Grodno - regional center(328 thousand inhabitants) in the northwestern corner of Belarus, between Poland and Lithuania. And yet - the most beautiful city in his country. Known either since 1005, or since 1128, it was the center of the Gorodensky principality - one of the most isolated and Ancient Russia like Tmutarakan or Vyatka. Even its origin is unknown, which is associated with Pinsk, Volyn or Polotsk, but the principality was one of the most developed. In 1252 Grodno entered Lithuanian state, becoming the center of Black Russia and one of the main cities of Lithuania on a par with Trakai, Vilnius, Kaunas - for example, it was Vitovt who baptized Lithuania (1387) and defeated the Teutons near Grunwald (1410) was the Prince of Grodno. In the united Commonwealth, Grodno became the residence of Stefan Batory, and since 1679 the status of the "third capital" (although not the third largest and economic role city) became official: every third Seimas was held in Grodno, along with Warsaw and Vilnius. And it was in Grodno in 1793 that the last Sejm of the Commonwealth took place.

In Russia, Grodno retained the importance of the capital of the region, but the region itself became a backwater. For 200 years, Grodno has lost a lot - the suppression of the Polish-Lithuanian identity, two World Wars, church demolitions in the 1960s. But he kept even more: two castles, the most majestic church Western Russia and the most unusual old Russian church, Old city with narrow streets and "gorodnitsa Tyzengauz" - a real social city of the 18th century. The story about Grodno will consist of four parts: the Old Town, the bank of the Neman (castles and the ancient church), the town of Tizengauza and everything else. Let's start with a walk around the Old Town: although Grodno did not receive such luxurious architecture in the 19-20 centuries as Lviv, it retained the appearance of the Commonwealth of the 17-18 centuries much better.

The train station in Grodno is located outside the Old Town, from which it is separated by Gorodnitsa - but it would be illogical to start the story with the latter. The old city here is very small - you can walk from end to end in twenty minutes at a leisurely pace. Let's start the walk from the edge: this is Sovetskaya Street, and in the background you can see the regional committee on Lenin Square, which separates the Old Town and Gorodnitsa.

Sovetskaya is a local arbat, a pedestrian street with paving stones rare in Belarus. But in general, it’s a matter of winter, or it’s always like this here, but Sovetskaya gives the impression of a shopping and business street rather than an arbat:

And it leads straight to Soviet Square- main in the old town:

Although there is no exuberant Art Nouveau in Grodno, classicism is very worthy here. Moreover, it is not clear under what authority most of the buildings were built - the Commonwealth or Russian Empire. For example, in the lower frame on the right - the Sapieha Palace of the late 18th century, built on in the 1970s, and on the left - the building of the Dominican Monastery (1789).

Moreover, in this frame, on the left, there is also the building of the Dominican monastery (1735), rebuilt in 1836, over which the church hung until the 1960s:

And this is modernity. I don't know what this panel symbolizes, but it looks good. I would call this composition "Agrorenaissance" - this is how the modern Belarusian system is sometimes jokingly called. Please note - no chicken repeats the other:

End of the street. The house with a wide facade faces the Soviet Square:

And if you look to the right:

This is the church of Francis Xavier (1691-1743), former cathedral Jesuit monastery, and now the Grodno Cathedral. The height of its towers is about 60 meters. And such a cathedral should stand on the Market Square, as in Lviv ... but the square is really Soviet:

On the eve of the war, when the city belonged to Poland, the same place looked like this:

Actually, there was no square at all, but there was a whole urban area. And the Jesuit church seemed small and unsightly next to the huge Romanesque cathedral. This is the Church of the Virgin Mary, better known as Farah Vitovta - the first church in Belarus, founded in 1387 and built in stone under Stefan Batory, who was also buried here. Faro was rebuilt in the 19th century Saint Sophia Cathedral in the pseudo-Russian style, the Romanesque appearance (instead of the original Renaissance) she received in the interwar period, and was destroyed in 1961: in general, in Belarus, the peak " cultural revolution"came not in the 1930s, as everywhere else, but in the 1960s, and the scale of it here is shocking even against the background of other things: for example, in Vitebsk, the Annunciation Church of the 12th century was demolished at the same time.

