The city of Gomel, located on the Sozh River, will find something to do and surprise the traveler. Architectural monuments, parks and palaces, theaters and sculptures, monasteries and cathedrals - read all about the sights of Gomel below.
Gomel Palace and Park Ensemble
The ensemble, located on the right bank of the Sozh River, surprises the tourist with its architectural, natural beauties and archaeological mysteries. Stretching for 800 meters, it includes the palace of the Rumyantsevs and the Paskevichs (worthy of a separate discussion), the Cathedral of Peter and Paul, the tomb of the Paskevichs, park areas for walking and a winter garden. Here, on Lenin Square, tourists can spend the whole day seeing the sights of Gomel. Walking through the park, where there are rare species of trees, you can reach the Swan Pond, created on the basis of a shallow river. There is also an observation tower on the territory of the ensemble.
Rumyantsev-Paskevich Palace
Pyotr Rumyantsev's Palace is a monument of architecture, on which eminent architects worked in the 19th century: Moscepanov, Alekseev and Blank.
When Field Marshal General died, his palace turned into a museum. Rare collections were collected here, which it was decided to put on public display. The most interesting of them are collections of coins, early printed books and archaeological finds. In the palace you can also look at the collection of Old Believer icons. The second floor of the museum is reserved for knights' halls.
The collection suffered during the Great Patriotic War, as it was taken out of the country. Instead of 8 thousand exhibits, 200 returned to the palace. But despite this, the collections of Pyotr Rumyantsev are a major attraction of Gomel (Belarus).
Museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 11.00 to 19.00.
Hunting lodge
The building, built in the 19th century as the summer residence of Peter Rumyantsev, is called a hunting lodge, although none of the count's family was fond of hunting. Then the house was located on the edge of the city, and its appearance resembled a log cabin. Apparently, for this reason, the house was dubbed hunting.
In a wooden house you can see firsthand how rich people lived in the 19th century. Furniture and household items are well preserved. You can look at the collection of clocks, mirrors and paintings. In the house, 7 halls with an exposition have been reconstructed, including an office, a dining room and a living room. If you pay, you can take pictures in the museum, so this landmark of the city of Gomel is often used for wedding photo shoots.
The hunting lodge is located on Pushkin Street and is open from 10.30 to 18.00 (except Mondays and Wednesdays).
The oldest cathedral in Gomel: the cathedralSaints Peter and Paul
The oldest cathedral in the city is part of the famous palace and park ensemble. Count Rumyantsev became the initiator of its construction and ordered expensive decoration and utensils from St. Petersburg. In section, the building has the shape of a cross.
The history of the Peter and Paul Cathedral in Gomel is not simple. Its construction lasted 15 years. When the Bolsheviks came to power, the cathedral was closed, however, during the Great Patriotic War it operated. During the Soviet era, a planetarium was opened in the building. Only at the end of the 20th century, the almost 190-year-old cathedral began to operate in full force. Today, the Peter and Paul Cathedral, located on Lenin Square in Gomel, is the spiritual center of the entire region. The clergy are even being trained here.
Sights of Gomel with description: monasteries of the city
The only active male monastery in the city is St. Nicholas Monastery. It is located at St. Nicholas Church and includes a library and a Sunday school.
Several Christian shrines are kept on the territory of the St. Nicholas Monastery. The miraculous copy of the Kozelshchanskaya Icon of the Mother of God is especially revered. The icon is located above the main gate of St. Nicholas Church. During divine services, she is lowered down to worship the icon. Every Wednesday, singing is performed to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
In 2007, a particle of the relics of St. Nicholas was transferred from Italy to the monastery. The gift has significantly increased interest in this attraction of Gomel. The monastery also keeps the ark with the relics of saints, the icon of John Kormyansky, containing a particle of his relics. The icon with relics is also famouselders from Optina. The monks of the monastery are subject to the charter of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.
There is a church and a temple built in 1905 on D. Poor Street.
Another Gomel monastery is located on Kotovsky Street. This is the St. Tikhvin Monastery built in 1993. Its history goes back to the end of the 19th century, when it turned from a male monastery into a female one. At that time, he was in a village near Gomel and accommodated 80 nuns.
In 1929, the monastery was closed, and an orphanage was organized within its walls, operating until the end of the Great Patriotic War. In 1992, a community was formed, which was transformed into a monastery. The Gomel authorities allocated a two-story building for her. Now the sisters of the Holy Tikhvin Monastery teach at Sunday school. An icon-painting workshop also operates within these walls.
