The idea of this article appeared thanks to the project “Dormant spadchyna” (@spiachaya.spadchyna), who has been photographing the disappearing monuments of Belarus for two years in a row. They visit crumbling temples, abandoned palaces and ancestral estates, trying to preserve the memory of these places and capture them as they are today.
It’s strange to say, but many of these places are even being desolated. Therefore, in this post we decided to collect the TOP 8 most colorful “abandoned places” of our country – to tell you about little–known places and share with you another batch of travel ideas. I think it turned out great. At least, this is one of the most unusual (and atmospheric!) articles that I’ve been writing lately.
Trinity Church in the village of Lyskovo
The Baroque church, built at the end of the 18th century (1763-1785). Despite the fact that the church is literally overgrown with trees inside, there is still some hidden magic in it, as if the complex is still active. Miraculously, many decorative elements and colored paintings have been preserved on the walls. There are gorgeous columns, arches and frescoes all around. Therefore, it is interesting to look at this temple not only from the outside, but also inside.
If you climb higher – to the level of the second floor, where the choir and the church organ used to be located, the view becomes quite amazing. It’s like being in a secret garden, not in a centuries-old temple.
How to get there? You can see all this in the village of Lyskovo, 43 km from Pruzhan (Brest region). GPS coordinates: 52.86215901845918, 24.66331958770752. You can also get to the agro-town by bus from Brest and Grodno. See the schedule on the websiteticketbus.by . There are flights on all days except Tuesdays.
What to see next door? Next to the church you can also see the complex of the former monastery of missionaries (18th century) and the colorful wooden church of the Nativity of the Virgin. Once there was even a grand ducal castle in these places (15th century). But now there is nothing left of him.
Kotlubaev Palace
Over 125 years of its history, this Neo-Gothic manor has seen a lot. She managed to visit both the medical infirmary and the orphanage. Until 1987, the former palace housed a boarding school. But the children were transferred to another building, and the complex itself was closed for restoration.
Attempts to restore the complex were made at least twice. In the 1990s, money was allocated from the local budget to restore the roof. And in 2014, the estate was bought by a Brest businessman who was going to set up a museum of the Belarusian nobility here. But the work was quickly curtailed, so the Kotlubayev Palace is still in poor condition.
Local enthusiasts are trying to preserve the disappearing heritage. One of the villagers named Vasily Lavrinovich even created a small museum with old photographs and various artifacts of the former palace. For a long time, a sign with his phone hung on the fence of the estate for those who do not mind a free tour. I do not know if she remains now.
How to get there? You can see the Kotlubaev Palace in the village of Yastrembel (Brest region). Buses from Baranovich run here several times a day. Tickets cost 1.3 BYN. It takes a little more than half an hour to drive.
What else to see in the Brest region?
You can visit the Kotlubaev estate and the abandoned church in the village of Lyskovo as part of a big trip around the Brest region. As a base point, I recommend choosing this SPA hotel or some inexpensive option in Baranovichi (for example, here this “two-bedroom apartment” in the center) – and from there make trips around the neighborhood.
Some time ago, I published a long story about the most interesting places in the Brest region. There I talked about the Gothic tomb of the Reitans (as if descended from the pages of a novel about vampires), about the best zoo in the country (which is ten times cooler than Belovezhskaya Pushcha), and about the most beautiful city in the south-west of Belarus (spoiler is not Brest). I will attach a link to the material below. Read it if it’s interesting.
Trinity Church in the village of Berezovets
To be honest, I haven’t been here. But the authors of the Dormant Spadchyna project, who provided photos for this article, praised this place very much, calling the ruins of the Berezovets Church one of the most picturesque in the country.
I listened about the aerial arches and the “ceiling”, instead of which the sky stretches; about the Servech River, which seems to embrace the old walls; and about how the locals tenderly monitor the condition of the ruins. Probably, the Berezovets Church in the Grodno region is one of the few places that is almost desolate.
Svyatopolk-Chetvertinsky Palace in the village of Stomach
One of the most famous places in the Grodno region. And at the same time, a complex that has a pretty good chance of a new life. Today it is privately owned, restoration work is underway inside (although not very actively). And the palace itself often becomes a venue for photo shoots and filming.
