What interesting things can you see in one of the largest cities in Belarus? What do we know about Gomel castle? And what famous landmark stands in its place? Our article will tell about all this.
Sights of the Gomel region
The region is located in the southeastern part of the republic and faces the state border with Ukraine and Russia. This is the most favorable region for farming in Belarus - with mild winters and fairly warm summers. Typical landscapes of the Gomel region are endless beet and corn fields. Here, even grapes are grown here.
The region is attractive in recreational and tourist terms. So, here you can perfectly relax in the pine forests of Polesie, on the picturesque banks of Sozh, the Dnieper or Pripyat. In addition, the region has at least a dozen ancient cities (Mozyr, Zhlobin, Dobrush, Yelsk, Narovlya and others).
What is remarkable can a tourist see in the Gomel region? Castles and palaces, ancient settlements, monasteries and dilapidated estates - this is not a complete list of interesting objects of this region. In total, there are 140 architectural, 1040 archaeological and 1360 historical and cultural monuments within the region.
10 most famous sights of the Gomel region:
- Peter and Paul Cathedral in Gomel.
- Palace of the Kozel-Poklevsky.
- Gomel Castle (Rumyantsev-Paskevich Palace).
- Tomb of the Paskevichs.
- Pripyat National Park.
- Castle Hill in Mozyr.
- Egg Museum in Zalesye.
- Granite quarry in Glushkovichi.
- Transfiguration Church in Chechersk.
- Manor of Khalecki.
Gomel Castle (Gomel): the history of the monument
Gomel is one of the ancient cities of Belarus. It was founded in the middle of the XII century. A European medieval city simply could not exist without a powerful and reliable defensive fortification. Gomel Castle was located on the high right bank of Sozh. Initially, there was a detinet surrounded by a picket fence and an earthen rampart. There was a secret underground passage in the castle, connecting the fortification with the river. He allowed to replenish water reserves, withstanding the longest enemy sieges.
When the city became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the castle took an important place in the defense of the southeastern borders of this power. Due to its difficult geographical position, he took part in almost all border military conflicts. The fortification withstood the powerful attacks of the Cossack army of Bohdan Khmelnitsky, but could not resist the armada of Ivan the Terrible.
In 1730, the Gomel Castle underwent significant changes. The drawbridge was strengthened, earthen moats deepened, and tall towers with loopholes grew on the walls. Nobody knows exactly what the castle looked like. Only this primitive drawing found on one of the maps of the 16th century has survived to our days:
As a result of the division of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth at the end of the 18th century, the entire Gomel region became part of the Russian Empire. The castle lost its military significance and was soon demolished. On its foundation, a magnificent palace "survived", preserved to this day.
Rumyantsev-Paskevich Palace
Gomel Palace and Park Ensemble, without a doubt, is the main attraction of the entire Gomel region. In addition to the palace (an architectural monument of the 18th-19th centuries), it includes the most beautiful Peter and Paul Cathedral, the Paskevich tomb and the city park.
The palace itself was built in ten years (1785-1794) by order of Count Peter Rumyantsev. Among the authors of the project, Yuri Felten is a student of the famous architect Rastrelli. The appearance of the building is decorated in the style of early classicism (or the so-called palladianism). This is a two-story square building, decorated with a belvedere dome, four- and six-columned porticos, pilasters and elegant sculptures on the ledges.
In 1834, the Gomel Palace became the property of the famous prince and commander Ivan Paskevich. At the direction of the new owner, a beautiful park was set up around the palace. At the same time, a 32-meter tower with a miniature balcony and clockwork โgrewโ on the site of the south wing of the residence.
Useful information for tourists
Itโs easy to find the main attraction of Gomel. The palace is located in the heart of the city, on the banks of the Sozh River. Lenin Avenue leads to it from the main railway station. You can overcome this distance of one and a half kilometers on foot. Getting to the palace by public transport will also not be a problem. Near it many buses (No. 1, 4, 11, 12, 30) and trolley buses (No. No. 1, 5, 7, 10, 15, 16, 22) stop. The nearest stop is โLenin Squareโ.
Those who travel by car will benefit from the exact GPS coordinates of the Gomel Palace: 52.422133.31.016917.
Entrance to the Rumyantsev-Paskevich palace is paid. The price of a single ticket for individual visitors is 7 Belarusian rubles (about 200 Russian rubles). This price includes visiting permanent and temporary exhibitions of the palace, the Winter Garden, the observation tower and the palace grotto.