«as horses whirled him through the dust…»

Do you think what the hero of A. S. Pushkin was flying on? Yes, he was riding horses along a dusty road. Speed is the highest of achievable at that time, as clouds of dust raised. The mode of transport was called a stagecoach; it served to transport people, cargo, mail and courier service. The network of roads with staging posts, postal stations, began to develop during the reign of Peter I, because the route was tedious for passengers, coachman and horses. And at the mail station you could rest, eat, change horses and spend the night if necessary. That was such a roadside service.

The road from Moscow to Warsaw has been gaining in importance since the mid-19^th century.  This road exists today, however it is duplicated by a new speedway of European value M1, but the old road is located not far from it. It is interesting not only as a path to follow, but as a historical landmark.

Postal stations were built on a standard project, so they are all very similar to each other.  The standard structure of a postal station: a small hotel (an inn), stables, stage and carriage house. But the station Nehachevo located in Brest region is unusual. Now we would call it VIP: here were even apartments for the royalty.

The village of Nehachevo and its postal station

The village owes its existence to the construction of the first class postal station here. There were only few similar stations on the territory of modern Belarus. Three buildings of the station are connected between each other with corridors, they were built in 1840. Experts attribute them to the late classical style.

The functions of the postal station were divided between the buildings as follows: the central building was an administrative complex and housing for guests, the side ones were for household purposes and stables.

Historical documents say that to ensure the work of the postal station is not easy, as it performed a lot of functions. It was such a transport department in symbiosis with a hotel.

The construction in Nehachevo is a historical attraction of the Republican value.

The revival of the postal station

No, the postal station was not on a full decline, as it might seem from the subtitle. The high-quality building of brick resisted having preserved even a semblance of its former dignity. But it is the merit of those builders and designers who built it nearly 200 years ago. However the circumstances of the 20^th century contributed to the tear and wear of the old building: there was not appropriate care. So there was a shop of the local consumer society, then it was empty at all.

It is more pleasant to state the fact that today the building has experienced a revival in its former capacity as an object of a roadside service. The building was restored by the efforts of private capital; the stylized atmosphere of the previous centuries was recreated in it and the surrounding area. And despite the fact that it is not a museum but it is exactly a modern «coaching inn». It means that the conveniences are modern and the environment is historical.   

And let's allow yourself several literary associations again: «Coachman, do not ride horses hard…», «There a stage troika is tearing…» and many others. What for should we recreate such colorful places and preserve historical heritage if not for the fact that humanity would have literary and historical associations, would know what stands behind them and remember their roots?!

Source: https://road.globeofrussia.ru/