/01/2004), this tiny brick church has an unusual façade – brick with ceramic crosses, geometrics and large rocks. Half has been restored with wood siding. The interior brick walls are white washed and full of round holes. Two columns support the flat refinished ceiling. A wood iconostasis has only 6 large, gold background . Two tiny side altars of wood.
Trying to get to this church made me hate this fucking city and its bizarre traffic patterns, one-ways, pedestrianized streets, and construction. Construction made me take a very odd route. I eventually got to the other side of the road works, the original route was open and I was blocked from this end! Google Maps did not help at all by taking a route on the dirt road along the river instead of via the large park to the north, the correct and easy way.
New Hrodna Castle. A 2-story U-shaped building with a grand columned portico, start with maps and plans for the castle, two great Polish goblets. Then ethnography (carpets, traditional dress, lace), some art in the hallway. Upstairs are icons (These were very special esp. the ones with multiple small pictures surrounding a central one), silver jackets, folding icons, porcelain (Germany, Poland, China, Japan), silver, art in the hallways and finish with stuffed animals and shells. Gemstones. 4.90 +.1 for the gemstones.
Old Hrodna Castle. Over the centuries, it served as the Prince’s and Royal residence. It was heavily damaged by wars in the 17th and 18th centuries and got its modern look with the Russian Empire in the 19th century. It is being restored to its 1580 look. The complex consists of ruins of the Lower Church, and palace of the 12th century, remains of the Upper Church of 14th, royal Palace of the 1580s and stone bridge from the 17th. In the museum: archaeology, weapons, furniture, ethnography. Upstairs local history especially the WWs, then butterflies and beetles in dioramas in glass boxes. Then back downstairs for rocks and stuffed animals. This museum has it all. The castle plays no role in the action. Most in Belarusian. I just wanted out after a while. 6.2 BYN, 4.90 reduced.
Pharmacy Museum. One small room in the side of a drug store, it has scales, bottles and drawers. 1 BYN
Grodno Zoo. Another example of why zoos should not exist. Dated caging in little log houses. 6.50 BYN
Museum of Malformations of the Human Body. In the “Bizzarium” series, it is in the basement of Grodno Medical State University. There are lots of pickled Siamese twins, multiple digits, hands, arms, toes and all sorts of genetic aberrations. I’ve seen it all before. Free
Edifices for Worship of Fortress Type in Belarus, Poland and Lithuania
The defensive nature of these churches is visible from far, with their four towers on each corner, arrow slits and murder-holes. They are impressive and massive, especially Synkavichy as it lies in the middle of cornfields. They were added to the World Heritage Sites in 2004 in the cultural category.
1. Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Muravanka (Khram Rozhdestva Presvyatoy Bogoroditsy D. Muravanka), is 7.2kms south of the main Minsk-Hrdona M6 highway in the middle of the tiny village of the same name. It was constructed between 1516 and 1542 (the date 1524 is on the sign) in Gothic-Renaissance style. The foundation is a 2.4m high heavy stone construction. The walls are riveted with bar brick in the technique of Gothic wall masonry. Each corner has a defensive cylindrical hip roof tower with loopholes. It was considerably damaged in 1656 in the war between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Russia. In 1706, it was attacked by Karl XII of Sweden and cannon devastated the church. It wasn’t repaired until the beginning of the 19th century. A major reconstruction was undertaken in 1871-72. In the 1920s, the orthodox church was remade as a Catholic church, but is now an orthodox church actively used as a place of worship since 1990.
It has impressive white with exposed brick exterior walls and towers. From the sign outside it appears to be open at 8:30am and 5pm.
2. Church of St Michael, Synkavichy. It is an Eastern Orthodox church on the northern outskirts of the village of Synkavichy, Zelva District, Hrodna Province, in Belarus. It is an example of the Belarusian Gothic and one of the first fortified churches in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania along with the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Muravanka.
It was built in the 16th century. After the Union of Brest, the church became subordinate to the Holy See. After Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was partitioned the parish stayed active, but after November Uprising the church was converted into the Eastern Orthodox.
In 1880-1881, the temple was significantly reconstructed. In 1926 it was rebuilt as a Catholic church by the government of the Second Polish Republic. In 1988-1990, it was turned into the Orthodox again.
The church is an example of the Belarusian Gothic architecture. Its internal space is divided into the three naves supported by four pillars. The plan of the building is close to a square and has three apses on the east side. The walls are one and a half meters thick.
There are four defense towers on the corners of the church. The upper part of the western towers is made in the shape of octagon with three levels of arrow slits. Two eastern towers are cylindrical and also have arrow slits in the upper part.
