Mysterious and attractive Duboy

The village called Duboy (or Duboye) is a special, truly unique place in Belarusian Polesye, which plays an important role in the preservation of architectural and historical heritage of Belarus. It is not surprising, since Duboy is considered the most ancient village of Pinsk district. There are many different rumors and legends about it. In addition, the village has been made famous through centuries thanks to its well-known natives – Afanasiy Filippovich and Andrey Bobola.

For the first time Duboy was mentioned in historical chronicles in 1498. The manor constantly passed from hands to hands – from the first owner Dmitrovich to Karpovich, then to Verenich-Stakhovsky in 1566. The owners continued to replace one another: Ivanovich, Poloz, Popov, Oginsky, Radziwill. Albrecht Radziwillgave the estate into possession of Pinsk Jesuit in 1635.

In 1773, after the abolition of the order, the owner was Kuzhenetsky thanks to whom even nowadays one can admire the magnificent manor in Duboy village. After Kuzhenetsky family left Duboy, the owners of the village began to change again, one after another – Spassky, Spiridonov, Schlenker, and Maria Vydzhina. Namely Maria was the last mistress of the estate – in 1928, she presented her possessions to agricultural school.

At all times, the village suffered from military conflicts. Already in 1648 the village was burnt to ashes by Cossack troops; the Swedes did the same during the Northern War. In 1830, one of the battles between the rebels and the imperial armies occurred. During World War II, only 44 yards survived out of 90 previously existed.

Solitary Holy Cross Chapel

Holy Cross chapel is part of a manor and a park complex owned by Kuzhenetsky. The remains of members of that dynasty were placed there at the time. It is located in solitude, under the shadow of ancient maples and horse-chestnut.

The predominant style of the architectural appearance of the building is Baroque. The chapel is of compact size, has an octagonal shape, and ends with a helmet, faceted lantern and a square apse and the porch of the same shape. The outer decoration is corner pilasters, friezes, layered cornice. There is lot of decor inside the building as well – moldings, stained glass, fresco painting.

The chapel was restored in 1920. For a long time, it functioned as a church, consecrated in honor of the Holy Cross. However, not so long ago, the religious service stopped, and now a small chapel is neglected.

The architectural monument is immortalized in a painting executed by Yuzef Pankevich “Duboy Park.” The picture was painted in 1897 and is now kept in the National Museum of Warsaw.

Duboy village is a place you should visit at least once. Admire the beauty of the gentry’s manor house, wander through the magnificent parks and, of course, stop for a moment near the Chapel of the Holy Cross.