There is a small beautiful town in Belarus with a centuries-old history - Slutsk, known far beyond the borders of its country due to its glorious heritage - Slutsk silk belts. Unfortunately, the Great Patriotic War left its indelible mark, and after the liberation, the city was restored almost from scratch. Not so many historical monuments have been preserved, but there are many beautiful corners that deserve the attention of even experienced travelers. The photos proposed in the article with a description of the sights of Slutsk will help to more accurately compose a tourist route through the memorable places of the city.
History of the city
As far back as the 10th century, on the banks of the Sluch River, a city arose in the form of a settlement. The place was convenient, well visible from all sides, which made it possible to defend against the attack of enemies. It was a period of princely strife, and the city passed from hand to hand to different princes. A major role in history was played by Princess Sofia Slutskaya, who united all the fragmented lands into oneprincipality, and Slutsk became its capital. Sophia was even canonized, a monument was erected to her, which is a landmark and a symbol of the city.
With coming to power in 1612, the city of Radziwill began to strengthen, rebuild and was considered the third most important in Belarus. A gymnasium and a theater were built. The first pharmacy was opened in Slutsk. At the end of the 16th century, the population was about 7 thousand people, for whom 1100 houses were built. In 1756, the city had its own professional ballet. But the textile industry has brought the most fame, making a variety of belts.
During its existence, this city has been attacked and destroyed. In 1812 Slutsk was captured and plundered by the French. And during the Great Patriotic War of the twentieth century, German troops had already visited there, destroying 80% of the city. There is almost nothing left of the old ancient Slutsk. After the war, it had to be rebuilt.
St. Michael's Cathedral
Special attention deserves the oldest church shrine - the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael. The first mention of the church dates back to the distant XIV century, when Prince Olelko Vladimirovich signed off the land to her for permanent possession. After a while, it was dismantled due to dilapidation, and in its place the church of the saints Empress Helena and Tsar Constantine was restored.
In 1799 she received the name of St. Michael the Archangel, which is now. At first, a small church stood on the territory of the Old City, and later was moved tosuburb Island, which avoided serious destruction during the war.
In the 18th century, one of the main historical sights of Slutsk was reconstructed and acquired its modern look: three wooden log cabins with golden domes and a bell tower crowned with a pointed spire. The facade painted in the color of the sky with white arched windows looks strict and, at the same time, solemnly.
For a long time, the church united artisans from all over the area. Until the beginning of the 20th century, pottery and carpentry workshops were preserved here. In 1933, the abbots of the church were declared counter-revolutionaries and repressed. This led to the closure of the church, the icons and the iconostasis were taken out, and the building began to be used for household needs. The church started working for its intended purpose only in 1941.
Since 2014, regular services have been held in St. Michael's Cathedral. On the adjacent territory there is a chapel with a consecrated spring, an icon shop, a guard house, a garage and other outbuildings.
Today Mikhailovsky Cathedral has the status of a monument of wooden architecture of the XIII-XVIII centuries and is under state protection.
Museum of Slutsk Belts
The landmark of Slutsk, famous far beyond the borders of Belarus, which has become the hallmark of the city, is the Slutsk belt. The first production of belts was founded in the 18th century by Hetman of Lithuanian Mikhail Radziwill, and in a few decades Slutsk turned into one of the recognized capitals of fashion and the largest economiccenter. The belts were made by male weavers because of the long and laborious process, and they were trained by craftsmen from Persia. Products were woven from the finest silk yarn with the inclusion of gold and silver fibers. The secret of the belts was that they did not have a wrong side, different ornaments were depicted on both sides. The manufacturing process of one copy took about six months.
In 2014, the grand opening of the restored production and the Slutsk Belt Museum organized on its basis took place. This is a great opportunity to learn interesting details about the creation of the manufactory and artistic differences in ornaments. You can even see the process of making a modern version of the famous belt on the world's only custom-made loom, created by German craftsmen.
In front of the factory building there is a sculpture of a weaver and a bronze ornament used in the decoration of the belt.
History Museum
The building of the former Assembly of the Nobility with a massive pediment adorned with four impressive columns is an architectural landmark of Slutsk, the photo of which is presented below.
The building of the 18th century was erected as a lord's estate, during its existence it changed many owners, and later became the property of the city. Now it houses the Slutsk Museum of Local Lore with a very interesting narrative of the history of the city. Created in September 1952, after only two months it opened its doors to the first visitors. ATThe museum presents 6 halls with expositions about the history of the Slutsk Principality to the present day, an exhibition hall with household items of the townspeople of the 19th-20th centuries, a book collection and an archive where documents of outstanding countrymen are kept.
Monument to Anastasia Slutskaya
In the city center near the Wedding Palace there is a local landmark of Slutsk - a monument to the savior of the city, Princess Anastasia Slutskaya, famous for defending the settlement during the invasion of the Crimean Tatars in the 16th century. The sculpture, 4 meters high, is a bronze-granite figure of a princess with a sword in her hands. The sources did not preserve data on Anastasia's appearance, so the image of the princess became collective.
The weight of the monument is more than 10 tons, 5 of which is the weight of the skirt. Remarkably, granite was specially delivered from Ukraine, because in Belarus there was no stone of the desired shade. It turned out to be a difficult task to combine the borders of two materials of different structure, for several weeks they customized a bronze torso and a skirt made of granite. It has become a tradition for newlyweds to take photos near the sculpture of the princess, a local landmark of Slutsk.
Natural Source
Not far from the city is the village of Pokrashevo, where a distillery was built by a local landowner back in the 19th century. Today, the old building houses an enterprise for the production of vinegar. The adjacent territory overgrown with shrubs was cleared and ennobled, and a spring with crystal clear water gushing out of the ground became a frequently visited naturallandmark of Slutsk and Slutsk region. At first, the spring was simply called "Pokrashevskaya Krynichka", and after the illumination of the spring and the nearby crosses, it began to bear the name in honor of the Ostrobrama Icon of the Mother of God.
Nearby is a windmill built before the war. After restoration, it houses a museum of rural antiquities.
Reviews of tourists
Despite its attractiveness, many tourists find the city too calm and boring. However, this in no way diminishes its historical significance. Unfortunately, many architectural witnesses of the distant past were destroyed by the Nazis during the war. But the provincial Slutsk confidently keeps the brand of a clean, well-groomed city with a pleasant atmosphere and friendly smiling people.
Vivid impressions received from viewing even a few sights of the city of Slutsk will forever remain in your memories.
