The Estate "Luschiki" in the Urban Village Svir

Svir is an urban village situated in the Myadel district of the Minsk region, in the picturesque place on the bank of the eponymous lake. It is located 45 km westward fr om Myadel and 180 km fr om Minsk. It is 26 km from the railway station Lyntupy. Besides, the area is famous for a huge numbers of sightings among which the Temple of St Nicholas, the Old Believers’ Church of the Assumption and an ossuary constructed in the XIX century, and, of course, a well-preserved estate-park complex of Ahrenovsky of the XX century.

The history of the village

Svir has passed through a long and difficult way of development. There is a legend that the location appeared in the early XIII century that makes Svir be one of the most ancient villages of the Myadel district. It was founded by Prince Dovmont on the site of a pagan sanctuary dedicated to Perun. Before 1528 it was in possession of the princes Svirskies, later the Radziwills. Svir is also remarkable for the fact that in 1579 there was a residence wh ere the king of Poland Stefan Batory was received cordially.

The further fate of the village was like that of any other location of Belarus. After the Grand Duchy of Lithuania it was part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. After the collapse of the Polish state, since 795, Svir became part of the Russian Empire. Subsequent to the results of the First World War it became a district center of the Sventsyansk County of the Vilno Voivodeship (the territory of Poland). Since 1939 it is a village in the territory of the BSSR. During the Great Patriotic War it was occupied for three years, and was liberated on 6 July 1944. In 1958 it was granted the status of urban village.

The palace in Art-Nouveaux

The palace with surrounding territories are usually referred to Svir, however, it is situated 2 km eastward. The estate house traditionally presenting the center of the whole composition of the complex is situated on a small hill with a plain top. The building is made of brick and has two storeys. It consists of several interchanging complex blocks emphasized with contrastive white rustication. The most picturesque and outstanding block is a lateral one that is made in the form of a small tower with a tented roof with lucarnes. On the lateral facades there are figured shields and balconies decorated with laced fencing. The windows are distinctive for strict but beautiful decorative fixtures – dripstones and gables. In the dwelling rooms there have survived tiled heaters.

Two driveways led to the house. The forecourt presents a special interest; it is not circular as it was common at the time but oval. It was edged with lilac and privet bushes around the inner and external perimeter respectively. The main walkway edged with lime trees was a little out of line of symmetry. Along the second walkway edged with alder trees there were orchards wh ere in their turn there was a small pond.

In the west behind the estate there was a park. The slope was covered with a picturesque lawn that was edged with typical for our climate limes, maples, ashes and oaks for observing a center line of the whole park composition. To the left from the house there was an ice cellar that has not survived to us as on account of its decay it was disassembled in the late XX century. However, there has survived another outbuilding made of red brick as the palace itself.

The today monument of architecture

A journey to the urban village Svir is included in many tour itineraries, and it is not surprising as the building has perfectly preserved its original appearance. Besides, it is used as a health-care institution – it accommodates a psych neurological hospital.