For the main thing now - the church of Francis Xavier:

It seems to me that this is the most majestic church in all of Western Russia - even the Cathedral in Lviv seemed to me somewhat more modest. It can only compete with the Lvov Svyatoyur (who is also Greek Catholic) and the Nesvizh Church of the Body of God. And this also applies to the interior decoration - in the strict white hall there are 9 wooden altars of the early 18th century (one in the apse and one at each pillar), and everything is like a selection of masterpieces, as if there was a museum here and they were brought from all over the Commonwealth. But Belarusian Catholics have a much less loyal attitude to photography than Ukrainian Uniates: it is forbidden in local churches.

The former Jesuit monastery with a collegium (an analogue of the institute) is now occupied by a prison. And at the foot of the church in the frame above you can see the pharmacy of the 18th century - also part of the Jesuit quarter.

On the other side of the church is Batorievka. It looks like an ordinary provincial house, but in fact a palace of the 16th century, where King Stefan Batory died in 1586. The one that knocked out Ivan the Terrible in Livonia and went to Moscow, but failed to take Pskov. It was Batory who invited the Jesuits to the Commonwealth, who founded many colleges (Pinsk, Lvov, etc.) - this explains the scale of their monastery in Grodno.

View from the porch of the church - Christ points to the former Faro Vitovt. Its site is not built up, the foundation is hidden under the asphalt. Nearby is the Palace of Culture of Tekstilshchikov in a belated Stalinist style:

The DK itself is not so bad, especially from the back, and generally enlivens the crumbling landscape:

And in general, Sovetskaya Square is such a Grodno New Arbat. At the far end, it goes to the banks of the Neman, where the Bernardine Monastery and the unique (albeit Brezhnev) Drama Theater stand - but we will get there next time. The square divides Old Grodno into two parts. If you stand facing the Neman, on the left is a large one, and on the right is a smaller one. Therefore, first we will examine the second one, behind the "apse" of the Palace of Culture.

A small area adjacent to the Grodno castles is noticeably different from most of the Old Town. There are wider streets here, many "Stalinka" turn out to be palaces of the 18th century, and the fire tower dominates the landscape:

The fire station stands right next to two castles - in this frame they are behind me:

Across the street from the New Castle is the former Basilian Monastery:

Basilians are Uniate monks. In Ukraine, they are usually called Basilians - just a different transcription. The monastery was founded in 1633 at the Prechistenskaya church of the 12th century - one of the 5 stone buildings from the time of the Gorodensky principality, and 14 years later the church was destroyed by fire. In our time, the priests would be blamed for everything and sawed many, many zloty on re-creation, but in those days life was simpler: in 1720-65, a new Church of the Nativity of the Virgin was built. Outsiders are allowed into the territory of the monastery only for services, so I didn’t get there.

And on the square behind the Palace of Culture Tekstilshchikov, such a street begins:

The memorial plaque is in memory of the victims of the Grodno ghetto, where about 20 thousand Jews died during the war. The Jewish quarter was near the castles, and right behind the fire station is the Choral Synagogue of the early 20th century:

Perhaps the most striking example of a non-medieval synagogue in Belarus.

The synagogue is considered to be active, inside, but from the outside the building looks abandoned:

Behind the synagogue there is a deep ravine, and in the park behind the ravine is the 12th century Borisoglebskaya church - we will get there in the next part.
In the meantime, let's return to Sovetskaya Square and explore the other side of the Old City:

Karl Marx Street, starting at the foot of the church, leads straight to the bus station. The landscape of Old Grodno is very recognizable:

correct two-story houses along narrow straight streets. As in Vyborg, the combination of "Russian provincial" with "European". But given the similarity of classicism with the Renaissance, here you can imagine what the cities of the late Commonwealth looked like.

And in this Grodno has a clear advantage over Lviv, whose appearance is determined by the architecture of Austria-Hungary. And compared to Kamenets-Podolsky, where there are also a lot of such corners, Old Grodno is almost not littered with remakes.

In the yards, here and there are such houses:

And the wrong side of Grodno is basically not very colorful and differs little from the wrong side of the provincial city of an average hand:

At the far end of Karl Marx Street is the Brigitte Monastery:

One of the most beautiful in Belarus, the monastery is an integral ensemble of the middle of the 17th century with a cathedral, residential buildings, and a decorative fence.

The monastery was founded in 1635 by marshal (chairman of the nobility) Veselovsky in memory of dead daughter, which is reminiscent of the floral ornaments of the Church of the Annunciation (1641-52):

I still don't understand if the monastery is still active. Most of its territory is closed to outsiders, but you can go into the L-shaped courtyard near the cathedral and see the most beautiful carved portals:

Back view of the cathedral. Behind me is a ravine with a railway - the border of the historical center.

