"In the Depth of the Country"

     Let’s begin our journey in the depth of Belarus. Today we will acquaint you with very interesting rich tourist trail over Belarus. For this very purpose we will go out to the side of Polesye.

The tour “Berastej circle. In the footsteps of famous ancestries” was worked out by the leader of touristic company “Charms of Polesye” Tatiana Hvagina. I guess, it will catch fancy of those, who are interested in the history of Belarusian land, its monuments and people, who glorified Belarus. This tour starts in the native country of Adam Mitskevich, in Zavosse, then tourists go to Kosava and Mirachoushchyna, where they get acquainted with life and activity of Tadeush Kastushka. Then their way leads to Ruzhany, the main residence of famous noble Belarusian family Sapega. The author of this tourist trail Tatiana Hvagina will tell you about each of these places very enthusiastically.

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Places are really very interesting. Zavosse is the land, where Adam Mitskevich was born. The estate, the house, where he was born and brought up are renovated. The roof is made of straw, everything is full of poetry, memories about past, about calm, interesting life of the nobles. When you enter the rooms of the house you would remember some facts from life of Adam Mitskevich and also his famous pieces, ballads, poem “Pan Tadeush”. By the way, the author himself said about this literary writing, that maybe someday his monument would be raised in Navagrudak for this very poem. And he was absolutely right, now there is a monument raised in his honor.
Then we go out to another interesting places, associated with the name of Tadeush Kastushka. 200 years passed from the date of his death. In Kosava tourists will see a Catholic Church, though the building was constructed later, but it was built on the foundation of that in which on the 12th of February in 1746 Tadeush Kastushka was christened. Near Kosava there is a place Mirachoushchyna where he was born. His parents Ludvig and Teklya Ratomski were farmers. They left their family seat Syahnovichy to buy it back, so they wanted to earn some money. We know that Kastushka studied in Lebeshova, now it's Ukraine, in the past, it was a part of Pinsk Poviate (County). Also there is no escaping the fact that it seems, that the Palace of Buslouski, as if to protect Kastushka's estate. The Palace is renovated. Soon it will welcome the first visitors. And of course, it is connected with the epoch of Walter Scott, knights and their tournaments.
During half an hour we can reach Ruzhany. And despite the fact, that our famous Leu Sapega wasn't born here, his residency was placed precisely in this town. Also tourists have an opportunity to see a wonderful Palace, which is renovated. In the castle there is a display, which tells us a lot about life of representatives of this noble family, about famous three statuses of Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which were written by Leu Sapega in the 16th century. Once upon a time, a king of Grand Duchy of Lithuania came to Ruzhany to see wonderful Sapega's Palace.
Then we go out to Vouchyn, the native land of the king. This place is situated in Kamyanetski district, which is rich in a great number of prominent places, first of all, in famous Belavezhskaya pushcha (Belavezha forest). And nowadays, Vouchyn is also becoming popular. Unfortunately the Palace by Panyatouski doesn't exist anymore, at the same time the Trinity Catholic Church is renovated. It's very beautiful. It was build in the style of Roman basilica St. Maria Majore. This Catholic Church became a place, where a hearse of the last king of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth has been standing for 50 years. It was taken there in 1938 from Leningrad, because nobody wanted to keep the eternity box of the last king, a reformer, a prominent personality of the age of Enlightenment, who was one of the authors of the first European Constitution of the 3rd May. He established the first Ministry of education, opened a school of knights. He ordered to write and examine the history of Poland and Polish people. Our countryman Narushevich was involved in this deal. Canals were built in Polesye. All his achievements were derailed with annexion of the state, separation of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. As people said at those times pure king Stas' was expelled.
After Vouchyn we will go out towards the city of Brest, to the place Uskoki, where we will remember Julian Ustsin Nyamtsevich. His fate was amazing, unusual. He was a team-mate of Tadeush Kastushka, an aide-de-camp, a biographer of the first President of United States of America, a writer, a historian, a politician. So this prominent person was born here. And we will see the Palace, where he was born. This place will tell you about him, his noble family Nyamtsevichy, about epoch and also about the first world war. During the occupation, near Pinsk there was Russian Germany theater of operations. And precisely in this Palace, the residency of the Commander – in – Chief, Prince Leopold Bavarian was situated. Here the preparations to Treaty of Brest were held, which was later signed in the White Palace, on the territory of Brest Fortress. So we will remember these important historical events and go out to Brest.

You are listening to International radio Belarus. This is the program "In the depth of the country”. The program was prepared by my colleague Viktoria Pyatkevich. Helen Bells is in the studio for you.
I remind you that in this issue of the project we acquaint you with very interesting rich tourist trail over Belarus, the tour “Berastej circle. In the footsteps of famous ancestries”. It's creator, author ethnographer Tatiana Hvagina is our today's guest. Little villages, towns, places lead up us to the jewel in the crown of Belarus, regional center, the city of Brest.
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Here we stay for a long period of time. The city becomes more beautiful right in front of our eyes. It has a very rich, prominent history. Soon it will celebrate its 1000 anniversary. There are a lot of museums, monuments, one of them, that was built in honor of 1000 birthday of the city arouses a great interest. At the baseline of the monument people can see a sculpture of Volhynian Prince Uladzimir Vasilkavich. By the way we remember this famous personality both in Kobryn and Kamyanets. Famous Kamyanets tower was constructed by his order. We also recall the Prince Vitaut, who contributed a lot in development of this region. He turned Brest into Polesye Venice, a market town with rich customhouse, rich inhabitants. And of course there is sculpture of prominent Brest headman Mikhalai Radzivil Chorny, who ordered to construct here a printing-office, a famous Berastejskaya Bible was published in it. I can tell you a lot of interesting facts about the city of Brest, but next destination is Polesye, the town of Kobryn, which is rich in famous Belarusians. Also we will go out to native land of one more anniversary celebrant – Napoleon Orda, a painter, a composer, a musician. He has lived in exile for 25 years, but returned home. And we are thankful for the heritage he left us, his architectural landscapes. Thanks to them we can say, that our land was also civilized 200 years ago. He returns us our lost heritage. We will visit an art gallery, dedicated to his creativity, a museum, a renovated estate of his family and his grave. Then we visited the Palace of his grand father Butrymovich, placed in Pinsk. This person was a prominent reformer, a patriot of Polesye, who turned Pinsk into a true wonderful port city between Baltic and Black seas. Thanks to efforts of the deputy, the city judge, the headman Butrymovich two canals were built in this place. One of them at the expense of the state Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the King's canal connected rivers Muhavets and Pina, the second, that was constructed between the rivers Yaselda and Shchara was built at the expense of Hetman Mihal Kazimir Aginski. The last point of our travel is the place Grushauka, which is famous for its prominent landlord Tadeush Reitan, who strove to save the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and during the Seim, dedicated to the first separation of the state said: “Better kill me, but not the country”.

This was the program "In the depth of the country", the historical, geographical project for those who are interested in Belarusian land. The program was prepared by my colleague Victoria Pyatkevich.
 The tour “Berastej circle. In the footsteps of famous ancestries” resembles a harmonica. You can start your trip from any point and to travel for exactly so many days as you wish, to savor each place or to get a lot of impressions on weekends. Friends, today we visited Brest region, I advise you to get to see firsthand wonderful places of the Belarusian land and of course invite you in next virtual traveling next Thursday.
Perhaps during your travels you will find out some more interesting facts and details. Please write to us and share your impressions! Our mail is radio_belarus@tvr.by. Helen Bells was in the studio for you. Listen to Radio "Belarus" International to relax and to be inspired!