Museum "Nemtsevichy Manor" is a unique monument of architecture in the late baroque style. Few surviving estates have survived on the territory of Belarus, most of them perished in the crucible of war. All the more valuable is the restored palace and family estate of the Polish gentry, who have lived on this land for several generations.
The famous Nemtsevich family
The first mention of the Nemtsevich family dates back to the 16th century. Initially, the family bore the surname Ursyn, which means "bear" in Latin. This beast is depicted on the coat of arms of an ancient noble family. Since the 17th century, the Ursyns decided to indicate their origin from the Germans, adding the word Nemtsevichi to their surname.
It is known that the steward Jerzy Ursyn became the ancestor. The first famous heir was his grandson Kazimir, who married Kristina Delovitskaya. The offspring of this union, Andrey Jan, served as the ambassador of the Warsaw Sejm, being a representative of the Sponim Council. At the appointed time, Andrei was married to SophiaGodlevskaya, their son Alexander added the village of Skokie to the family property, in which a beautiful family mansion was later built.
The village of Skokie became the patrimony and place of the family nest of Marcelius Ursyn-Nemtsevich. He married Jadwiga Sukhodolskaya, 16 children were born in the marriage. After the death of his parents, the estate passed to his eldest son Julian, who became one of the famous figures of his time. He was a writer, politician of the Commonwe alth. In 1890, the estate, consisting of 319 acres of land, belonged to Ivan Nemtsevich.
In 1905, it was inherited by her son, and in 1923 the estate and lands belonged to Sofya Piletskaya, who came from the Nemtsevich family. Until 1939, the estate was home to the writer Stanislav Ursyn-Nemtsevich, later it was nationalized. Representatives of the Nemtsevich family left Russia and settled in Europe. Today we can say that the race is almost interrupted.
Architecture
The Nemtsevichy estate in Skoky, according to the latest data from researchers, was built in 1777. Who was the author of the architectural project remains unknown. Some historians believe that it could have been a specialist from Warsaw. The estate and park ensemble originally consisted of a two-story manor house, several outbuildings and a luxurious park designed according to a regular type. The alleys of the park led the traveler to the banks of the Lesnaya River. Opposite the main house, a church-tomb was built, which became the last refuge of several generations of the owners of the Nemtsevich estate, after the Great Patriotic War.war it was dismantled.
The ancestral mansion was built in the late baroque style and was a two-story rectangular building. The upper floor was crowned with a tiled mansard roof, which was decorated with two symmetrical side alcoves on both sides of the house. Two entrances led to the mansion - the central one and from the side of the park, their main decoration was the terraces. For decades, the mansion was in an abandoned state, restoration work began in 2006. Today, several rooms of the mansion are open to the public.
History of the estate
The Nemtsevich Manor (Brest) is the only architectural heritage of its kind that has survived in good condition to this day in the vicinity of Brest. For several centuries it has been home to a family of Polish gentry. Over the years, eminent guests were received here - Tadeusz Kosciuszko, Adam Czartoryski, Emperor Alexander III, Jan Fleming and other arbiters of destinies, cultural figures, writers, musicians.
The house survived several major devastation, but remained almost unscathed. Drawings by Leonardo da Vinci, van Dyck and other artists were kept in this palace at the beginning of the 20th century. The Ursyn-Nemtsevichs owned unique artifacts such as Napoleon's cigarette case, George Washington's autograph and many others. Some of them were taken abroad by their families, and some died in the millstones of revolutionary times and wars.
During the First World War, the estate becameheadquarters of Prince Leopold of Bavaria, who commanded part of the German front. It was here that the 1917 military truce between Russia and Germany was signed. A reminder of this event was the monument to the conclusion of the treaty in the Nemtsevichy estate in Skoky.
The Germans left the estate after 1939. The reason for emigration was the entry of the regions of Western Belarus into the BSSR. After World War II, a boarding school was located in the main house of the estate. In 2010, the pupils were transferred to other institutions, and work began on the creation of a memorial museum-estate of the Nemtsevichs in the building.