And in this monastery there is a wooden lamus. Lamus is not a purpose, but a form: a two-story house with a loggia on the second floor and a gallery on the first. In most sources, the construction time of the monastery lyamus is indicated as the 17th century - and this is very serious, in Russia there are only a few wooden buildings (not churches) of this age. However, the "Globus of Belarus" writes that most likely the current building was built in the 18th century.

The lyamus of the Brigitte Monastery is an enchanted building, in almost every photo report from Grodno there is the phrase "Inside the monastery there is interesting structure lyamus, but I forgot to go to the monastery". In general, "forgetting to see the lyamus in the Brigitte monastery" - apparently obligatory part visiting Grodno, so I could not see him. It is difficult to find it - you have to go along the wall behind the apse of the cathedral into the courtyard, and from the courtyard there is an entrance to the monastery backyards. There was a sign "Construction site, no entry to outsiders", but I did not listen to it, and having gone a few meters deeper, I took a picture from the entrance - when looking at these beams, "17th century" seems more plausible:

This is where we will finish our walk through the Old Town, which actually consists of just a few blocks:

In the next part, we will walk along the banks of the Neman, in the area of ​​​​the former citadel.

Black Russia-2010
. Trip review.
. Heart of Black Russia.
Grodno.
Old city.
Along the Neman.
City of Tizengauza.
Miscellaneous.
Castles of the Radziwills.
World.
Nesvizh.
Cities and villages.
Lida. After Dozhinok.
Ivye. The capital of the Lithuanian Tatars.
Slonim. Belarus is a reference.
Synkovichi. Church-fortress.
Zhirovichi. Orthodox center Belarus.
Baranovichi. City.
Baranovichi. Railway Museum.

It was from Grodno that our full-fledged one began. It was no longer necessary to get up before dawn, and spend the whole daylight on the road, admiring the open spaces from the car window.
Grodno has the status of a city-monument of architecture and urban planning. One of the oldest and most beautiful cities in Belarus with an amazing history, elegant and cozy in its own way. I have fond memories of him.
We entered the city at 19:00. The weather was not good. A dank cold June evening with rain was more like autumn. The employees of Evrouuit, the company I wrote about in , responsibly, professionally and kindly, in a matter of minutes completed the documents, gave out the keys to the apartments, and at 19.20 we were already located in a beautiful, comfortable apartment.
We spent the evening in a restaurant, enjoying the magical cuisine of Belarusian chefs. Returning after dinner to our place of residence, we noticed that after 10 p.m. life in the city stops. Street lighting dims and does not encourage evening walks to explore the city.
In the morning the sky did not promise dry and warm weather, but what to do, we came here to see the city, so we were on our way through the puddles.

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Lenin Square with a mandatory monument to the leader and the building of the city executive committee.

Zero kilometer Grodno. To Moscow - 986 km.

Parking machines are accessible and understandable, with a choice of five languages.

In rainy weather, we found our charm - the city seemed to have washed itself, the freshness of green foliage and the purity of the air cheered us up.

Not far from the square, the landscape park named after Zhiliber, one of the most favorite places for recreation of Grodno residents, adorns the city. The park is picturesque and ennobled, located on the banks of the Gorodnichanka River. For the similarity of landscapes, it is also called the “Swiss Valley”.

Street named after the Polish writer Eliza Orzeszko, where the house-museum dedicated to her literary work is located.

We pass by the Mariinsky Women's Gymnasium, built in the neoclassical style.

Cathedral of the Holy Intercession Cathedral with a lace facade and very interesting unusual frescoes inside. The temple was opened since 1905 in memory of fallen soldiers. It impresses with its beauty and interior decoration. Nearby stands a bronze monument to the Mother of God, holding a cover in her hands.

Across the road is the Lutheran Church, built in 1779 for German fabricators, a large beautiful building in gray and white. Beautiful and mysterious building in neo-gothic style.

Central streets with located administrative buildings, offices and trade and office centers.

Panel "Science".

Registry office with a statue of Cupid.

Chugunachny (railway) station.

The rain did not think to end, at times intensifying so much that it forced us to hide under the roofs or run into unplanned shops where we got acquainted with the assortment of products while waiting out the downpour. These photos have become casual witnesses of the city's freshness and well-groomedness, at a time when we were hiding under awnings from the rain.

