Zaslavl, the sights of which we will consider, today is one of the most visited cities in Belarus. Tourists come here for the sake of knightly tournaments, medieval festivals, ethnographic holidays that are held in this city. In addition, Zaslavl (Minsk region) offers its guests many monuments of architecture, history and archeology. Touching them, as if plunging into the distant past.
Ancient settlement "Zamechek"
Considering the sights of Zaslavl, one can not help but mention the castle "Zamechek" (in Belarusian, this word means "a small castle"). It is located on the southwestern outskirts of Zaslavl, in the floodplain of the Chernitsa River, and is also located on a hill rising 24 meters above the floodplain (on its northeastern slope and on top). The hillfort was built in the last decade of the 10th century. It has a practically circular inner platform, the diameter of which is 70-74 m. An annular earthen shaft is 3 m high and 13 m wide. Once the inclined palisade strengthened its outer slopes, and the top was protected by a wooden log-defensive wall. A moat 3.5 m deep and 11 m wide passed around the shaft. It was not filled with water.
The fact that there are no other fortifications in Zaslavl dating back to the 10th century allows Zamechek to be considered the remains of the ancient fortress city of Izyaslavl. According to chronicles, its founder is Prince Vladimir. He built this fortress for Izyaslav and Rogneda. These historical characters are some kind of sights of Belarus. Zaslavl is a city associated with the history of their life, so local residents can tell you a lot of interesting things about them.
Memorial sign
In 1992, a memorial sign in the form of a cross, located on a round pedestal (pictured above), appeared in the settlement. It was established in honor of the millennium of Christianity. In 992, the first diocese of Polotsk was created in Belarus. Dramatic events preceded this: the "bloody wedding" of Vladimir with Rogneda, her forcible transfer to Kiev, an attempt to assassinate Prince Vladimir, Rogneda’s exile with his son Izyaslav to the "fatherland" ...
After the baptism in 988, Izyaslav took the Polish throne. Rogneda took the tonsure. She stayed in Izyaslavl under the name of Anastasia, built a monastery here. In 1000, she died and was buried near the walls of this monastery.
Monument to Rogneda and Izyaslav
In ancient Russian chronicles their names are often found. The fate of Rogneda and Izyaslav, full of drama, has long excited the imagination of not only historians, but also poets, artists and writers. Many works of art and literature were dedicated to Izyaslav and Rogneda. A lot of legends and legends have developed about them. The monument to Rogneda and Izyaslav was unveiled in 1993 at the House of Culture. It was created by the architect I. Morozov and A. Artemovich.
What else can Belarus (Zaslavl) offer to tourists? Surely you will be interested in the following attraction, because tourists leave the most positive reviews about it.
Zaslavsky castle
Many historical monuments are kept by the Minsk region. Zaslavl, the sights of which we are considering, will surely appeal to lovers of antiquity. After all, it is here that Zaslavsky castle is located.
Vladimir founded Izyaslavl not from scratch. The city was built a kilometer from the local settlement, which served as the administrative center for collecting tribute and managing the district. Subsequently, after the extinction of Zamechok, he became the historical center of Izyaslavl. Magnates Glebovichi in the 16-17th centuries. erected a bastion castle on the site of fortifications, built since the end of the 11th century. The shafts, whose height is 8–9.5 m, are irregular in shape with sides of 60, 90, 166 and 188 m. At its corners were earthen bastions. Only the drawbridge could get inside. The waters of an artificial lake surrounded the castle. They appeared as a result of the construction of dams on the Knyaginka and Svisloch rivers.
Castle ruins
The entrance to the castle was arranged on the south side. For this, a brick gate was built. This is the name of a two-story building, the wall thickness of which is more than a meter, and the size of the gate is 25x2.5 m. On the north side there was also a similar structure, but of a smaller size. Builders dug a moat in front of the south bramah. The waters of the Svisloch River, raised by dams, formed an artificial lake. It surrounded the castle with a ring, making it an island.
A drawbridge connected it to the city. Inside the fortress was the residence of the city owners. During the 13-year war with Russia, which lasted from 1654 to 1667, castle structures were destroyed. In our time, only the southern brama has survived (in ruins).
Transfiguration Church
Previously, it had a different name - the Calvinist temple. It was built in the late 16th - early 17th century. This is a rectangular building with a high gable roof. The Transfiguration Church is a significant example of Renaissance architecture. The temple from the west adjoins the 35-meter tower-belfry.
In Soviet times, the Transfiguration Church housed a historical museum. In the 1990s it was significantly affected by the fire, so it had to be restored over time. Currently, the Transfiguration Church again accepts parishioners.
Many interesting places are offered to tourists by the Republic of Belarus. Zaslavl is a great choice for history buffs. Many ancient buildings have been preserved here, many of which we have already talked about. History buffs will certainly be interested in the next attraction.
Market Square
In the 11-12 centuries, at the intersection of three roads (to Minsk, Rakov and Logoisk), a triangular-shaped area appeared. In the 20-30s of the 17th century, its formation was completed. At this time, Mikolay Glebovich was the owner of Zaslavl. He built a church on the southern edge of the square, which acquired the greatest importance in the late 17th - 18th centuries, when Zaslavl was the center of the county. The owner of the city, Anthony Pshedetsky, received a letter of merit for holding Sunday sales and four fairs annually. They took place in the Market Square. In 1985, to the millennium of Zaslavl, a memorial stone appeared in the city with a message to descendants.
Children's Museum of Mythology and Forest
Planning to visit Zaslavl with your children? The attractions that you will find here will surely interest young guests. One of the places that is definitely worth a visit is the Children's Museum of Mythology and Forest. Reviews about him are the most positive.
Volkolak and the forester, the platypus and the body shirt, the caduceus, the gadgets and many other unknown inhabitants, who, according to the ancestors, lived in the forests, can be found in this museum, one of a kind in Belarus. The exposition, placed here, begins with a series of mythical images that are embodied in vytinka made by Elizabeth Chervontseva. Then visitors are transported to the mythical forest. It is filled with enchanting, mysterious sounds. Forest spirits live here, and next to them are ordinary animals and birds - the inhabitants of the forest. Museum excursions are accompanied by sound, and color illumination is also used.
Museum "Forge"
Other sights of Zaslavl that can be visited with children are also worthy of attention. Among them is the Forge Museum. It is known that neither the city, nor the town, nor the village did without a blacksmith. A modern tourist can plunge into the world of this craft by going to the museum. The forge, whose age is more than 80 years, was brought here from the Volozhin region. Guests of the city note that it is difficult to resist the temptation to take part in the mesmerizing forging process yourself, which you can watch (and join) in this museum.
DOT Museum
Not only medieval buildings attract tourists Zaslavl (Belarus). Its sights also cover later periods of history. If you are interested in the 20th century, visit the DOT Museum. This interesting tourist site appeared in July 2004. The abbreviation DOT stands for "long-term firing point." In the 30s of the last century, many similar structures were erected along the Soviet-Polish border.
In the three-shot DotA, which was designed for 12 military personnel, the former situation is currently being recreated: one manual and three easel machine guns with ammunition, communication equipment, a filter-ventilation system, and a periscope for observing the enemy. And at the embrasures, the Red Army men are still serving today (of course, not real, but in the form of mannequins).
And these are just the main interesting objects that Zaslavl offers tourists. Its sights are known not only in Belarus, but also far beyond its borders.