Kossovo Palace is an architectural specimen of the 19th century
The former residence of the Puslovsky family in the town of Kossovo is a fine example of the 19th century neo-Gothic architecture and the only surviving monument of this style on the territory of Belarus. Amazing, as if soaring high in the sky, the snow-white fairy-tale-like palace with miniature crenellated towers, once called the "knight's dream", has reopened after an extensive period of reconstruction.It is one of the main attractions of Brest Oblast. In 2022 alone, the palace and its temporary exposition spanning five halls in the central wing drew about 90,000 visitors.
The estate in the town of Kossovo changed hands many times. It was owned by several distinguished dynasties: the Khreptovichs, Sanguszkos, Flemmings, Czartoryskis and Sapiehas... However, the estate still bears the name of the Puslovsky family. The father, Wojciech Puslovsky, founded a carpet-making factory and was known for his patronage activities. His son Vandalin was a major industrialist who started the construction of the palace in 1838. Later, thanks to the vicinity to the estate of Tadeusz Kościuszko, the palace hosted many prominent figures of that time. Among them were Napoleon Orda, Henryk Sienkiewicz, Eliza Orzeszkowa, Jozef Pilsudski, Vatslav Lastovsky…
Kossovo Palace was badly damaged during World War II, and the fire of 1944 almost completely destroyed the interiors of this majestic family nest. It was not until the 21st century that a decision was made to restore the historical and cultural heritage site. In total, it took about three years to complete preparatory and design works, and in May 2008 a large-scale reconstruction effort began. The project proceeded in several stages and included internal and external works, the creation of a museum, laying of engineering networks, and landscaping.
This grandiose reconstruction project was completed within 14 years. In the course of the project the interior design of the palace was restored. Most of the estate premises (with the exception of the museum) is planned to be rented out. One wing of the castle is to be turned into a hotel complex, the second wing might be used as a cafe and a restaurant for visitors of the complex.