We still got our feet wet, ran to the apartment to change our shoes and decided to continue our acquaintance with the city by car. But Grodno is not the city that is looked out of the car window in the pouring rain, so it was decided correct solution have lunch. The place was chosen in advance, in the suburbs of Grodno, in agro-tourist complex "Garadzenski mayentak". I will write about the complex and the restaurant next time, it's worth a separate story. After lunch, we saw how the clouds run away into the distance, giving way to the sun and blue sky.

Now Grodno has opened up to us clean, beautiful city with its face and history.

Sovetskaya Street - the main pedestrian street of the city, paved with tiles, in some places with paving stones, with restored low buildings of the late 19th century, looks quite European.

The city has many palaces, houses of famous merchants, churches, churches, monasteries, architectural monuments different eras and styles. We walked the streets and just enjoyed the city, spontaneously discovering historical and architectural gems of sights. I hope to get to know them better next time.
Beautiful brick house of the merchant Muravyov - Art Nouveau style.

Nearby you can see the building of another era - the monumental Palace of Culture of Textile Workers.

The picturesque Church of the Finding of the Holy Cross rises on Bernardine Hill. It intertwined three styles: Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque. A bewitching view from the river at sunset, such a sunny backlight against the blue sky.

Decoration main square city ​​- the majestic complex of the Jesuit monastery with the church of St. Francis Xavier (Farny) in the Baroque and Rococo style, with a solemn and opulent interior. An organ plays at the evening service. One of the towers is decorated with the oldest operating in Europe pendulum clock They are much older than the church itself. The clockwork belongs to XII - XIV century. The main altar is 21 meters high - unique statues, carvings. It looks like marble but is made of wood.
The consecration of the church was attended by King of the Commonwealth Augustus II and Russian tsar Peter I. At the time Soviet power When there was a struggle with religion, they wanted to demolish the church. Residents of the city were on duty around the clock, praying, replacing each other, and defended their shrine.

Ancient landmark - Kolozha Church of St. Boris and Gleb of ancient Russian architecture of the XII century. never rearranged. True, we could not approach it and looked from the direction of the Neman, and there the integrity of the church was preserved least of all. In the Middle Ages, as a result of a landslide, its vaults collapsed into the river, and on this side it was reinforced with a wooden wall.

The Old Castle is located on the right high bank of the Neman, on the Castle Hill. Until now, only the foundation and parts of the walls have been preserved. At the entrance to the museums, a wooden sculpture meets Lithuanian prince Vytautas, under which the Old Castle was rebuilt into stone after a fire in the 14th century.

Adjacent to the Old Castle new castle, which was built as a summer residence of the Polish kings. The facade and courtyard are quite modest. During the war, the building burned down, then rebuilt and restored. Now outwardly the castle looks more like the House of Soviets. During the war, the castle was destroyed and rebuilt only in 1952. We did not have time to get inside, the working day of the historical and archaeological museum was over.

The old castle is connected with the city by a stone arched bridge - the most old bridge in Belarus.

Between the castles, a staircase descends down to the river, which is one of the most romantic places in the town. It's called the "Ladder of Love". As the castle guard told us, lovers come here. This staircase has heard thousands of declarations of love. Newlyweds, according to tradition, are sure to come here. The groom must carry the bride in his arms up the stairs - in this case, the marriage will be strong. There is also a legend that promises those who go down and up this ladder 100 times happiness in love!

The old bridge across the Neman has survived many fires, explosions, a warrior. Last time it was rebuilt after the Great Patriotic War. From this historical place beautiful views of the castles, the river, the embankment.

Near the castles there is another outstanding building of the early 20th century - Fire Tower. The height of the tower is 32 meters. After a fire in Grodno, in which more than 600 houses burned down, it was decided to build the highest fire tower, from where the whole city could be viewed to see even the most small fire. The tower currently houses the Museum of Fire Development.

On the façade of the depot there is a fresco depicting the evolution of the uniform of firefighters. Look closely at the face of the girl .... Who does she remind you of?

