The Volzhin district of the Minsk region is one of the richest in cultural and historical domain regions. There are a huge number of attractions that are worth watching at least once in a lifetime. The village Bogdanovo deserves special attention; first of all, it is connected with the name of the talented artist and pedagogue Ferdinand Ruschitsa. 

The history of the Estate of the Ruschitses 

The country seat Bogdanovo was founded in the XVI century. It got its name thanks to Bogdan Sapieha that had bought the village.

In 1839 the country seat was purchased by Ferdinand Ruschitsa that was a grandfather of the famous artist. The estate with the name of the Ruschitses dynasty of the coat of arms “Lis” by the time had been erected in Bogdanovo.

The estate was situated in a very picturesque place. It is not surprisingly that the artist Ferdinand Ruschits devotedly painted landscapes of the native lands glorifying them in his canvasses. Interestingly, Ruschits is world-wide known as a Polish artist as for a long time he worked in the territory of Poland. Besides, there is only one his picture in Belarus. However, the artist lived in his beloved Bogdanovo inspiring him with nature and architecture. Thanks to the countrymen a church pictured in his painting “At the Church” is still called the Ruschitsa Church.

The estate presents a two-storey house with a walkway 240m long leading to it. At the entry there is a brahma. Inside the estate there were lots of treasures: a library with five thousand books of different ages (among which there were ancient examples on parchment dating back to the XVI century and also books in different languages – Latin, French, German and others), an archive, a vast art collection – paintings and sculptures. Besides, within the estate there was a workroom of the artist. The house made of stone was heated by tiled ovens. The eternal layout of the house consists of two saloons, a bedroom, a canteen and others. The Rushitses almost did not live there: it seemed too uncomfortable to them. They permanently lived in a house made of larch.

The exterior of the estate was decorated with a porch with two pairs of columns entwined with vine. Besides, at the both sides from the entry lush peony bushes grew. In a word, the house was buried in greenery creating an atmosphere of coziness. Behind the house there was a picturesque apple tree with a forked stem that often appeared in the artist’s pictures as a “model”.

The park in the landscape style gave the estate complex a special charm. A stream passed through it forming a beautiful pond with an island for beavers. Ferdinand Ruschits often sat there with an easel and sketched his future masterpieces.

The Ruschitses were hospitable hosts so in summer their estate cordially received relatives and guests and even pupils of the artist. The wooden house, the permanent housing of the Ruschitses, became lacked space for such a number of people - then the luxurious empty house came to the aid.

The Estate of the Ruschitses today

Unfortunately, the fate was not favorable to the family seat of the Ruschitses dynasty. Everything that was preserved in peaceful time was destroyed during the war. In 1944 the estate was burnt. Regrettable though, that happened during the operation to free the Volzhin district from the Nazis. So today on the site of the former richest estate there are only ruins of the basement, cellars and a stream. And the growing trees gave the recollection of the beautiful landscape park …