Verdomichi

The village of Verdomichi is located in Svisloch district of Grodno region 15 km from the city of Svisloch and 117 km to the South of Grodno.

The population is generally presented by Belarusians and Poles, to a lesser extent by Russians.

By faith people belong to Orthodox and Catholic church.

The village of Verdomichi was for the first time mentioned in 1567. At that time the village was owned by Afanasiy Trizna – the soldier of Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Later Verdomichi became known thanks to Tollochko count possession. The estate was built under count Yulian Tollochko who lodged in this area in 1830 with his family.

The estate occupied over 12 hectares of the territory. The central place of a manor was given for the construction of a stone house which was 40 meters long. In the middle of the 19th century the wings which were connected with a verandah were attached to house. They leaned on the most beautiful columns, with the ladder leading to the adjoining to the house park. As a result of all completions the estate turned into a palace with 99 rooms. In the photo of 1915 one managed to imprint grandeur and genuine beauty of a palace ensemble. Unfortunately, this building burnt down, and the manor itself existed for no more than one hundred years. Despite it, up till now it is known for palace luxury: beautiful carved gilded furniture, paintings and ancient icons.

Today there are only ruins of the former estate of Count Tollochko: ruins of the brovar, the barn, other household constructions and a rather recently reconstructed chapel-tomb which the count constructed in honor of his son who had died.

To the present day a stone road and the park of landscape type remained. The complex water system which was presented by the channel, the river and various ponds along the park border from the East became the main park component. At the coast of the biggest park pond the palace tower was situated. The island to which an elegant flying bridge led became in this case an expressive accent. The opposite part of the pond was a swimming bath (beach). The pond itself was abounding in water, with a swan family. In the north side of park level space there is a couple of smaller ponds.

In the water world of the park (channels, streams, ponds) several species of fish and frogs are presented. In the park territory there is a crested newt listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Belarus. Near water reservoirs one can meet a grass-snake. Considering animals of the park the birds are especially diverse: tomtits, woodpeckers, wagtails, chickadees, chaffinches, starlings and hawks. Beavers, hares, foxes, martens, minks also live here. The park has a close connection with the nearby woods.

The composition of the park is scrupulously thought over: features of foliage coloring in different seasons of the year, the sizes and forms of trees and bushes crowns. Those amount to about forty. Along the main landscape part of the park the lime avenue is located. Trees are of different age. Landscapes reveal themselves from a walking way across the area of the park. Groups of trees alternate with meadows. Trees are presented by the limes, different types of maple and oak, Weymouth pine, white acacia. The park territory to the West goes down; therefore hygrophilous trees are presented here: alder, ash-tree, cornel.

The park underwent changes with the change of eras: from the Russian Empire and the Polish State to the Soviet Union. In the Soviet Union era namely poplars were planted in the park. It absorbed and absorbs a stream of time.

The former estate of Count Tollochko and the homestead park in Verdomichi is a historical, cultural and natural monument protected by the state.