Discover literature, history and nature in Stowbtsy District

History and an outing at Great Principality of Sula Park

Great Principality of Sula Park is an interactive park on the banks of the Sula River, devoted to medieval history. Visitors can take a guided excursion around the grounds by horse-drawn railway. The grounds are pedestrian-only, which you can take into account when planning your day. The park bakery also offers the chance to taste fresh bread. The combination of a historical theme, a guided route and bread from the park bakery gives this destination several specific points of interest.

Literary memorial sites associated with Jakub Kolas

In Smolnya, a literary exhibition introduces Jakub Kolas’ childhood and youth, as well as his later life and literary career. The Smolnya branch of the State Literary and Memorial Museum of Jakub Kolas opened in 1967. The Smolnya estate also houses the poet’s letters to his fellow countrymen, photographs, documents and rare editions of his works. Smolnya thus focuses both on his life story and on personal and written records.

Another place associated with the family is the Akinchitsy memorial estate. Mikhail Mitskevich, Jakub Kolas’ father, lived there with his family from 1 April 1881 to 1 April 1883. The estate has been reconstructed with a forester’s lodge, a residential house, a barn, a well and other farm buildings. It displays replicas of objects belonging to the Mitskevich family, as well as peasant household items from the late 19th century. In Albuc, meanwhile, a literary and memorial exhibition is based on Jakub Kolas’ poem “New Land”; its exhibits include beekeeping and fishing equipment.

Estates, landscapes and stone landmarks

The Dzerzhinovo Museum Estate is situated in a forest in the Naliboksky Landscape Reserve, in the valley of the Usa River. The estate and its surrounding area, covering 80 hectares, have been a natural monument of republican significance since 1963. The restored two-storey residence houses an exhibition on the history of the Dzerzhinsky family, spread across six halls. Here, a forest and river landscape is paired with a specific family history.

The Lastok estate also combines architectural and natural features: its residence and barn have been preserved. The estate and its surroundings are a natural monument with deposits from the Paleo-Neman and Proto-Neman. Visitors interested in landforms will find a different focus here than in the literary exhibitions.

Novy Sverzhen is home to two churches with distinct construction dates: the Church of Saints Peter and Paul was built in 1588, and the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1590. Another historic church is St. Joseph’s in Rubezhevichi, built between 1906 and 1910. There, the “Memory in Stone” installation comprises 46 erratic boulders arranged around a stone cross. A private museum of Jewish everyday life also opened in Rubezhevichi on 20 February 2018.

Choose the right focus for your trip

The sites offer different themes for planning a trip: Smolnya, Akinchitsy and Albuc are associated with Jakub Kolas and literary memorials; Dzerzhinovo combines an exhibition on the Dzerzhinsky family with its location in a forest and river valley. Churches, estates and “Memory in Stone” offer their own historical highlights, while Great Principality of Sula Park features a guided excursion route and a medieval theme. If you are looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home, you can base your choice on which of these interests matters most for your trip, without combining the different destinations into a single excursion itinerary.

For more travel destinations, see Valozhyn District, Myadzyel District, Maladzechna District, Kletsk District, Dzyarzhynsk, Kapyl District, Smaliavichy District and Minsk Region.

For the broader travel overview: Minsk Region.