Today the church is an active orthodox place of worship.
3. Catholic Church of St. John the Baptist, Kamai. It was constructed of brick in 1603-1606. It is situated in the north of Minsk, near the Lithuanian border
LIDA
Jewish Heritage
Lida Castle. In the middle of the town of Lida, this is a large square castle with guard towers on two corners. The walls are reconstructed – stone on the bottom and brick on the top with arrow slits. There is a walkway around the bastions. 5 BYN
NAVAHRUDAK
One of the oldest cities in Belarus, it was founded in the 11th century. In the 13th developed a jewelry trade in bronze, silver and gold and became wealthy with big houses. They imported expensive goods form Kiev, Byzantium and Eastern Europe.
Navahrudak Museum of History and Local Lore (Istoriko-Kraevedcheski Muzei UK). This museum has some archaeology and artefacts through the ages. There is a small room of art. Upstairs is ethnography with weaving, traditional dress, local history and the two World Wars (mostly photos and clippings). All labels are in Belarusian and the English guide was of no help as I could not find the labeled showcases. Not much of interest. 2 BYN
House Museum of Adam Mickievič (1798-1855). He lived in this house until 1815 when he left to go to university in Vilna. He then taught school and published two books of poetry in 1822 and 1823, but had to go into exile to St Petersburg in 1824. Here he developed a good reputation as a poet, left in 1829 and lived in several places in Europe (Paris, Rome, Switzerland). He moved to Istanbul and died there in 1855 and was buried in Montmorency Cemetery in Paris. In 1890 he was reburied in Krakow. He was a champion of Polish values.
The exhibition is objects relocated from his life, his associates and clippings. In the basement is a kitchen and underground passage to the annex where there is a meeting room. 2.5 BYN
NOMAD MANIA Belarus – West (Brest, Hrodna, Baranavichy)
World Heritage Sites:
Białowieża Forest (Poland marked)
Mir Castle Complex
Struve Geodetic Arc
Tentative WHS:
Augustow Canal (30/01/2004)
Edifices for Worship of Fortress Type in Belarus, Poland and Lithuania (30/01/2004)
Boris and Gleb (Kalozha) Church in the city of Hrodna (30/01/2004)
Worship wooden architecture (17th -18th centuries) in Polesye (30/01/2004)
Borders:
Belarus (river)
Belarus-Lithuania
Belarus-Poland
Belarus-Ukraine
XL:
xByeloviezha Park areas (special visa regime)
Tamašouka Panhandle
Railway, Metro, Funiculars, Cable Cars:
Belarus Intercity Railway Experience
Stadler Flirt (Modern Train) Routes
Castles, Palaces, Forts:
Kamianiec: Tower of Kamianiec
Mir: Mir Castle
Ružany: Ruzhany Palace
Religious Temples:
Muravanka: Muravanka Fortified Church
Zhyrovichy: Zhyrovichy Monastery (several — Uspenskiy Monastery?)
World of Nature: Pripyatsky NP (Sight)
Experiences: Taste draniki
European Cities
BARANAVICHY
Religious Temples: Baranovichy: Church of Alexander Nevsky
Railway Museums: Baranavichy: Railway Museum (Muzei Zheleznodorozhnoii Tehniki)
BREST World Cities and Popular Towns
Museums: Brest Archaeological Museum
Castles, Palaces, Forts: Brest: Brest Fortress (Sight)
Religious Temples: Brest: Brest Orthodox Church (many – Othodox Church of St Nicholas)
Railway Museums: Brest: Brest Railway Museum
?Bizzarium: Brest: Museum of Confiscated Art (Museum of Salvaged Artistic Valuables – 39 Lenin Street – Prior Bank bookmarked in Maps)
HRODNA World Cities and Popular Towns
Tentative WHS: SS. Boris and Gleb (Kalozha) Church in the city of Hrodna (30/01/2004) Kalozha Church
Museums: Grodno: Pharmacy Museum
Castles, Palaces, Forts:
Grodno: New Hrodna Castle
Grodno: Old Hrodna Castle
Zoos: Grodno: Grodno Zoo
Bizzarium: Grodno: Museum of Malformations of the Human Body (in basement of Grodno Medical State University)
LIDA
Castles, Palaces, Forts: Lida: Lida Castle Sights
Lida: Castle and Jewish Heritage
PINSK
Monuments: Pinsk: Liberators Memorial Complex
Villages and Small Towns
KOBRYN
NAVAHRUDAK
Museums: Navahrudak: Navahrudak Museum of History and Local Lore (Istoriko-Kraevedcheski Muzei UK)
House Museums/Plantations: Navahrudak: House Museum of Adam Mickievič