I would like to return, to be there with my thoughts, to plunge into that atmosphere. We didn’t have time to see the doctor’s house, the old pharmacy, the Ozhezhko museum, the Kasya and Basya water towers, the Lyamus – a house without nails, the Kolozha Church, the quarry chalk lakes Sinka and Zelenka.
There are a lot of interesting things in Grodno, because mentions of it in the annals have been going on since 1128. During its history, the city managed to be part of Kyiv principality, Lithuanian, Commonwealth, Russian Empire, Republic of Belarus. The spirit of the city is striking, its atmosphere, which neither time, nor wars, nor people have destroyed. Grodno, of course, is not a metropolis with scope and splendor. But he is sweet because there is in him a certain provinciality, tenderness, fragility, grooming. It's nice to be here.
An unequivocal conclusion: it’s quite worth it to come here for a few days - there is something to see and where to walk. Come and you. The city will reveal many interesting secrets, and in return it will take a piece of your soul.
I'm sure you will love him.

It is not without reason that Grodno is called the "Royal City on the Neman" - it still retains a special, medieval-fabulous atmosphere: royal castles, ancient churches and temples, tidy streets with wrought-iron lanterns and low houses.

Grodno is the record holder for the very best: it is the most European city in Belarus, with the oldest theater and zoo, the most old church and the synagogue of the country. Even the ancient clock on the tower of the Farny Church is considered the oldest in Europe.

Unlike most other Belarusian cities, our hero managed to fully preserve his appearance During the Second World War. And, although such wonderful historical monuments as St. Sophia Cathedral and the old Bernardine convent were destroyed under Soviet rule, many others remained here. interesting places for the sake of which a stream of tourists flocks to the city at any time of the year.

Architectural monuments

They begin their acquaintance with the famous pedestrian Sovetskaya Street, which can be safely called a museum under open sky- so many architectural monuments are concentrated on it. It's nice to walk along a neat road paved with paving slabs and look at colorful two-story houses built in the 15th-17th centuries.

In many buildings there are cozy cafes and restaurants where you can have a tasty snack or drink invigorating coffee, as well as souvenir shops and prestigious boutiques. AT holidays and weekends on Sovetskaya Street, artisans open trade and street musicians arrange performances.

Sovetskaya street leads to the square with the same name, where the pharmacy-museum, built in 1709, is located. The museum has accumulated more than 1,500 exhibits from different eras, starting from the 18th century, including fragments of an herbal laboratory and a prescription hall. Entrance to the museum is free.

A walk through the historical district of Gorodnitsa, which was built up in the second half of the 18th century according to the plan of the local headman Anthony Tyzengauz, will also be fascinating. On both sides of Ozheshko Street there are interesting buildings in different styles:

• Tyzengauz Palace;
• Lutheran Church of St. John;
• House of officers;
• Museum of Maxim Bogdanovich;
• pastor's house;
• manor "Stanislavovo";
• city ​​house of culture;
• vice administrator's house and warehouse;
• the building of a real school;
• 17th century lamus;
• medical school;
• School of Music;
• cadet school;
• "master's house"

Things to do

• Tripster - craft excursions from local residents.
• Sputnik and Weatlas - excursions from professional guides.

Photo: netpanda.ru

Church of St. Francis Xavier

One of the most beautiful Catholic churches Belarus - Farny Church. Built in the 17th and 18th centuries. The church was part of a large complex of the Jesuit monastery, which occupied a whole block in the city center. Despite the fact that several centuries have passed since then, the cathedral has completely retained its majestic appearance and magnificent interior decoration with a carved altar made of wood, frescoes of the 18th century, gilded balustrades and supporting pillars with decorative columns of iconostases.

The clock on the tower deserves special attention: its mechanism was made back in the 15th century, and for six centuries now it has been working properly, showing time to the nearest second.

Photo: Elena Kuznetsova

Lutheran Church of St. John

Next to the cathedral there is a Lutheran church. Built at the end of the 18th century, the church was completely restored in 2013 and now adorns the city with its Gothic facade with stained glass windows. Currently, organ music concerts are regularly held in the Lutheran church.

Photo: Evgeny Gromov

Borisoglebskaya (Kolozhskaya) Church

On the steep bank of the Neman River is located historical monument- Kolozhskaya Church. This is the only building in the city that has survived from the pre-Mongol period (the church was built in the 12th century).

The Kolozha church is an example of ancient Russian stone architecture. Its walls are decorated with inserts of majolica tiles in the form of rhombuses and crosses. Feature of this ancient church- voices - ceramic pots embedded in the walls to improve acoustics.

Intercession Cathedral

With an elegant lace facade, it stands out among other religious objects. Cathedral Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos.

