His Serene Highness Paskevich, in whose family there were brilliant generals, statesmen and lovely maids of honor, were the best people of the Golden Age. They built cities, constructed temples, from generation to generation; they passed on a very rare gene for those times, the gene of culture, nobility and beauty.

The Paskevich family owned Gomel, doing a lot for its prosperity. They left us a legacy, in addition to historical records, as well as architectural heritage. The first thing that comes to mind in this regard is a wonderful Rumyantsev-Paskevich Residence in Gomel.

The creators of the eighth wonder of the world

But now it's not about the palace, but about a small chapel on the territory of the palace-park ensemble. This is Rumyantsev-Paskevich tomb. It houses the remains of eight members of the princely family. It would seem that the place of mourning should be strict and faded. But, in fact, the chapel is the fusion of decorative and applied art architecture, a construction, unique in its kind.

F. I. Paskevich, a son of the famous field marshal I. F. Paskevich, got a permission to build a family tomb on the territory of the city. He called great architects, decorators, craftsmen carving on stone, mosaic artists from 5 countries for the realization of his ideas. Every one of them was a celebrity, who took part in the arrangement of the royal palaces, paintings of famous temples. Such surnames as Chervinsky (an architect), Pel (an artist), Frolov (presumably the author of mosaic pictures), Zudzitsky (a wood carving master) were glorified forever thanks to this construction. It is very difficult, even just to list all the experts who participated in the construction of the chapel.

We must not forget that the role of building engineers was significant as well. Because it is not just a building, but literally a burial place – a tomb. Hence, it was necessary to carefully consider the microclimate inside the ventilation system, control the air humidity. The attention was paid to everything; every detail was taken into account.

The appearance and design of the chapel

The tomb had been built for 19 years. It is a complex underground construction. The above-ground part is the chapel itself which is 18 meters high, the underground part is a tomb, a vaulted tunnel with the length of 32 meters.

The wonder of all wonders rises above the ground, being a bright example of Russian style in architecture. It is a tiny, fragile residence with five domes, decorated with bright ornaments, carvings, ceramics, mosaics and gilding. The architectural decor is truly Russian: sculptural corbel arches, stucco, patterned cornices. The elements of an ornament are flowers, plants, and a cross. All elements together are a sculpturesque, finished creation. It is like a diamond of thin-cut: no edges can be removed, because the integrity will be violated.

An unsophisticated viewer's eye is pleased to see such a fabulous splendor. And experts, of course, note the professionalism of filigreed work and harmony, balance, enclosed in the silhouette of the building, well thought-out proportions of the individual parts.

Minor mood is dominated under the ground. The walls of the tunnel are decorated with crushed stone with gold, in the end, there is a mosaic picture depicting angels.

The Rumyantsev-Paskevich Residence is to pick up and, like a jewel, put in a box on the soft velvet. Down in the tomb, looking at the portraits of famous departed ones, one wants to raise its gratitude: thanks to their efforts, we can see a beautiful cultural place of interest. Thank them very much. Thanks to everyone who worked on it, who kept and restored it.