Gomel Theaters
After visiting the architectural and religious sights of Gomel (photo in the article), you can devote time to cultural life. Fortunately, the city has this.
The Gomel Drama Theatre, which has been operating since the middle of the 20th century, is located on Lenin Square. The hall can accommodate almost 500 spectators.
The theater began its history in 1939 with the premiere of Gogol's play The Inspector General. In 1954, a new solemn building with columns was erected on Lenin Square to accommodate the drama theater. Currently, more than half of the troupe have the title of Honored Artist.
If you are traveling with children, be sure to visit the puppet theater. Thissight of Gomel (photo with a description in the article) is located on Pushkin Street. The building is considered one of the most beautiful in the city.
Its entrance is decorated with intricate fairy-tale figures, and the repertoire is Belarusian, Russian and world fairy tales.
Traveling with children: Gomel circus
The State Circus of Gomel has existed for a long time, its first wooden building was located on Konnaya Square and existed until 1917. In 1926, a new stone building was taken under the circus, but it was soon destroyed by a fire.
The modern building of the Gomel circus is located in the city center, on Sovetskaya Street, and was rebuilt in 1972. It is quite extravagant: a bowl-shaped amphitheater hangs over the first floor, covered by a spherical dome. In the backyard there are enclosures where circus animals live.
You can visit this attraction of Gomel from September to May, and the program changes more than once in one season.
The fountain near the circus building is also interesting, in the season it lets out jets in the form of animals every evening and is beautifully illuminated.
Gomel sculptures
An amazing attraction of the city are these various sculptures. Probably the most famous of them is the plumber crawling out of the ground in the middle of the street.
Not far from the circus you can see the sculpture of the clown Pencil. He stands in a circus costume, a bowler hat, and is accompanied by his constant companion - a Scottish terrier named Klyaksa. The sculpture is made in the natural growth of MichaelRumyantseva - 157 cm.
Iron quartet "VIA-35" - these are the figures of musicians, breathing passionate love for the art of music. True, they blow at the same time into the drainpipes. The locals called this sight of Gomel (photo of the city in the article) "The Beatles".
Another famous sculpture refers the tourist to the times of the birth of the city and is an image of a migrant Goma and a lynx.
Also in Gomel you can see the monument to the janitor, the sculpture of Pinocchio, Malvina and Artemon and much more.
Gomel Fountains
Belarusian city is famous not only for its sculptures, but also for its fountains. There are more than ten of them in Gomel, and each is good in its own way! Most of the fountains are located in central areas, which is convenient for travelers. Tourist reviews about the sights of Gomel are always positive, as there really is something to see here. Not only are the fountains functional and save you from the city stuffiness in summer, they are also very beautiful. The fountains are especially good in the evening, illuminated by various lights.
The most beautiful Gomel fountains are located near the circus building, near the Swan Pond, near the sculpture "Lady with a Dog", on Lenin Square. Lovers of a calm atmosphere will appreciate the fountain near the Paskevich Palace.
Polessky reserve in the Gomel region
Being in Gomel, you should definitely go to Khoiniki, where the Polissya State Radiation and Ecological Reserve is located(the largest in all of Belarus). Created after the Chernobyl accident in 1988, today the reserve covers an area of 216,000 hectares. There are completely wild conditions on the territory, without the intervention of a human hand. This allows you to observe the restoration of nature in the entrusted area.
Today the reserve is home to 1251 plant species (some of them very rare), 54 mammal species, 25 fish, 280 birds. Workers of the Polesye reserve monitor plants and animals, study them, and also control the level of radiation in order to prevent its spread beyond the protected area. They plant trees and shrubs, enclosing the territory from any external intrusion, and settle rare animals. The duties of scientists also include increasing the number of rare animals, for example, within ten years they managed to increase the population of bison by 38 individuals.
A huge part of the Polissya Reserve is an infected area, but there are also areas allowed for tourists to walk. It is convenient to get here by train from Gomel, Kalinkovichi and Vasilyevichi. There are no organized tours here, and you need a pass to enter, which can be obtained by calling the reserve in advance.
Tired of walking around the city and its environs, think about purchasing souvenirs. In Gomel, you need to buy amulets for the home, products made of birch bark and wood, metal, as well as panels and paintings.
