The Estate of the Plyater Family in Opsa

In addition to the estate, located in Gorodets, the Plyater family left another architectural masterpiece, located in the Vitebsk region. This estate, built in the XX century, is interesting and well-preserved like their residence in Gorodets. This monument is located in the village Opsa. This interesting name has Baltic roots and means "on the bank." The name suits the village because it stands on the shores of the lake.

The History of Opsa

Opsa is known since 1500 (according to chronicles, one of the Lithuanian dukes gave the lands of Opsa to a duke of Smolensk for a temporary use). Like many other villages in Belarus, at first Opsa was part of the lands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, then it was part of the Rzech Pospolita. The village has always been in the center of the action: during the Russian-Polish war, in 1792, one of the battles took place here; during the war with Napoleon, the commander’s headquarters of the first Russian Western Army of Barclay de Tolly placed here, and then - French forces (the headquarters of the cavalry corps of Marshal Murat).

In 1823, Opsa belonged to new owners, the Plyater family. The estate was built in the early XX century. During the First World War, there were the military headquarters and stand-by forces of the Russian army. In 1939, it became part of the BSSR, and during World War II it lost many inhabitants.

Estate and its History

The estate became widely known due to the well-known representative of the Plyater family - Emilia who fought in the uprising 1831-1833. Emilia Plyater is a "Belarusian Joan of Arc”- she became a heroine in four countries, and her image can be seen on the Polish and Lithuanian banknotes. This representative of this Plyater dynasty glorified not only the name but also their heritage for centuries.

Felix Plyater began the construction of the estate. For two years, 1903-1905, the estate complex appeared in Opsa, designed by architect Teleshinsky.

The complex included the estate house, outbuildings, and of course park. The main building combines both classical and modern features. The estate house is one-storey with two-storey risalits on the sides. The entrance to the house is decorated with a portico, supported by two columns. Windows of the western façade overlooked the beautiful lake. Along the façade, there was a spacious terrace, which ended with stairs going down to the water.

In addition to the estate house, you can see fragments of the fence, the stone bridge with arches. The park is fragmentarily preserved. Moreover, it boasts a real gem of natural heritage. Today the oldest oak is growing there – this two-hundred-year-old twenty-meter giant must be seen with your own eyes.

Nowadays, the estate of the Plyater family is in bad condition, but it is temporary. Several large companies and funds are going to restore it. It is planned to build a modern hotel complex, which will meet all international standards.