The Roadside Chapel in the Village Gorodets

Sharkovschina of the Vitebsk region has been known since 1503 when the governor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Alexander Kazimirovich gifted these lands to the famous family of the Zinovichi that were their sole owners for a long time. Later Sharkovschina was in possession of other well-off families ranging from the Sapiehas to the Lopatinskies.

The history of Sharkovschina was dramatic: over the years the territory was part of Russia and of Poland. Today Sharkovschina is a village and concurrently a district center of the Vitebsk region of The Republic Belarus. A lot of monuments have survived there that for many years has been a mark of fame and pride of Belarus. Apart from a wonderful mansion of the Plyaters, it is also a roadside chapel in the village Gorodets.

The village Gorodets is an unusual and original location. The village Luzhki with its famous church comes first, and then you need to come a little – and the new village Gorodets is in front of you. It seems that the boundaries between the locations are almost blurred. In Gorodets on the Mnyuta River in the early XX century a groundbreaking event took place: the establishment of the first hydropower station in the North-Eastern area thanks to efforts of the magnate Plyater that was the then owner of these lands.

The roadside chapel was constructed in the XVIII century. It is situated upwards from the bridge across the Mnyuta opposite to the Luzhki turn off. The chapel is located on the eastern edge of the village. It is made of brick, yet its lower tier is decorated with stone and fragmented granite. It is about five maters high. The temple consists of three tiers and has a quadrangular shape. Two lower tiers are absolutely dumb and the third one has a well viewable arc opening that serves as a perfect place for a splendid sculpture. The chapel’s corners are decorated with semi-columns and the composition is completed with a roof with a cross.

The roadside chapel in the village Gorodets is sure to catch the eye as you enter this fabulous location. In such case, you should stop and wander around these places, to touch the history.