An amazingly beautiful estate can be found a few kilometers from Khoiniki city. In the village of Borisovschina, the ruins of the estate that once belonged to the Yastrzhembsky dynasty have been preserved. It is truly unusual and differs from other architectural monuments about which we wrote in the top of abandoned estates of Belarus. Sit conveniently: it's time to learn about the water tower, where you could watch a movie and even live, like in a real apartment.

The history of the unusual estate

The history of Yastrzhembsky estate in the village of Borisovschina begins at the end of the 19th century. In those days, the estate belonged to Felix Yastrzhembsky, a representative of the ancient Polish dynasty. With his participation, a luxurious complex, which included several buildings, appeared on the banks of the Vit River. The most amazing locations of the estate were not the manor’s house, but a five-story water tower and a park with a garden, which occupied 18 hectares of land.

An interesting fact from VETLIVA: even a little more than a hundred years ago, exotic trees brought from Kiev, Warsaw and Riga were growing in the Borisov region. Unfortunately, now almost nothing remains of its former splendor. But in all, in Gomel, located about 120 km from the Borisov region, you will see a beautiful park with exotic plants and a well-preserved palace (by the way, it is among the best in Belarus). If you read our city guide, you will definitely not miss anything while walking along the Pearl of Polesie.

A gorgeous linden alley led from the gate to the manor building. A staircase descended to the lower terrace, where a recreation area with an artificial pond and decorative bridges was equipped, right down from the manor house. The reservoir was connected to canals, which performed an important function: they diverted water in order to drain the swampy lowlands.

The current state of Yastrzhembsky estate in the village of Borisovschina

Despite the fact that the estate is included in the State List of Historical and Cultural Values ​​of the Republic of Belarus, now it is in ruins. From the one-story house where the Yastrzhembskys lived, there is nothing left. Exotic trees had not preserved without proper care, and the terrace turned into a swamp, because the canals are overgrown. The most amazing thing is that in one of the houses that was once intended for servants, people still live! Yes, and the second residents of the Borisov region left just five years ago.

Nevertheless, it’s worth to come to Borisovschina in order to see ... a water tower! Yes, you heard right: the real dominant of the complex is the building that once served as a water pump. And now we will explain why.

The five-story tower was built in neo-Gothic style. Thanks to the four turrets, it resembles a real medieval castle. Unlike other buildings of the complex, the tower is well preserved.

An interesting fact from VETLIVA: just imagine, in Brezhnev’s times ... residential apartments were located within its walls! There also was a bakery, cream and cheese production, and even a cinema hall. Almost a real multifunctional complex. If you are interested in where else in Belarus there were buildings that included many premises with different functionalities, read the section of our article about the Church of St. Stanislav.

Just imagine what a cool loft or studio could be arranged in the walls of such a building! It is a pity that the complex is in ruins, and no one plans to restore it ... By the way, water towers in many cities of Belarus are interesting architectural monuments. In Gomel there is a restaurant in one of them, and in Grodno there are two such towers. And each has its own name — the local affectionately call the turrets of Kasey and Basey. If you are wondering why, the guide will reveal a secret over their origin during city tour.

The picturesque tower is so distinguished from pastoral village landscape that at first you might even think that you are not in Belarus.

When traveling around the Gomel region, be sure to look into the village of Borisovschina and capture the ruins of the complex in photographs.