There is a unique museum in the city on the picturesque Pina River. Its singularity consists already in the fact that it is located within the walls of the iconic sights of Belarus - the Jesuit College. And the museum itself opened almost a century ago. So, VETLIVA presents to your attention an article about the Museum of Belarusian Polesie in Pinsk.

The history of one of the oldest museums in Belarus

Among the attractions of Pinsk it occupies an honorable place. For the first time the doors of the museum opened for visitors back in 1926. Recall that at this time Pinsk was part of the Polish possessions. Then its exposition consisted of various finds - by 1937 more than 3000 exhibits had been collected.

Time passed, war came to the territory of Belarus. The Jesuit College, in which the Museum of Belarusian Polesie was located, suffered, they did not want to restore it. The atheistic post-war epoch threatened the very existence of the architectural monument, it could be overtook by the fate of many religious buildings, that were unwanted for Soviet authorities. However, by this time, so many different associations and organizations had found shelter in the building that it was not possible to expel them from there. And plans to demolish have sunk into oblivion.

An interesting fact from VETLIVA: this is not the only case when the religious building was saved only due to coincidence of circumstances. The famous «Red» church survived the Soviet power thanks to ... cinema. For a long time it belonged to the film studio Sovetskaya Belorussiya, and after it - to the Cinema House.

In 1965, an art gallery was located in the collegium building. Only in the 80s of the last century, the Museum of Polesie in Pinsk again received it at its disposal. Re-discovery happened only in 1996.

Museum exposition in Pinsk

The Museum of Belarusian Polesie has more than 60,000 unique exhibits. 

The whole fund is represented in six thematic halls:

1. The history of the Pinsk region. Here, visitors will see various tools, shoes, decorations that were worn in the XII century, the emblems of the Pinsky nobility (a later era, dating back to the XVI century). It will be interesting to learn about the wars and uprisings that took place here, about the economic development of the region - the first factories organized here, about how the railway was laid through Pinsk region, about famous citizens of Pinsk - the artist Napoleon Orda and his sister Helena Skirmunt, the Polish revolutionary Romuald Traugutta and many others.

2. Life commoners of the first half of the XX century. The pieces of furniture, the clothes of the citizens of those times, the interior of the apartment of a resident of Pinsk (all the exhibits presented in this hall correspond to the era and are authentic).

3. The exposition Palace of Butrimovich, where you will learn about the history of the construction of Pinsk mura and learn about the fate of gentry dynasties, which are connected with the history of Pinsk: Butrimovich, Ord, Skirmunt and others. Here you can also admire works of art by Napoleon Orda and his sister.

4. Pinsk region during the Great Patriotic War. The story tells about the creation of the first partisan detachment (leader V. Z. Korzh), about the ghetto, which was located in Pinsk, and the liberation of the city, which occurred in July 1944.

5. Ethnographic exhibition dedicated to the crafts and folk skills of Pinsk region. Traditional costume, flax processing equipment, various old-fashioned machines (including weaving and lathe), blacksmiths products and much more await you in this department of the Pinsk museum.

6. The fauna of the Belarusian Polesie with stuffed animals that live in the area.

Where to go in Pinsk

Having visited the exposition of the museum of the Belarusian Polesie, take a leisurely stroll along the recently restored Lenin pedestrian street. Here you will see the Palace of Butrimovich and will be fascinated by the beauty of the Church of the Ascension of the Virgin Mary. Lovers of river trips waiting for Pinsk - a small boat, where you can take a trip to the picturesque surroundings of the city. For those who have already decided to get acquainted with the city on Pina - a selection of exciting tours from VETLIVA.