Ostrovetskaya krugosvetka (Zalesye – Smorgon – Soly – Ostrovets – Gervyaty)

Schedule: every Thursday and Saturday.

9.00. Departure from Minsk.

Arrival in Zalesye.

Zalesye village is located near the Draya River, the dam on which in the second half of the 18th century created a huge beautiful pond with an island. From the pond began a beautiful park with a manor made of wood. The estate-palace of the Oginsky family in the village of Zalesye is an architectural monument of the era of classicism. This palace served as the family nest of Mikhail Kleofas Oginsky – a famous composer and public figure. The manor was a place of residence for the composer for two whole decades. During the time of Mikhail Kleofas Oginsky, Zalesie was called North Athens … Theatrical tour in the museum-estate of Oginsky.

In Smorgon, at the place where you will see the stone church of St. Archangel Michael, there was a wooden church, founded in 1503.  The written history of Smorgon begins from this exact date. Since 1947, the church was closed and used as a warehouse and store. After restoration in the 70s of the XX century, the exhibition hall was located in the monument. And, finally, in 1990, the former cathedral again became an active church, which is dedicated to the leader of the heavenly army. Thus, for more than 400 years, the building managed to serve both Calvinists, and Catholics, and Orthodox, and militant atheists.

Lunch.

In Soly village there is one of the most unusual and beautiful churches in Belarus – the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ruzantsova. The temple is asymmetrical in plan and graceful, built in the Art Nouveau style, inside painted with magnificent frescoes.

In the interiors of the church of Cosmas and Domian in Ostrovets valuable icons of the XVIII-XIX centuries are stored, which can be not only seen, but also touched. It was built at the end of the XVII century from clay on the site of an ancient church and monastery of the Dominicans.

The tour ends with a visit to the Trinity Church in Gervyaty – an architectural monument of the late XIX – early XX centuries. The church impresses with its grandeur, scale, external and internal decoration, originality and well-groomed surrounding area, among the juniper plants and lawns of which sculptures of the apostles are placed. Organ music concert (extra charge).

Departure from Gervyaty.

The cost includes:

• travel by bus;
• guide services on the route;
• entry tickets;
• lunch.

The cost doesn’t include:

• theatrical excursion to the Oginsky estate;
• concert of organ music in the church of Gervyat.