Minsk region, Zaslavl: attractions, interesting facts and reviews

Zaslavl, whose sights we will consider, today is one of the most visited cities in Belarus. Tourists go here for knight tournaments, medieval festivals, ethnographic festivals, which are held in this city. In addition, Zaslavl (Minsk region) offers its guests a lot of monuments of architecture, history and archeology. Touching them, as if immersed in the distant past.

The hillfort "Zamechek"

Considering the sights of Zaslavl, one can not help mentioning the ancient settlement "Zamechek" (in Belarusian it means "small castle"). It is located on the southwestern outskirts of Zaslavl, in the floodplain of the Chernitsa River, and is also located on a hill towering 24 meters above the floodplain (on its north-eastern slope and on the summit). The settlement was built in the last decade of the 10th century. It has a practically circular inner platform, the diameter of which is 70-74 m. The ring earthen shaft has 3 m in height and 13 m in width. Once the inclined palisade strengthened its external slopes, and the top was protected by a wooden log-house defensive wall. A ditch of 3.5 m deep and 11 m wide passed around the shaft. It was not filled with water.

The fact that there are no other fortifications in Zaslavl dating back to the 10th century allows us to consider Zamechek as the remains of the ancient city-fortress of Izyaslavl. According to chronicles, the founder of it is Prince Vladimir. He built this fortress for Izyaslav and Rogneda. These historical characters are a kind of sights of Belarus. Zaslavl is a city connected with the history of their life, so locals can tell you a lot of interesting things about them.

Memorial sign

In 1992, a memorial sign appeared in the settlement, in the form of a cross on a round pedestal (pictured above). It was installed in honor of the millennium of Christianity. In 992 the first diocese was founded in Belarus - Polotsk. The dramatic events preceded this: the "bloody wedding" of Vladimir and Rogneda, the forcible transfer to Kiev, the attempted assassination of Prince Vladimir, the reference of Rogneda and his son Izyaslav to the "step-father" ...

After the baptism, held in 988, the Polish throne was occupied by Izyaslav. Rogneda took tonsure. She stayed in Izyaslavl under the name of Anastasia, built a monastery here. In 1000, she died and was buried near the walls of this monastery.

Monument to Rogneda and Izyaslav

In ancient Russian annals, their names are often found. Full of drama, the fate of Rogneda and Izyaslav has long troubled the imagination of not only historians, but also poets, artists and writers. A lot of works of art and literature were devoted to Izyaslav and Rogneda. About them in the people there were many legends and legends. The monument to Rogneda and Izyaslav was opened in 1993 at the House of Culture. It was created by the architect I. Morozov and A. Artemovich.

What else can Belarus offer tourists (Zaslavl)? For sure you will be interested in the next attraction, because tourists leave about her the most positive reviews.

Zaslav Castle

A lot of historical monuments are stored in the Minsk region. Zaslavl, whose sights we are considering, will surely appeal to lovers of antiquity. It is here that Zaslavsky Castle is located.

Vladimir founded Izyaslavl not from scratch. The city was erected a kilometer from the local settlement, serving as an administrative point for collecting tribute and administering the district. Later, after Zamechka's extinction, it became the historical center of Izyaslavl. Magnates Glebovichi in the 16th-17th centuries. Built a bastion castle on the site of fortifications, built since the end of the 11th century. Shafts, whose height is 8-9.5 m, are irregular in shape, having sides 60, 90, 166 and 188 m. At its corners there were earthen bastions. Only on the lift bridge it was possible to get inside. The waters of an artificial lake surrounded the castle. They appeared as a result of the construction of dams on the Knyaginka and Svisloch rivers.

The ruins of the castle brama

On the south side, the entrance to the castle was arranged. For this, a brick was built. This is the name of a two-storeyed building whose walls are more than a meter thick, and the size of the bramble is 25x2.5 m. On the north side, too, there was a similar structure, but of a smaller size. The builders dug a ditch in front of the southern wall. The waters of the Svisloch River, raised by dams, formed an artificial lake. It surrounded the castle with a ring, making it an island.

The lifting bridge connected it with the city. Inside the fortress was the residence of the city's owners. During the 13-year war with Russia, which lasted from 1654 to 1667, castle structures were destroyed. In our time, only the southern brahma has been preserved (in ruins).

Transfiguration Church

Previously, it had a different name - the Calvinist temple. It was built in the late 16th - early 17th century. This is a rectangular building with a high gable roof. The Transfiguration Church is an important example of the Renaissance architecture. To the temple from the west adjoins the 35-meter tower-belfry.

In Soviet times, there was a historical museum in the Transfiguration Church. In the 1990's. It was significantly damaged by the fire, so it had to be restored for a long time. Currently, the Church of the Transfiguration of the Holy Transfiguration again welcomes parishioners.

A lot of interesting places are offered to tourists by the Republic of Belarus. Zaslavl is an excellent choice for history lovers. There are many ancient buildings preserved here, many of which we have already told. Lovers of history will certainly be interested in the next attraction.

Market Square

In the 11th-12th centuries, at the intersection of three roads (Minsk, Rakov and Logoisk), a triangular area appeared. In the 20-30s of the 17th century its formation was completed. At this time, Mikolai Glebovich was the owner of Zaslavl. He built a church on the southern edge of the square, which acquired the greatest importance in the late 17th and 18th centuries, when Zaslavl was the center of the county. The owner of the city Antony Przeszecky received a letter of commendation for the holding of daily bazaars and four fairs annually. They passed at the Market Square. In 1985, towards the millennium of Zaslavl, a memorable stone appeared in the city with a message to the descendants.

Children's Museum of Mythology and Forest

Do you plan to visit with children Zaslavl? Attractions that you will find here, for sure, will interest the young guests. One of the places that is definitely worth a visit is the Children's Museum of Mythology and Forest. Reviews about him the most positive.

Volkolak and the forest man, the cucumber and the batch file, the kaduk, gaevok and many other unknown inhabitants, who, according to the ancestors' beliefs, lived in the forests, can be found in this museum, the only one of its kind in Belarus. The exposition, placed here, begins with a number of mythical images, which are embodied in the vytynankah, made by Elizaveta Chervontseva. Then visitors are transferred to the mythical forest. It is filled with enchanting, mysterious sounds. Here live forest spirits, and next to them are ordinary beasts and birds - forest dwellers. The excursions of the museum have a soundtrack, and also the color illumination is used.

Museum "The Forge"

Worthy of attention are other attractions of Zaslavl that you can visit with children. Among them - the museum "The Forge". It is known that neither the city nor the place, nor the village could do without a blacksmith. A modern tourist can immerse himself in the world of this craft by going to the museum. Forge, whose age is more than 80 years, was brought here from Volozhin region. Guests of the city note that it is difficult to resist the temptation to participate in the fascinating forging process, which you can observe (and join) in this museum.

DOT Museum

Not only medieval buildings attract tourists Zaslavl (Belarus). Its sights cover even later periods of history. If you are interested in the 20th century, visit the DOT museum. This interesting tourist site appeared in July 2004. The abbreviation DOT stands for "long-term fire point". In the 30s of the last century, many similar structures were erected along the Soviet-Polish border.

In the three-pan level, which was designed for 12 servicemen, the present situation was recreated: one hand and three heavy machine guns with ammunition, communications, a filter-ventilation system, a periscope to monitor the enemy. And at the embrasure today Red Army men (of course, not real, but in the form of mannequins) carry their services.

And these are only the main interesting objects that Zaslavl offers to tourists. Its sights are known not only in Belarus, but also far beyond its borders.