Bogdanovo

Sometimes the past remains not only in our memory, but also in books, films, photographs as well as paintings.

Thus it happened to the village of Bogdanovo. It is located in Volozhin district of Minsk region. Its landscapes and the life of people were captured in the works of great artist, like Ferdynand Ruszczyc. He was born and died in his estate. Unfortunately, a Catholic church which was built in 1844 and the Ruszczyc estate have not preserved till today. But nevertheless we can look at the paintings of this talented artist such as “The Land”, “At the Church”, “The Mill”, “Spring”, “Winter tale”, “The mill at night” and others. In addition, there are photographs taken in the 30s of the XXth century by Jan Bulgak, where the church and the Ruszczyc estate can be seen.

The name derives fr om Sapieha

The first mention of Bogdanovo settlement dates back to the second half of the XVIth century. The name of the village derives from the name of its first owner – Bogdan Sapieha – a statesman of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

Then, the village passed from one family to another: at different times it belonged to Pats, Danilovich and Chekhovich. In the XVIIIth century, the village Bogdanovo belonged to the Ruszczyc family. In the end of the XVIII century – the early XIXth century, they founded an estate, which can be seen only in the photograph. Only barn’s ruins and fragments of an alley are preserved till today.

Three churches

It is necessary to mention the churches, built on the territory of the village. The first wooden church was built in 1844. You can see it only in the painting of F. Ruszczyc and the photo of Jan Bulgak. During the Great Patriotic War, the church was burnt. In 1944, a new wooden church was built in its place. Unfortunately, in the 80es, it was disassembled. Only St. Michael the Archangel’s church is preserved till today; it was built in 1999. It is the main monument in the village of Bogdanovo.

How to get to Bogdanovo

Many travelling routes are laid through the village of Bogdanovo. In addition to the church, there is a tomb of great artist Ferdynand Ruszczyc. You can enjoy the splendid landscapes of Bogdanovo that so inspired the artist. The river Olshanka flows through the village. The village is located on the border with Grodno region; Volozhin-Olshany road lies through the territory. If you prefer travelling by train, a settlement of Bogdanov is located 2 km from the village. There is a railway station in the settlement of Bogdanov on the way from Molodechno to Lida.

There are about 100 inhabitants living in the village. There is a school of arts in Bogdanovo, located in the former building of the village “soviet” administration. You can visit the exhibition dedicated to artist F. Ruszczyc. There is also a kindergarten, a club, two libraries, and a school in the village.

A small corner of Belarusian land, wh ere the world-famous artist Ferdynand Ruszczyc was born, is another place on Belarusian map to visit.