Modernity
The official opening of the Nemtsevichy Estate Museum took place in 2013, but at that time the building had been derelict for several years. General construction and restoration work was carried out in 10 halls of the palace, which ended in 2015. Today, excursions are held in several expositions, and further plans include the restoration of 10 more halls. The museum will feature stands, music lounges, a library, an art salon, exhibition halls and more.
Unfortunately, the property owned by the Nemtsevichi has not been preserved. In 1915, the entire situation was evacuated to Kaluga, away from the front of the First World War, but traces of the cargo were lost. All exhibits presented in the halls of the museum open to the public are purchased by employees specifically for the estate at auctions and from private individuals. The exposition is designed to demonstrate the typical way of life, the structure of life of representatives of the rulinggentry class. By 2017, 6 halls on the second floor were available for visiting.
Current exhibition
Several expositions are open to the public - an armory room, a bedroom, an office, a dining room, a front room and a music room. Several separate rooms are dedicated to the most famous representative of the Nemtsevich family - Julian. As a writer, poet, public and political figure, he left a huge mark on the culture of Belarus and Poland. Not only employees and ordinary citizens, but also customs services are actively involved in the formation of the exposition, some of the valuable items were transferred from the regional museum.
After the opening, the Nemtsevichy Estate Museum has become a cultural center, which hosts traditional events. Balls, where the spirit and surroundings of gentry leisure are recreated, are popular with the public. Also an annual event held within the walls of the palace is a military-historical festival that reconstructs the signing of the armistice between Russia and Germany in 1917.
What to see
Of the entire interior of the Nemtsevichy estate, only the cast-iron staircase has been well preserved. Parts of it were found in the basement, the missing parts were cast according to whole samples and installed in a historical place. Of the things sent to Kaluga, a small part of the paintings from the Nemtsevich collection has been preserved, but they are exhibited in the Kaluga Museum.
In the late 80s of the last century, near the city of Grodno, border guards stumbled upon a treasure once made by the Nemtsevichs who were leaving the country. ATthere was a mace, silverware, an ancient saber - these items are in the museum, but most of the treasure has disappeared. Today, the interiors of the 19th century are recreated in the halls of the estate. In the armory hall, visitors can admire armor, a collection of edged weapons, crossbows, bear skins.
The blue living room is dedicated to the reception hall, antique furniture, a grand piano, and grandfather clocks are exhibited here. The director of the museum said that some of the halls are not accessible to the public due to the fact that they do not have an exhibition, but all restoration work has already been completed. The administration annually purchases more than 100 units of valuable items from individuals, at auctions, and customs transfers a lot.
Not so long ago, customs officers confiscated 10 unique items at the border and handed them over to the Nemtsevich estate - a porcelain carriage, several paintings, watches and much more. The museum notes that the flow of tourists is constantly increasing: for example, in the first half of 2018 alone, the exposition was visited by 7 thousand people.
Participate
In the estate of the gentry Ursyn-Nemtsevich, parties, concerts, balls and other festivities were often held. The museum administration decided to revive old traditions, so visitors can take part in interesting events. An unprecedented excitement was caused by the possibility of holding photo shoots in historical interiors, there is no end to the newlyweds, the queue is scheduled for several months in advance.
Balls held in historical interiors have already become traditional. New Yearthe ball at the Nemtsevichy estate in 2019 gathered more than 100 guests. The main requirement for the participants was the observance of the rules of etiquette of the 19th century, which includes the appropriate costume, the ability to keep up the conversation and the desire to dance. After the ball, the guests went for a sleigh ride in the park. Several more similar events are planned this year, everyone can take part.
The Nemtsevichy Estate Museum is located in the village of Skoky, Brest region, on Mira street, building 46B.
Museum opening hours - from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 19:00. The cost of visits for adults is 2.50 rubles, discounts are available for pensioners, students and children. Every last Tuesday of the month, the museum can be visited free of charge.
