The employees of the Department of Archives and Records Management of the Ministry of Justice and the Republican Archives touched living history and felt the flavor of Belarusian towns

Published: September 16, 2024

On September 14, 2024, the primary trade union organization of the Department of Archives and Records Management of the Ministry of Justice organized a tour of the sights of the Minsk and Vitebsk regions.

The tour was traditionally timed to coincide with the upcoming Archivist Day.

The idea of dedicating a warm September weekend to a trip was also supported by the heads of the National Historical Archive and the Belarusian State Archive-Museum of Literature and Art, who took part in the tour. Early Saturday morning, a group of archivist tourists, passing picturesque villages and admiring the landscapes of early autumn, set off along the Budslav-Glubokoe-Ilovo route.

The first point of the route was the agro-town of Budslav of the Myadel district, where the Church of the Ascension of the Blessed Virgin Mary is located. The temple is widely known not only in our country, but also far beyond its borders. The church is one of four churches in Belarus that bear the title of minor basilica, and is an outstanding architectural monument of national significance and one of the key Christian shrines.

It should be noted that the National Historical Archives of Belarus contains a handwritten catalog of the library of the Budslav Monastery from 1796 (fund 1781) and three registers of the Budslav Church for 1787-1835, 1787-1798, 1800 (fund 937).

This majestic and beautiful temple was saved from a fire on May 11, 2021, as a result of which the roof burned down and collapsed, the vaults and other building structures were severely damaged. Extensive restoration work has been carried out, but much remains to be done.

Then the route ran through the Vitebsk region in the direction of the city of Glubokoe (first mentioned in 1414). Already at the beginning of the 16th century, the town of Glubokoe was a large trading center. The tourists listened with interest to the story of the paradoxical past of Glubokoe, when the town was divided into two halves: the southwestern part belonged to the Zenovichs and was part of the Oshmyany district of the Vilnius voivodeship, the northeastern part belonged to the Korsaks and was part of the Disna district of the Polotsk voivodeship. Each part had its own center – a square. In Glubokoe, historical and cultural values were examined – the Cathedral in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1639-1654), the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity (1764-1782, 1902-1908), the Ilyinskaya Chapel (late 18th century) and the Memorial Column in honor of the Constitution of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth on May 3, 1791, located in the Koptevka cemetery. The Alley of Famous Countrymen, created in 2012 in honor of the Day of Belarusian Literature, did not go unnoticed, where 9 bronze busts of famous people from the Belarusian land were installed.

The guide on the route «The Taste of Belarusian Towns» was Igor Fyodorov, who conducted the excursion with great love and respect for his native Glubokoye region. We had to go underground with him and climb steep steps to the height of the towers of the Cathedral, but it was worth it… It was nice to listen to our guide and discuss historical topics. Throughout the entire route, Igor spoke fascinatingly and professionally about historical facts and legends, outstanding events and personalities who left a mark on the life of the country or individual cities and towns.

Of course, it was not without tasting several types of Glubokoye condensed milk and other natural products of local producers.

The trip was filled with vivid impressions and positive emotions.

Photos by N.T. Buloychik