In 2010, a fairly well-known Belarusian horror film “Masakra” was filmed here. But personally, I liked the short film “House” by Artyom Lobach (also with a noticeable mystical tinge) more. If you’re interested, you can watch it here. The movie is charming and actually shot with naked enthusiasm.
How to get to the palace? By bus from Novogrudok or by private car. GPS coordinates: 53.6006, 24.9567. The entrance to the palace grounds costs 4 BYN.
What else to see in the Grodno region?
Next to the estate there is a beautiful garden and a small lake. 15 kilometers from the Chetvertinsky Palace, you can also see an unusual “fortress-type” church in the village of Murovanka. And the original town of Shchuchin (22 km) with its famous cheeses, the collegium of publicists and the restored estate of the Drutskys-Lyubetskys.
And the Stomach can be easily combined with a trip to Grodno. As a place to stay, I recommend choosing:
- Apart-hotel “At the Pear”, located in an 18th century building;
- Or this apartment with a stunning view of the Orthodox Church.
You can read about the most interesting places in Grodno in the article at the link below. In the meantime, I’ll move on. I still have a lot to tell you.
St. Anthony’s Church in Knyazhitsy village
This temple has been abandoned for more than 60 years. The stone has turned green with time. Trees grow on the remains of the roof. And there are quite large cracks on the walls.
But even despite this, the church in Knyazhitsy is still worth seeing. At least because it is one of the largest abandoned temples in our country. The vaults go up to 15 meters. And the interior seems very spacious. Columns and openwork moldings have been preserved on the site of the former altar, and the high towers are still crowned with centuries-old crosses.
At the moment, the church is in poor condition. But even now, seeing this majestic temple, it is easy to imagine how it looked during its heyday.
How to get to Knyazhitsy? By car (53.974746, 30.152233) or by bus from Mogilev (for 1.6 BYN). There are only 15 km between the two points.
Tolstoy Manor in Grudinovka
Today, this small village in the Mogilev region is not much different from hundreds of others. But in the 19th century, it was a real center of attraction for the local nobility. There was a two-storey palace with a luxurious terrace. An English park was laid out around – with a pond, fountains, greenhouses and orchards. There was a distillery not far from the estate, and the breeding horses that were bred on a nearby farm were considered to be almost the best in all of Belarus.
Everything changed during the Soviet era. The palace was taken away from the Tolstoy family. And from that moment on, the Breast began to rapidly lose its familiar appearance. During the Second World War, a hospital worked here. In the post–war years, there was a secondary school, an orphanage and a sanatorium boarding school for children with rheumatism. Therefore, even now, inside the neoclassical palace, you can see tarnished frescoes from the time of socialist realism.
In 1989, against the background of the Chernobyl accident, the boarding school was disbanded. And since then, the palace has been abandoned. In 2011 and 2015, they tried to restore the complex (and even invited the descendants of the Tolstoy family living in France). But global changes have not happened. And nowadays, the palace in Grudinovka remains only a shadow of its former self.
How to get there? By car (GPS 53.636041, 30.481587) or by bus from Mogilev (for 4.7 BYN). The village is located in Bykhovsky district.
What else to see in the Mogilev region?
If the ruins of palaces and churches seem to you an insufficient reason for a trip, then add yourself to your journey Mogilev. There is a beautiful town hall by the river, a huge St. Stanislaus Church and a brutal red brick drama theater. And also in this city:
- Interesting street art;
- Cheap restaurants (where you can have breakfast for 10 BYN and drink a delicious latte for 2.90);
- And immediately two excellent SPA hotels with prices twice lower than in Minsk. (I especially recommend this one).
You can read more about Mogilev in the article at the link below. There are a lot of useful tips and awkward humor.
Svyatsky Manor in the villageFlame
Several atmospheric “abandonments” can also be found in the north of Belarus – in the Vitebsk region. For example, in the village of Plamya (formerly called Belitsa) stands the Svyatsky manor, built in the early 19th century.