The cathedral is quite modern: it was erected at the beginning of the 20th century in the style of a similar cathedral in Peterhof. The Intercession Cathedral is not only beautiful, but also remarkable for the fact that it contains a large collection of icons dedicated to the oppression of Christians in Soviet times.

Photo by: Red-blue teerak (Vinsky forum)

Church of the Mother of God

The Catholic Church of the Mother of God, built in the 18th century in the Baroque style, is beautiful in its own way. Behind the graceful facade lies a rich interior decoration: gilding, stucco, carved balconies and slender columns. The interior of the church is made in pleasant golden-cream tones. The main shrine of the church is the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Angels.

Here's where else you can go:

• Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Brigitte Monastery (mid-17th century);
• female Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery (beginning of the 16th century) with a myrrh-streaming icon;
• Church of the Finding of the Holy Cross with the Bernardine monastery;
• Great Choral Synagogue, built in the 16th century in the Moorish style;
• Church and monastery of the Holy Spirit, combining Renaissance and Baroque styles;
• The Franciscan Monastery is an architectural monument of the 17th century with the oldest organ in Belarus.
• In the center of the city, a memorial sign was erected in honor of the ancient church of Far Vitovt, blown up in the 60s. There are rumors that an underground city was hiding under the church.

old lock

Business card city ​​- the Old Castle, built at the end of the 11th century to protect the city. The first fortifications were built of wood, but after numerous raids, they were repeatedly restored and rebuilt from stone. During the reign of the Polish King Stefan Batory, the castle was turned into a real palace in the Renaissance style.

The building of the Old Castle houses the Grodno Historical and Archaeological Museum. You can enter the castle grounds only through the medieval arch bridge thrown over a deep ditch. Do not be too lazy to look into the church of the 12th century and climb the fortress wall - it offers a delightful panorama of the city and the Neman River.

Photo: belarus.svobodno.su

new castle

The new castle was built much later than the Old one - in the middle of the 18th century. Initially, the castle was built in the Rococo style and was used as the summer residence of the Polish kings. But during the Second World War, the building was significantly destroyed, and it was restored only in 1952, moreover, this time in the style of Soviet neoclassicism.

For some time, the regional committee of the CPSU was located in the New Castle, and then its place was taken by regional library and a branch of the historical and archaeological museum. Nowadays, concerts are sometimes held on the lawn in front of the New Castle.

A large part of what is commonly called "old Grodno" has been preserved on a fairly large area, limited by the railway, Neman, Ozheshko streets, Sovetskaya and the square of the same name. "Old" here is, of course, a relative concept: most buildings refer to late XIX- the beginning of the XX century. There are several worthy examples of Art Nouveau here, a magnificent Catholic monastery, but these quarters are valuable, in my opinion, not so much as bright sights. The atmosphere, albeit not of the royal already, but only of the provincial Grodno, is easiest to feel just being among the usual "ordinary" buildings, dozens of seemingly unremarkable two-three-story houses that have come down to us.

Pictured above is Marx Street.

Uritsky street. In the distance you can see the flag on the building of the city executive committee.

Gorodnichanskaya. First mentioned in sources under 1560. Building of course much later.

Marx street again. On the right are the mansions of the Grodno diocesan curia, adjacent to the cathedral church.

Gateways are sometimes no less atmospheric.

I won’t be surprised if these houses in the courtyards of Uritsky Street will soon be gone. As part of the implementation of the city policy to get rid of Grodno "from sheds".

In the lower right corner, a dog puzzled by my actions.

And I just filmed the Uniate chapel, so unlike the place of worship.

Old door.

A whole block between Marx and Molodezhnaya streets is occupied by the Brigitte Monastery with the Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The monastery was founded in 1635 by the great Lithuanian marshal K. Veselovsky in memory of his dead daughter. The church was built in 1642, and thanks to the non-trivial color scheme and the original decorative sgraphite frieze, it certainly leaves a strong impression.

Decor details.

The monastery is surrounded by a high wall with several gates and corner octagonal towers. Residential buildings form a courtyard, in which there is a wooden lamus, as they say in the 17th century. Alas, I didn't make it this time.

Nearby are several interesting examples of civil architecture of the early 20th century.

House Kasovsky 1912 with a bay window on the corner of the street. Kirov and Vasilka.

The building of the former Peasant Land Bank on the street. Lenin. 1913, arch. B. Ostroumov. The star, of course, is post-war.

