HERITAGE OF BELARUS: Potemkin’s Palace in Krichev
Potemkin’s Palace, one of the main landmarks of the town of Krichev, invites visitors to travel back in time, to the period of the first partition of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was then when Russian Empress Catherine the Great gave Krichev Starostwo and its residents to her favorite Grigory Potemkin.
Prince Potemkin’s manor was built within a short period of time in the late 18th century (although the exact date is still debatable) by famous architect Ivan Starov to accommodate the Empress and her entourage on her trips to the southern domains. In 1778 this Classicism style palace was bought by Prince Jan Holynski and rebuilt in neo-Gothic style in the mid 19th century.
Potemkin’s Palace in Krichev has a dramatic history. In 1898 the palace was burned down. Attempts by Stefan, Prince Jan Holynski’s grandson, to rebuild it were interrupted by World War I and the October Revolution… The palace stood abandoned for a long time. Its reconstruction began only in the 1980s and was finished 20 years later. In 2003, the palace was added to the list of historical and cultural heritage of the Republic of Belarus.
Nowadays, the palace houses the Krichev History Museum, the Museum of Mother and the civil registry office of the Krichev District Executive Committee. Tourists and history enthusiasts should begin a tour of the town exhibition from the second floor. Wedding ceremonies are held in the oval hall on the first floor.
Tour of Prince Potemkin’s Palace in the gallery
