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4. Pinsk: Capital of the Belarusian Polesye

Pinsk: Capital of the Belarusian Polesye

 Welcome to Pinsk!

This beautiful and ancient city is situated 172 kilometers from Brest. Its history has always been associated with water. According to the legend, it was in Pinsk that stone crosses floated along the river under the walls of the city and did not sink. This divine phenomenon inspired residents to adopt Christianity. Pinschina is figuratively called “Polesye Venice”: at one time there were more rivers than roads. Moreover, full-flowing rivers spilled heavily, and the only option for transportation was boats.

The city attracts tourists by the fact that in terms of the number of remaining architectural sights it is the second only to Grodno. The chamber atmosphere and color solutions of the building facades contribute to a wonderful walking tour of the city center. The city has 14 churches, including Russian Orthodoc church of St. Svyatoslav and of Our Lady, a beautiful Butrimovich Palace. The romantic mood will be enhanced by a trip on the “Pinsk” motor ship to the hits of the 2000s. A trip can be undertaken daily, except Monday.

It is a good idea to start the acquaintance with the city with a sightseeing tour of Pinsk 

Pinsk signseing includes:

Burtimovich's Palace 

Mateusz Butrimovich was a prominent political figure. It was he who initiated the construction. The construction of the palace began on September 9, 1784 and lasted 10 years. The architecture of the building presents the tandem of baroque and classicism and consists of three buildings. Once there were more than 10 gala halls in the main building! The palace, which was not so pompous outside, impressed with luxury of its interior. In the side buildings there were living quarters, where important persons of that time were accommodated. After the death of Butrimovich, the palace passed into the possession of his daughter and later granddaughter. The girl was the wife of Aleksandr Skyrmunt. The Skyrmunt dynasty kept family values in the walls of the palace. An impressive collection of various art objects burned down in a fire in 1901, and the remnants were stolen.

Collegium of Jesuits

The collegium is made in the style of the Renaissance and Baroque. This Magnificence was built in the middle of the 17th century. An impressive building adorns the main square of the city. Walls more than two meters high, underground passages, cellars - all this once belonged to the Jesuit Order. Under the rule of time, repression, wars, only the facade of the buildingthe  has retained the original appearance. Inside, the Jesuit Collegium has long lost its true appearance. During World War II, the building was badly damaged. The presence of a large area convenient for the location of several organizations in it saved the collegium from demolition. It was restored and in 1953 assigned the status of a monument of history and culture of Republican significance. And after the restoration, which took place in 1996, the building became the home of the Museum of the Belarusian Polesie.

Bernardine monastery and Cathedral of St. Barbara

The great hetman of Lithuania, Prince Mikhail Vishnevetskiy, founded the Catholic priests Bernardine monastery in Pinsk. It was in 1705. The church lasted until 1831. Then, by order of the local authorities, they converted it into an Orthodox church. After the reconstruction, the roof of the temple was decorated with a dome of the bulbous type. Only the surviving figured pediment recalls its past appearance. It emphasizes the main facade of the building, divided into three parts by the pilasters of a large order. Nowadays, the church belongs to the parish of St. Barbara's Church. The walls have preserved the paintings of the times of early classicism. Orthodox Christians come here to bow their heads before the shrine - the icon of the Mother of God Hodegetria of Jerusalem. And of course, to ask for help or thank the Holy Great Martyr Barbara, whose relics rest in the temple.

Catholic church of St. Charles Baromey

It is impossible to walk past this whitish building with a red tiled roof. Simple, concise lines and strict, clear forms of this building have been decorating Pinsk for 200 years. In 1695, secular priests arrived in the city directly from Italy. They laucnched their social activities into the city, started  teaching hildren. In Pinsk, the  priests opened a seminary in a simple wooden house. Things were going uphill, and already in 1770 it was decided to begin the construction of the temple. Construction lasted  for 12 years.  In 1782, the church received the first parishioners. Then it was consecrated, in honor of St. Karl Baromey. After the war, the building remained abandoned. Local authorities decided on the reconstruction of the church. Here the computer organ of the Allon Company is installed. Since then, the church plays the role of a concert hall.

Pinsk Synagogue

The Pinsk Synagogue (12, Irkutsk-Pinsk Division St.) is located in the building of the house of the former prayer house of the Rabbis Perlov. At the beginning of the 20th century, a wooden building burned down, after which it was rebuilt from brick. In March 1941, it was in Pinsk that an illegal congress of the rabbis of Western Belarus and Western Ukraine took place. During the war, the Pinsk synagogue was closed, during the Soviet era, whatever was located here, and as a result, the house of worship was completely turned into a residential one. In 1993, the synagogue was returned to the Pinsk Jewish community. Golda Meir, the greatest female politician and fourth prime minister of Israel, is said to have been a frequent visitor to the Pinsk synagogue.

 Pinsk water excursion

In good weather, you can get to know the main sights of Pinsk by taking a boat trip on the passenger ship “Pinsk”. Cruising on the Pina River, from its deck one can have an amazing view of the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Franciscan monastery and the bell tower - an architectural monument of the XVI-XVIII centuries. Also during the 40-minute voyage you can see the river station, the Jesuit College. Capacity of the ship is 150 tourists. There is a buffet and a lot of benches with tables, so that while contemplating ancient architectural structures, you can have a snack, chat with other passengers and enjoy beautiful landscapes.
 
 

 Excursion: Ecological Path “Bludnoye”

Distance from Pinsk – 13 kilometers;
Length of the route is 1 kilometer

The path is located on the territory of the Landscape Reserve of republican significance "Middle Pripyat" of the Pinsk district and passes along the “Bludnoye” lake. There are open lowland marshes, floodplain meadows, floodplain lakes systems remaining in their natural state. Within the reserve, 190 species of birds are recorded, of which 63 species are listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Belarus, 12 species of birds, among which the corncrake, goose squirrel, are on the verge of extinction. Lake “Bludnoye” enters the system of floodplain lakes of the Pripyat River. The lake got its name because of the property to constantly change its form. The most remarkable bird which can be watched on the lake is the great white egret. The floodplain of Pripyat is of international importance for the protection of 12 species of birds, including komyshevka and the great spotted eagle. The floodplain is of international importance for birds during the spring migration period. 50 thousand geese, 20 thousand sviyazi individuals, 100 thousand turukhtans migrate through the territory of the reserve. Elk, wild boar, roe deer a hare, beaver are to be found.

Visit to the village of Kudrichi:

Today, it is difficult to surprise tourists with an open-air museum, but Kudrichi is something special. Authentic village of Polesye is located in the reserve "Middle Pripyat". The place keeps old huts with large wooden chests, icons and embroidered towels. In addition, any tourist will be interested in original “charmed” roofs, old wickers, logs of fancy shapes and “gull” boats. The boats until the 1990s served as the main mode of transport, for which the locals with tenderness called the village “Polesye Venice”.

Museums:

State Institution "Museum of the Belarusian Poles'ye" 

The State Institution "Museum of the Belarusian Poles'ye" is located in the building of the former Jesuit Collegium (1631-1675). The Museum of Belarusian Poles'ye is one of the oldest museums in the Republic of Belarus. Open to visitors on July 1, 1926. The zone of its activity has been the Pinsk and the Ukrainian Poles'ye. The nature department aquants a visitor with a large collection of stuffed birds and animals inhabiting swamps and forests of the Poles'ye . Among unique exhibits is a sarcophagus of the 12th century, a collection of cold weapons, documents and books (among them the "Statute of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania published in Vilnius in 1694).

Telephone +375 165 31 60 11,
Website:http://pinsk.museum.by/

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