Once these places were famous for… oil. At one time, butter and cheese under the brand “Dobra Bielica” were sold throughout the Russian Empire. And Karl Svyatsky himself made a good fortune on this.
In those years, Belitsa began to flourish in every sense. Artists and writers (including Yanka Kupala) often visited the village. And the palace itself had 18 rooms, a luxurious ballroom, a library with 3,000 books and an extensive art gallery (which even included Vankovich’s works).
But the October Revolution happened – and the Svyatsky family was forced to emigrate to Poland. It is known that during the Second World War the estate housed a German garrison, and in the post-war years the complex was transferred to an agricultural college.
In the late 80s, Vitebsk restorers made attempts to restore the palace, but they only made it worse. In fact, the roof was simply removed from the estate and left to die. Local residents also contributed, literally pulling the estate apart brick by brick. Today, only the 8-coal tower, the ruins of the palace, a park with a river and numerous outbuildings erected at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries remind of the former greatness of the “oil magnate”.
How to get there?The village of Plamya is located in the Sennensky district of the Vitebsk region. Coordinates: 54.68505, 29.61554. The journey from Minsk takes about 2.5 hours. Along the way, you can see another pagan temple near the agro-town of the same name.
Trinity Church near the village of Chereya
The village of Cherya in the Vitebsk region is an ancient and amazing place in its own way. The first mention of it dates back to 1066! And the history of these places is connected with the names of Sapieha and Milosha, Ivan the Terrible and Peter the Great. Centuries-old Tatar burials are buried under the local mounds. And the artifacts of ancient tribes are stored in a simple Chery library (since there is simply no separate museum in the village).
Another 4 km to the northeast – and you are on a small peninsula, where the ruins of the Trinity Church rise in the middle of Lake Cheryosky.
It was built in 1599 as the first Uniate church in Belarus. It has been preserved only partially to this day, but it has not lost its cultural and historical significance so far. The walls and dome of the church have never been rebuilt, which makes the Trinity Church a unique example of the early Baroque (not only in Belarus, but throughout Europe).
Some time ago, the peninsula near Lake Cheryosky became the venue for the SPRAVA music festival. And a little later, an experimental ambient project called Sad Orchestra appeared here (combining the features of visual and musical art). To be honest, it’s hard for me to describe what it is in two words. Therefore, it is better to take a look at the site sadorchestra.space – and then write in the comments what it was (“musical fiction”?/”an orchestra without a conductor”?/a touching dedication in honor of three departed figures of Belarusian art?).
How to get there? By car (54°38'34.6″ N.29°18'15.6″E), as well as on minibuses traveling from Minsk to Novolukoml (nvl.by ). Just ask the driver in advance to make a stop at Chere.
What to see on the way?
If desired, you can build a whole route between Minsk and Vitebsk along atmospheric “abandoned buildings” and disappearing ancient monuments. In addition to Belitsa and Belaya Tserkva, it can include – Smolyany village, where there are three interesting sights at once:
- ruins of the Church of the Virgin Mary;
- St. Alexis Church;
- and the remains of the White Carpet Castle.
Another 25 km and you are in the village of Mezhevo. Today it is a quiet place where only 800 people live. But earlier there was also a palace (now converted into a village club) and a huge Intercession Church (1886), from which only the walls have survived today. There are also outbuildings of the 19th century in Mezhevo – fragments of a brewery and distillery. A good set of attractions for a small village. Would you agree?
Well, you can make the final chord of the journey yourself Vitebsk is a city of white churches, art galleries and cozy embankments.
As a place to stay , I recommend choosing this apartment with a view of the Assumption Cathedral; and for dinner, book a table at La cultura restaurant, which I think is the best in the city. The rest of the day can be devoted to walks through the former Jewish quarters and movie nights in the oldest cinema in Belarus; haunted houses and unusual graffiti scattered around Vitebsk courtyards.
You can read more about all this at the link below. Well, that’s all for today.
At the very end, I want to express my gratitude to the project “Dormant Spadchyna” for the photos provided and for the reverent attitude towards the elusive heritage of Belarus. You can view their other works here. Also, until 11/10/2024, their photos will be presented in Nesvizh (in the Mara Gallery at Leninskaya 12).
