The Volovich Palace and Park Ensemble in Svyatsk

The village of Svyatsk, located in the Grodno region near the Polish and Lithuanian borders, could have remained one of the many unremarkable villages, if in the 18th century it was not bought by Yuzef Volovich - a representative of a noble aristocratic family. The owner of the estate decided to build a palace here. The construction of the building began in 1779 and was completed in the 1810s under Yuzef's son - Antonii Volovich. The project of the residence was created by a well-known Italian architect, Giuseppe de Sacco.

The Volovich Palace was a two-story structure, combining architectural features of Baroque and Classicism. The appearance of the building amazed visitors with its luxury and elegance. In the courtyard, two wings were located, which were connected to the main building by large galleries with colonnades. The main building was covered with a hipped roof with an attic floor. Opposite the palace was a small chapel in the Neo-Gothic style. Around the residence, they laid out an English landscape park with centuries-old trees, ponds, and a greenhouse. Note that the area around the palace still remains quite picturesque.

The Volovich Palace also has its own mystical legends. They say that Volovich's daughter fell in love with a commoner, which infuriated her father. The poor guy was drowned in a pond, and the pregnant girl, by her father's order, was immured alive in one of the residence's columns. According to the legend, from that time her restless soul roams the halls of the palace. There were rumors that after these events, the Volovich family suffered misfortunes, and the estate began to fall into decay.

At the end of the 19th century, the owner of Svyatsk lost the family estate in a billiard game. Since then, the palace has been deserted and has started to decay. The First World War and marauding further worsened the state of the building.

Due to its geographical location and the unstable political situation, Svyatsk has frequently changed hands between different states. At the end of the 18th century, it was Prussian, then Russian, at the beginning of the 20th century, Svyatsk became part of the Polish state, and then became part of the BSSR (Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic).

The Polish authorities attempted to restore the palace in the 1930s and opened a sanatorium there. The Soviet authorities also used the former Volovich residence as a medical institution. In the 2000s, the palace building was transferred to the balance sheet of the Belarusian sanatorium "Ozerny", but due to a lack of funds for restoration, the building was preserved.

In 2017, long-awaited restoration work began. According to the project leaders' vision, the Volovich estate should become a magnet for Belarusian and foreign tourists, transforming into a comfortable place for relaxation amid the natural beauty of the Grodno region. It is planned to open a hotel on the territory of the former noble residence with interiors stylized after the 19th century, a restaurant, a winter garden, a craft brewery, a recreation area with billiards, a sauna, a swimming pool. Restorers plan to restore the interiors of the palace - paintings and ornamental molding. There are also ambitious plans for landscaping the surrounding territory and restoring the landscape park.

To date, part of the restoration work has already been completed, but visitors will only be able to see the exterior of the palace and walk around the picturesque surroundings. To get to Svyatsk, you need to drive 20 kilometers from Grodno along the N6054 highway. Minibuses also depart from Grodno to Svyatsk several times a day. In the near future, thanks to the efforts of architects, historians, designers and builders, the manor complex is expected to open its doors to a wide range of guests.