Date :
Tuesday, July 4, 2023
The history of the manor in the Vyaloe reserve is associated with the Tyszkiewicz family - a noble lineage of magnates tracing its roots back to the 15th century. It was here, on the picturesque bank of the Isloch River, that Benedict Tyszkiewicz, a representative of the influential family, ordered the construction of a hunting lodge. Count Tyszkiewicz was passionate about hunting and would visit the reserve every year to hunt in the Nalibokskaya Forest - a massive woodland teeming with wild birds, moose, roe deer, wild boars, deer, and many other wild animals. A one-story wooden building, erected in 1840, served as a cozy refuge for the count and his friends during these visits. The house guests would relax, hunt, and take walks around the area. The count's friends nicknamed the structure the "Hunting Palace".
Hunting was not the only passion of Benedict Tyszkiewicz. The Count traveled the world, collected art objects, was interested in sports, painting, and photography. Tyszkiewicz loved photographing nature, animals, the everyday life of ordinary people and even received international recognition as a photographer. Some of his photographs, which survived the First World War, are kept in the French museum in Chalon-sur-Saône. There is a reason to believe that the hunting house partly served as a photography studio for the count, and some photographs may still be preserved by local old-timers.
Benedict's son, Benedict Jan Tyszkiewicz, who loved these lands no less than his father, eventually added a second floor to the hunting lodge and built farm buildings on the manor grounds. During a fire that occurred at the end of the 19th century, the wooden "palace" burned down. Benedict Jan decided to build a stone structure in its place, whose walls have partially survived to this day. Plumbing was installed in the house, an arched gallery was located on the first floor, and an addition with a balcony towered above the main entrance.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the owner of the estate established a large zoo on the manor grounds, where deer, bears, and other wild animals were bred. Its area was about 500 hectares. In the reserve, a landscape park was also created, featuring rare trees and shrubs brought from various locations.
The tranquil life at the Tyszkiewicz manor was disrupted by the First World War and the events that followed it. The largest zoo in Belarus was emptied as a result of military operations and the onslaught of poachers. The territory of the reserve was taken over by Poland, and Count Tyszkiewicz left the manor forever.
The Polish authorities tried to restore the zoo, but their plans were disrupted by the Second World War. During the war, the Tyszkiewicz house was blown up by Soviet partisans with the aim of destroying the Nazi soldiers who had taken refuge within the manor's walls. Only the ruins of the structure remain today, attracting antiquity enthusiasts and fans of abandoned buildings.
The manor is located 22 kilometers from Minsk, but it's not easy to get to this atmospheric place on the edge of the Nalibokskaya Forest on your own - there are no direct buses or trains going there. The most convenient way to reach it is by car. The former Tyszkiewicz manor is located three kilometers from the village of Rudnya in the Volozhin region, near the closed sanatorium "Lesnoe". Tour routes around the Volozhin region and ecological tours of the Nalibokskaya Forest also include a visit to the former Vyaloe reserve.