Ikazn

A small village of the same name is cozily located on the shore of scenic Lake Ikazn 14 km east of Braslav.

According to the legend, a long time ago the bloody pan lived in these places.He executed the serfs on the shores of the lake. Fr om the word «kaznit» the name of the lake came from, and later the name of the village was taken. According to the second version the name of the lake Ikazn has Baltic roots and it is translated as «window» from the Old-Lithuanian language.

HISTORICAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE VILLAGE

The history of Ikazn village is closely linked with the Gentry Sapiega family. It began in 1499, when these lands were owned by Braslav mayor Ivan Sapiega. He bought this place for «two hundred wide pennies» and, in accordance with the privilege of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Alexander Jagiellon, Ivan Sapiega was entitled to build here «the town and the castle».

A stone-wooden castle was built by Ivan Sapiega in 1504. It consisted of two parts, which are the castle and the dungeon, and it was placed on an unnamed island, washed by the waters of Lake Ikazn. Ikazn castle had great strategic importance for many years. Unfortunately, not a vestige remains of the castle. It was completely destroyed by Russian troops during the Northern War. Today, you can only see Zamok castle with the remains of the island site of an ancient castle in the lake Ikazn so rare for Belarus.

The local legend says that during the war with Moscow, when enemy troops approached the castle, a chest with jewels and gold was dropped in the water of Lake Ikazn. Incidentally, it has not been found yet. That's why the dungeon of Ikazn castle attracts tourists and treasure hunters.

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS

On the shore of Lake Ikazn there are massive walls of Corpus Christi Church, which were erected on the site of the old wooden church in 1912. The old church is known for the fact that the famous sculptor Henry Dmokhovskiy was baptized there. Despite the fact that in Soviet times there was a granary, the interior of the church has remained unchanged since its inception. Even old paintings have been preserved. The walls of Corpus Christi Church were made of natural stone, which gives extraordinary grandeur and monumentality to the church.

Another architectural landmark of the village is Ikazn St. Nicholas Church, built in 1905. In Soviet times the church was closed for the faithful. Since 1966, the warehouse was housed there. Orthodox relics of St. Nicholas Church were taken to Vitebsk. In the early 90-s the church reopened its doors to parishioners, however, no icons, no king's gate have not been returned to local faithful.

But not only local legends and architectural monuments attract tourists to Ikazn. First of all, Braslav region is a land of untouched nature and sky-blue lakes of unprecedented beauty. Not far from the Lake Ikazn there is an Agriturismo «Balsan», wh ere you can relax away from the bustle of the city, fish and enjoy the full beauty of the Braslav region.