Vintage security plate. I have never seen such.

Opposite the bank, across the crossroads, is the sumptuous mansion of doctor Thalheim (1911). So these two wonderful examples of Art Nouveau look at each other surrounded by much more modest buildings.

Socialist. Descent to the regional executive committee.

A bit of modernity in the end. Geometric fantasy in the decor of the flight of stairs.

And this is the concern mental health trolley passengers.

previous series.

Just about, on September 17, the city-museum, the city of kings, the city with great story, a city filled with kind and hospitable people. Yes, yes, Grodno, this is about you. Happy birthday, beloved city!

The history of our city dates back to 1128. Behind long years existence, Grodno experienced a lot. He was a member of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Commonwealth, the Russian Empire and the USSR. To get to know Grodno better and plunge into its history, I suggest you virtual tour through the streets of our city.

We will start from a place where a wonderful view of the city opens. With the help of photographs from different times, you can see that the panorama of Grodno has not changed much. He was good at keeping appearance. But still, in the photo of the new time, some details are missing.

Let's go down and walk along the bridge. Here we can see an abandoned brewery. It was created in 1877 by an Austrian citizen Joseph Kunz. Prior to that, the Oginsky Palace was located here. Nine years ago, this building was still actively engaged in brewing. In 2007, the last batch of beer was released. Since then, the building has been empty.

Having explored the brewery, we go for a walk along the embankment. And inadvertently notice the "Ladder of Love". There is even a sign: a couple in love going down the stairs should count the steps, if at the end the number of both matches, then they will have a long and happy life.

Climbing the "Ladder of Love" we find ourselves on Zamkova Street.

After walking a little more, we find ourselves on Sovetskaya Square. Here we notice the majestically beautiful Farny Church. In the XVIII century it was a whole complex, which included: educational institutions, library, college, pharmacy and many other facilities. It was the richest complex in the entire Commonwealth.

If you turn around and take a few steps back, you can see the monument to Fare Vitovt. This temple is no longer with us, unfortunately. In 1389, by order of Vytautas, a wooden church was erected on this site. It existed until 1960, until the decision was made to blow up the structure. And yes, now there are rumors that there is an underground city under Fara Vitovt.

And now we are heading along Sovetskaya Street and notice one of the richest schools in the Russian Empire XVIII-XIX centuries. In 1835 it was transformed into a men's gymnasium. Now it's just an ordinary house.

Without departing far from the male gymnasium, we can meet the forgotten Grodno cinema by many. It now houses the Youth Center.

Having passed the alley of candy houses, we come to Lenin Square. The 9-story building of the regional executive committee immediately catches your eye. But few people know that these are two structures, simply attached to each other in 1980.

Near the regional executive committee, there was a karchma, terraces on the banks of the Gorodnichanka. But later it was all covered up, building Lenin Square.

To the left of the regional executive committee is oldest cinema city ​​- "Red Star". He is over 100 years old. The opening took place during the First World War, in August 1915. This cinema is different from all in the city: it was built according to a special project as a cinema building. Throughout its existence, the name has changed several times. The current one was assigned after the Second World War.

Near the cinema is the well-known Gilibert Park. On its territory, hidden from the eyes of the people, the former medical Academy. It was discovered by Anthony Tizengauz in 1775. This is the first higher educational institution on the territory of Belarus. The academy had a collection of 10,000 minerals, many unique herbariums, three hundred engravings with images of plants, a library of three thousand volumes and anatomical theater. A French scientist, J.E. Gilibert.

But already in 1781 the academy moved to Vilnius. Later, the building fell into the hands of the Chetvertinsky princes. AT Soviet time This is where the people's court was located.

Until 2014, the building housed military prosecutor's office. On the this moment The building is vacant and is looking for an investor.

The last station of our tour will be the beloved building, entwined with ivy. Now located here Grodno University named after Yanka Kupala, which was opened in 1978. Prior to that, in 1860, there was a female Mariana gymnasium here. Daughters of officials, nobles and clerics were educated there. After October revolution the building was closed. In 1940, a teacher's institute appeared here. After the war, it was transformed into a pedagogical one. Throughout its years, the building has always served educational purposes.

That's it, our tour has come to an end. I hope you learned something new and interesting for yourself.

“Are Grodno residents interested in the history of their city and how well do they know it?” To answer this question, we conducted a small survey.