On April 26, 1986, one of the worst man-made disasters of the twentieth century occurred - the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. It left behind polluted areas of exclusion, villages abandoned by the inhabitants, where you can still find the wonders of architecture. One of these unique monuments is the estate of Gerardy in the village of Demyanki of Gomel region.

Demyanki and Gerardy Manor: pages of history

The small village which has this sight of Belarus is located in the north of the Dobrush region (21 km from Dobrush and 49 km from Gomel). It would seem that such a short distance separates Demyanki from the regional center, and you can get here only by special passes: the village is located in the zone contaminated by radiation. If you decide to visit the exclusion zone at your own risk, you will definitely be stopped at the police checkpoint.

The village of Demyanka began its history long ago, in the 16th century. It is clear that in those days nothing foretold the present desolation, quite the contrary. By 1884, in the village there were two operating windmills, its own distillery, bread storage shop. At the same time, a manor that belonged to Nikolay Nikolayevich Gerard appeared - a prominent Russian statesman who was governor-general of Finland in 1905–08.

The fate of Demyanki did not differ much from many other settlements of Belarus:

• in 1909, 36 courtyards burned down here,

• in 1929, the Hammer and Pioneer collective farms were organized,

• from August 1941 to September 28, 1943, the village was occupied (136 Soviet soldiers were killed in the battles for the village and a stele was installed in honor of their achievement on the outskirts of Demyanok)

• in 1962 the village of Nizki was annexed to the village, then the inhabitants of the village of Pchelka moved here (1974),

• after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the villagers were resettled.

An interesting fact from VETLIVA: Demyanki , though empty, but not quite. Several residents returned here at their own risk, continuing to live in their native village.

Manor of Gerardy: Dobrush's sight in pseudo-Russian style

In 1876, as we already mentioned above, Nikolay Gerard became the owner of Demyanki. At the end of the century an impressive brick building was erected on the right bank of the Iput River. Style - pseudo-Russian with modern elements. The total area of ​​the estate is 7 hectares (together with the picturesque park that once surrounded the estate of Gerardy). Its uniqueness lies in a two-tier layout: the building is located on an elevation, surrounded by the upper park, and a special staircase led to the lower tier. Bitter chestnut, rickety irga, Tatar brujmel, black pine, Norway Schwedler maple are just a few of the exotic plants that are still growing here.

An interesting fact from VETLIVA: a four-arch bridge is a real decoration of the complex. Even if it is dilapidated, it looks organic and very beautiful. By the way, there are other, no less amazing bridges in Belarus: a drawbridge in Varniany and a suspension bridge in Mosty.

The building of the estate is a massive two-story house.

It looks beautiful and unusual:

• on the high ground floor,

• with a quadrangular turret adorned with battlements

• has a small side space and a veranda,

• on the walls and windows decor in the old Russian style.

It is a pity that there is little left from the former greatness now. The windows are bricked up, but you can go inside. The space cuts through a wide corridor with arched ceilings, which abuts against a beautiful, well-preserved wrought-iron staircase. A little fantasy, and you can imagine how noble ladies, rustling puffy skirts, climbed it during ceremonial receptions ...

An interesting fact from VETLIVA: by the way, about the stairs. Rumor has it that there was a special «musical» staircase in Kossovo Castle. She was so narrow that the dresses of noble ladies created a resonant musical effect due to the rustle of fabric. 

Like any other decent palace or castle, the estate of Gerardy has his ghost. It is rumored that the adviser's daughter fell in love with a Russian soldier whose regiment was stationed in Demyanki. After sending the army on, she secretly went to her beloved. Gerard returned the careless daughter back, but the girl missed her soldier so much that she shot herself dead. Locals say that her spirit can be seen in the vicinity ... Belarus is generally a mystical country. 

Not so long ago, the exclusion zone of Belarus was opened for tourists. Who knows, maybe this will give a second life to an amazing manor in Demyanki, otherwise this architectural monument risks disappearing forever from the face of the Earth ...