Pinsk is a small town in Polesie, which, nevertheless, is popular among tourists. Here you can make a real cruise on the Pina River, play a wedding in the Butrimovich Palace and visit the magnificent Church of the Ascension of the Virgin Mary. Pinsk in Belarus is a large industrial center and at the same time rich in historical landmarks, whose list has recently been enlarged on a pedestrian street.

Pedestrian street and Pinsk: pages of history

The street which has the name of Lenin is the oldest in Pinsk. Its length is 800 meters. During its existence (no less than six centuries!), It has already changed several names: first called Big Spasskaya, then - Big Franciscan (Kiev), Big Kiev. In the 20s of the last century, she received the name of Kostyushka, during the German occupation it has the faceless name Big. With the coming of Soviet power (in 1939), it was named Lenin Street, and it is under this name that we still know it.

It is not for nothing that the pedestrian street is considered one of the key attractions of Pinsk: on almost all the buildings that can be seen here there are signs of «Historical and cultural value». They are a well-saved example of urban development at the turn of the century - the end of the XIX - beginning of the XX centuries. On the same street are the key monuments of the architectural heritage - «Pinsk moor» (the Palace of Butrimovich in Pinsk is by another name) and the Church of the Ascension of the Virgin Mary. In the palace, marriages are concluded and the current registry office is located. That is why the landmark looks updated and well-saved. The Church of the Ascension of the Virgin Mary in Pinsk is remarkable for the fact that the oldest organ in Belarus is here: it was created by the Belarusian master A. Grodnitsky in the 30s of the XIX century. Here is the amazing Pinsk Madonna. This icon is remarkable in that the artist sketched the face of the Madonna from the face of an ordinary Pinsk woman.

The main street has always been the center of public life in Pinsk: besides architecture, there were banks, hotels, workshops, ateliers, etc. on it.

An interesting fact from VETLIVA: intending to walk along the street, which was still called Kostyushko, pinsk people said: «Go to shpatsirovat across Gaza.» In this cipher, both Polish and Hebrew words are mixed: the main, big street was called gas, and the word «shpatsirovat» was translated as «walking». By the way, this word is encountered as a spoken language in the Belarusian language, and «shpatsyr» is nothing more than a walk (in the meaning of foot).

How did Lenin Street Become Pedestrian

Proposals to make Lenin Street a pedestrian were expressed at the end of the 1980s. However, only in preparation for the regional Dazhinki in 2014, this was finally decided. Large-scale reconstruction began in 2016 and was completed only in 2018.

Here are just a few interesting facts about the process:

1. In total, more than $ 1 million was allocated for work.

2. The antique trilinka tile, which was also called «Pinsk bone» in a different way, was completely dismantled, and modern tile was laid.

3. Beautiful «antique» lanterns were installed - now in the evenings on Lenin Street a truly fantastic atmosphere reigns.

4. The ceremonial opening of the pedestrian street took place on the first weekend of October 2018 - together with the celebration of the day of the Pinsk city. The event was celebrated with large scale: around the palace of Butrimovich circled in the dance «Pinsk gentry», medieval music was played near the walls of the Church of the Ascension of the Virgin Mary, shopping arcade stretched along the street with works of Belarusian craftsmen.

A funny fact from VETLIVA: even Pinsk has already got its own pedestrian street, but the capital of Belarus, Minsk, in tune with it, is still only dreaming of such luxury. The famous Oktyabrskaya and Zybitskaya streets become pedestrian only during large-scale events.