Over the long history of existence and development of the city Minsk has changed a lot: some buildings were demolished and in their place there were created new ones, some structures have been serving up to now as a historical landmark and a monument of architectural art of a certain period. The guest house of Kostrovitskaya deserves special attention – he was completely destroyed and demolished, but a new building constructed on its place looks maximally like the original. Thus, it can hardly be recognized as a historical attraction but, nevertheless, it draws abiding interest of tourists and it is included in in many tour itineraries around the capital.

The brief biography of the founder

In the second half of XIX – early XX centuries Jadwiga Adamovna Kostrovitskaya was a kind of business lady of her time engaged in affairs of the city and society. For example, the political dinners organized by her were rather popular; it was of great honor for the leading public figures of the time to take part in them where a whole range of critical issues was raised.

She also became the initiator of the construction of several guest houses in Minsk. One of them was located at the intersection of modern Kirov and Volodarsky Street. One part of it was rented as residential apartments, another part – for the management of the Libava-Romny railway. Unfortunately, today it is possible to admire the original structure only on the photos.

Jadwiga Kostrovitskaya lived in an eight-room apartment in Zaharjevskaya Street (now Sovetskaya) where she also decided to establish an apartment house. Interestingly, today its second name is the House of Uminsky. Most likely, on the site of the stone building in the late XIX century there was a wooden house where at the time Anton Vikentjevich Uminsky lived, that was expelled for participation in the national liberation uprising of 1863-1864 in Siberia.

Jadwiga had an equally famous brother, Edward Voinilovich. He was the initiator of the construction of a "calling card" of the capital – the Red Church. Jadwiga also made her contribution; she took part in the consecration of the church. Interestingly, the projects of the Red Church and the guest house were designed by the same architect, Henry Guy. So both buildings had the family coat of arms of Voiniloviches.

The guest house in Zaharjevskaya

According to some sources the construction year of the guest house of Kostrovitskaya is 1904, to other – between 1911 and 1914. On the first floor there were various stores and shops, on the others there were apartments for rent.

In the early 20-s of the last century the house of Kostrovitskaya, like most others, came to possession of the state and has received the name "House of Metalworkers" - there lived the workers of the plants “October Revolution”, "Energy" and other metal-processing centers. Between 1930 and 1960 on the ground floor there was one of the largest jewelry shops of the capital.

Unfortunately, in the 60-s of the last century it was ordered to blow up the guest house of Kostrovitskaya because he allegedly did not fit the whole architectural ensemble of Lenin Square. However, quite soon it was replaced by its copy, though not quite exact but it gives a general idea of the construction of the early XX century.