Svyatopolk-Chetvertinsky Estate in Zheludok

On Google and Yandex maps.

Over the centuries, the estate had many owners — the Polubinskys, Sapiehas, Fratskevich-Radziminskys, and Tyzengauzes. In the early 20th century, it passed to the Svyatopolk-Chetvertinskys as the wife’s dowry. They were the ones who built the mansion in the Art Nouveau and Neo-Baroque styles.

An interesting fact I found online: the Svyatopolk-Chetvertinsky family claimed to be descendants of Prince Rurik — more precisely, of Svyatopolk Izyaslavich, the grandson of Yaroslav the Wise, from the Rurikid dynasty. But modern genetic research couldn’t confirm that lineage.

Construction began in 1907 and was completed by 1908. That’s not the first big building I’ve seen finished in just a year or two — it always amazes me. The palace was designed by the fashionable Polish-Italian architect Władysław Marconi, who also worked on the Puslovsky Palace in Kossovo.

They say that in the past you could enter the estate grounds freely. Now the entrance fee is 10 Belarusian rubles.

Some of the farm buildings have survived. For example, hidden in the overgrowth, you can spot the stables.

Walking around the estate:

The building still carries traces of its former beauty, but it’s slowly falling apart.

History of the estate:

From 1908 to 1939, it belonged to the Svyatopolk-Chetvertinsky family. After the fall of the Russian Empire, the land became part of Poland, which allowed the family to keep their property. But in 1939, when the territory became part of the Soviet Union, the estate was nationalized. The last owner, Ludwik Svyatopolk-Chetvertinsky, was sent to Auschwitz during World War II, where he died in 1941.

From 1941 to 1944, the building housed a German military hospital.

In the early 1960s, the estate was handed over to an air defense military unit. They opened a club there, and officers’ families might have lived on site.

No one knows what happened to the estate between 1983 and 1991.

In 1992, it was given to a division of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus that worked on agricultural mechanization. Not much real activity took place, but movies and music videos were filmed there. The most famous was the 2010 horror movie “Masakra” — about a were-bear, based on old Belarusian legends. Rumor has it that during filming, the crew started a fire to get the “burned wall” effect — but judging by the marks, it was just black paint:

In 2014, the estate was sold at auction to investors from Moscow. The deal required them to restore the building, but they didn’t. Later, they lost ownership rights, and now the palace stands abandoned again.

Nothing remains of the original interiors.

Except maybe the staircase:

It’s probably the most beautiful part of the palace. Judging by Instagram, people come here just for that staircase.

Anton checking out a windowsill:

Doors:

Rosettes:

Traces of the Soviet period:

In summer, swallows nest inside the estate (watch the video with sound):

They fly around constantly — only leaving when someone walks in. That’s how they defend their nests from intruders.

The fact that the estate was built in 1908 made me think — people rarely realize what historical moment they live in. Less than ten years after it was built, the country it stood in ceased to exist. If people had known that, they probably wouldn’t have built a mansion — they’d have sold the land. But when you’re living inside an era, it feels endless. The longer an era seems, the more unshakable it feels.

Although the palace in Zheludok was impressive, the Svyatopolk-Chetvertinsky family didn’t spend much time there — they preferred living in Warsaw. That fact again makes you wonder: who are Belarusians, really?

Traditional selfie:

Worth visiting.

4 August 2023