Krichev

Krichev is a picturesque town in  Mogilev region. More than 27 thousand people live in the town.

The first mention of Krichev dates back to 1136, the XII century. It was mentioned in the charter of Smolensk duke Rostislav Mstislavovich. Records of fighting for "Krichev castle” are preserved in the chronicles. It is said that Duke Shuisky assaulted the Krichev castle for a month and could not take it. Historians say that the castle had several huge stone towers and a wall of large logs.

In the 80s of the XVIII century, Potemkin decided to take advantage of these lands and the town became a center of shipbuilding.

The Potemkin palace is one of the brightest sights of Krichev, which impresses every tourist. This building was built in Russian classicism according to the project of architect Ivan Starov. If you look down on it, you will see the letter E. It is believed that it was built in honor of Empress Catherine II (in Russian Ekaterina), although she was there only once. Later on, Potemkin sold it to Jan Golynsky. The new owner decided to rebuild it, but only the main entrance was altered.

There were 72 rooms in the palace. A park created in the 18th century made the palace more beautiful. The park covered about 10 hectares. It was made in accordance with a layout of the old Polish park; its main feature was the presence of lime tree alleys. An oak tree was also planted because of Empress Catherine II coming. In the middle of the XIX century, an entrance gate was built, resembling the Egyptian pyramids.

According to historians, in 1898 the castle burned. Golynsky wanted to start reconstruction works but the First World War and Revolution began. The building was abandoned. In 1918, Evdokia Gordeeva from Cherikov reconstructed the palace and opened a private school. After the Second World War, the palace was in terrible condition. Restoration works began only in the early 1990s. In 2003, the Potemkin palace was included in the list of cultural heritage of Belarus. Nowadays, there are a hall of Civil Ceremonies, oval hall for ceremonies and local history museum.

Anyone who comes to the town should pay attention to the churches in Krichev. The Holy Resurrection Cathedral is one of well known. It was built at the end of XIX century in the heart of the town. In Soviet times, it was not functioning. In the 1930s, a club was built on the foundation of the church. Restoration works took place in 1991.

The St. Nicholas Church is the oldest functioning church in the town. In 1605, it belonged to the Uniate Church, and in the XIX century, it became Orthodox. During the Second World War, worship services were conducted but in 1943 the church suffered from fire and was closed. The building was restored. The church continues functioning present days.