Capital of Polesie

Minsk - Pinsk - Boat trip on the river Pina - The Museum of Polesie - Minsk

The length of the route: 600 km
Duration: 10-12 hours

Polesie is one of the most interesting regions of Belarus. Its inhabitants speak on their own language of Polesie, which is a mixture of Belarusian and Ukrainian. Their costumes and customs attract ethnographers from all over Europe. The route consists of two stopping points.

• Stopping point 1. City tour to Pinsk  - approximate duration 1-2 hours
  

Pinsk, a capital and cultural centre of belarusian Polesie, firstly was mentioned in chronicles in 1097. It was founded by one of the three largest Belarusian tribes - Dregovichi and was the center of Turov-Pinsk principality. The city's name comes from the Pina river on which it is located.
Today Pinsk is one of the largest cities of Belarus. Besides the capital of Polesie isinteresting for almost completely preserved historical buildings. According to some sources, it is the second city in Belarus ( after Grodno) according to the number of preserved monuments of architecture.
Over the centuries, churches and ordinary buildings were constructed in Pinsk. By its architecture they show not only local traditions and traits of architecture of previous eras, but also the achievements of European architecture. Due to numerous wars and strikes to the present day most of the historic buildings did not preserve.
The historic center of Pinsk is located on Lenin Square. This is a paradox, because if you look at the geography of the modern city, the square is located on the outskirts of the city on the left bank of the Pina River.
One of the hallmark of the city is the palace of Butrimovich. Today we know the exact date of foundation - September 7, 1784. On this day, in honor of King of Poland Stanisław August Poniatowski arrival in Pinsk ,in the foundation was lowered plate with an inscription.
It became one of the first palaces on the western and central Belarus, combining the characteristic features of both the baroque and classicism. There is an unusual thing, the palace complex is included in the city's street buildings. Traditionally, the palace provided accommodation in the depths of the park.
In Soviet times, the palace housed the printing press and the Palace of Pioneers. This saved the building from destruction. However, the internal baroque  layout of the building almost did not preserve. Today  it is the Wedding Palace.
A similar fate has the Jesuit College complex. The original view, which combines Renaissance and Baroque, Collegium preserve only external. The collegium is well preserved, and now it houss the administrative and public organizations.
Church of St. Charles Barromeo is another monument of Baroque architecture, it was built in 1770-1782 years. For a long time, due to the decline of the Order, the temple was empty, but again began to work in the middle of the XIX century. Then during the Soviet Union it was turned into an organ hall. In 2013, the Church of St. Charles Barromeo was restored.
Almost a whole city center belongs to the monuments of history and architecture. Pinsk delights and surprises for its unusually beautiful buildings.
A nice addition to any tour route will be riding on the boat (approx. 60 minutes). You can enjoy an unforgettable journey  from April to October. Boat goes on the river Pripyat  to villages Tereben and Krivichi that allows passengers to enjoy the spectacular views of Polesie.

• Stopping point 2. The Museum of Polesie - duration 45-60 minutes

The Museum of Belarusian Polesie, which is located in a former Jesuit collegium in Pinsk, considered  to be one of the oldest in Belarus.
Visit to the museum begins with a room, devoted to crafts of Polesie inhabitants.
The first room of the hall is about weaving and the rural way of life of polesian people. There are stands with towels, items of clothing and a loom in the corner.
The only one in Belarus homemade wooden bicycle  of 1933 issue should be specially mentioned. It was bought for 10 PLN from Vasiliy Ilyuchik, a peasant of the village Bogdanovka of Pogost-Zagorodsky commune of Pinsk povet.
In the hall, dedicated to the history of Pinsk, you can see objects and fragments found during archaeological excavations: primitive instruments of labor, women's jewelry of I century BC - II century AD. The highlight of the room - a tooth and part of a bone of the mammoth , which were also found in Pinsk.
In the room you can also find a fragment of a wooden boat, which ancient people used. Tey said  that some of these boats can carry cargo weighing up to 8 tons.
The exhibition tells about the time when the Pinsk land was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. You can find the real mail and the collection of knives, medieval warriors "guard" glass cabinet. There are The Statutes of Lithuania in the room, published in 1694.
In Pinsk museum there is a room, dedicated to the life of citizens in the beginning of the XX century. The room has the interior of the city apartment dwellers. Among the exhibits are numerous photos of Pinsk, a telephone, a samovar, a gas burner, clock, table, chairs, gramophone, wardrobe, wall decorations. Some items were brought by citizens.
Another highlight of the museum is a rich collection of paintings. Total Art Foundation has about two thousand paintings, among of them  are several tens of famous Russian artists of XIX - early XX century authentic works.

Дополнительно оплачивается

• certified guide services (from 100 €);
• entrance tickets to the museum of Polesie
  boat ride from 90 € for group
• organization of transfer on a shuttle bus / car if necessary; 
  
• catering;
• souvenirs;