Archaeological monument "Castle Hill"

The most famous and significant settlement for the history of the district is in Slavgorod on Castle Hill. It is located on the high right bank of the Sozh, near the mouth of the river. Pronya is a platform with a size of 40-95m. stretched from south to north. The height above the river level is about 30 meters, the width is 20 m., the depth of the moat is 11 m. Archaeological excavations were carried out on the territory of the settlement in 1968, 1974, and 1988. The cultural layer is 1.8 m., contains the remains of the Neolithic era, the Iron Age, Kievan Rus, the remains of the Milograd culture of the late U1 early U111 century were found, elements of stripped ceramics were found, a wooden palisade of the X century was found. In the 12th century, a castle was built on the territory of the settlement. Ractically, the settlement was immediately annexed together with the Mstislav Principality to the lands of the Smolensk Principality. Then Algirdas returned these lands back to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. At various times, the city's territories became a battlefield. This place is also interesting because at the beginning of the XVII century, it was in the Propoyskka that the False Dmitry the First was captured. When the lands of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth were first divided in 1772, the territories of modern Mogilev region were transferred to the Russian Empire. It was then that Empress Catherine II presented the Propoysk to Prince Golitsyn. The new owners of the Golitsyns started building the castle almost immediately. The manor was built in the XVIII century. The exact description of the noble house, unfortunately, has not been preserved in written sources, but there were rumors that the architecture of the castle was distinguished by refinement and grace. They say the building looked very harmonious against the background of a beautiful garden park. One of the stone statues was named in it in honor of the Russian Empress. Also, other sculptures decorated the park lands, a grotto was made. But the life of wealth and luxury in the Slavgorod estate did not last long. At the beginning of the XIX century, the Golitsyn castle received a new owner – Yanchin, whose father, a tax collector, left millions to his son. When the young landowner's money ran out, things worsened in the estate, and the estate itself soon fell into disrepair. It happened in the last quarter of the XIX century. However, then it was still far from the devastation on the site of majestic buildings. At that time, the summer house and part of the park on the steep bank of the Sozh were in excellent condition. During the Great Patriotic War, the Red Army defense line passed through the park. On the former Castle Hill, on the site of a mass grave, a monument stands today, built in memory of Soviet soldiers who died during the liberation of Slavgorod. Today there is practically nothing left of the Golitsyn estate in Slavgorod, but the townspeople are proud of the partially preserved park. Here they walk along the long picturesque alleys, here they bring guests of the city. Historians and guides willingly tell about the once rich estate of a famous Russian family.