Amazing things happen with monuments. The more important individual is, the greater is its role in art, literature, history, the less interesting sculptural object is for tourists. It happens because there are lots of similar monuments in different cities. However in Belarus each monument opening becomes an important cultural event and one small step to study its history. Monument to Lew Sapieha, Chancellor of Grand Dutch of Lithuania worth seeing: it was created in a single copy, it symbolizes a certain period in Belarusian history and definitely you will never see the same one.
The role of an ancient noble family Sapieha can not be overemphasized in the history of Belarus. The brightest member of the genus - Lew Ivanovich - was the initiator of the creation and adoption of the Statute III, secure the autonomy of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and declared Belarusian language a state language. Starting from the lowest ranks of the state, Lew Sapieha reached the highest post in the GDL: in his 70 he was appointed as Grand Hetman and Chancellor, which means the war minister and commander of the troops.
But why the monument was installed here in Lepel, in a city with a population of about twenty thousand? Actually Chancellor of Grand Duchy of Lithuania contributed to the development of that village greatly. According to historical information, Lew Sapieha acquired the land in 1586 in Vilna Catholic department and initiated the relocation of the most important architectural structures (the castle, the church), on the other side of the river. Since Lepel began his development, the city never changed its location. About it's original location resembles only a village Staryy Lepel, as it preserves it's old name.
The initiator of the monument was made by priest Andrey Aniskevich, the abbot of the local Roman Catholic community of St. Casimir. He worked on the monument a monument to Lev Sapieha in Lepel renowned sculptor Leo Minsk Oganov, who portrayed Sapieha in formal attire. Dressed in kuntush over the breastplate, the Chancellor in his right hand holds a mace - a mark of the hetman, and the left is based on the hilt of his sword gentry. By the way, when you transfer Lepel Lev Ivanovich had not yet been appointed Chancellor, but the sculptor decided that historical accuracy is not a big deal. The total height of the bronze statue is 3 meters, it is located on a granite pedestal.
The initiator of monument creation was the priest Andrey Aniskevich, the abbot of the local Roman Catholic community of St. Casimir.
Lev Oganov, famous Minsk sculptor, worked on the monument to Lev Sapieha. He portrayed Sapieha in formal attire. The total height of the bronze statue is 3 meters, it is located on a granite pedestal.
By the way, this monument is not the only assessment of Sapieha's activity. His name is given to streets in Minsk and to the square in Slonim. In Belarus also educational public asociation "Lev Sapieha Foundation" operates. At the initiative of this Foundation in 2005 a memorial sign was installed in memory of the Sapieha in Ostrovno village (Beshenkovichi district).