The Palace of the Potemkin and Golinsky in Krichev, Mogilev Region

A small town in Mogilev called Krichev was first mentioned in chronicles in the XII century and has passed through many trials for a long life. But there were also enough bright moments in its life. So Krichev had the prestigious Magdeburg law at the time. The main attraction of Krichev – the Palace of the Potemkin and Golinsky families is considered to be the brightest gem of the region. They say that if to look at the ancient ensemble from a helicopter, it will resemble letter E that means Catherine II as the main favorite of the Empress Grigory Potemkin that according to rumors even married her was considered the owner of the monumental complex of Mogilev for some time.

It is known that the area of Krichev joined the Russian Empire after one of the partitions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Catherine the Great, to strengthen her monarchical power in the vast Belarusian lands, began to lavish those territories to people particularly close to her. So, Grigory Potemkin became the sole owner of the richest lands of Krichev with more than one thousand peasants. It was the most desirable piece of cake called “the Russian Empire”. And at once Potemkin began to settle in that area; he initiated the construction of an elegant palace complex in order to strengthen his legal ownership. It was entrusted to the architect Starov. It is noteworthy that one day Catherine the Great stayed in the palace for a night, visiting his favorite.

The complex is still amazing. The palace completely followed the spirit of classicism, and had two lateral wings, a lovely terrace and a large park.

As Krichev is situated on the river Sozh, Potemkin quickly realized that those potentially wealthy areas you can be used for his own benefit. Thanks to the favorite of Catherine, Krichev from a remote Belarusian village has turned into a developed town. Potemkin was not for long among owners of the palace because the apartments came to possession of Yan Golinsky after a short period of time. In the middle of the XIX century, his grandson completely reconstructed the building to his liking with the assistance of the architect Bernard Simon. Since the beginning of the last century there has survived a detailed description of the palace interior. Oak stairs led to the upper stairs, and the walls were decorated with weapons. The palace had more than seventy rooms and a large library. There were a lot of original portraits of the Golinsky family and monarchical persons. The magnificent palace was surrounded by a beautiful park of ten acres where a special place was occupied by lime walkways.

Over its long history, the palace has hosted different institutions, ranging from a school to a care home. The complex was in decay for a long time. Only in the 90s of the last century it was restored by using the state budget funds, and now it is rightly considered to be the national cultural treasure.

The palace of the Potemkin and Golinsky families in Krichev is an urban celebrity that hosts a registry office and a local museum.