Dvor-Toronkovichi. Brewery.

In the depths of the Lepel district of the Vitebsk region, among forests and swamps, a small village with the compound name Dvor-Toronkovichi was lost. Formally, it is part of a larger bush, which also includes Bolshye (Big) and Malye (Small) Toronkovichi, but it is this "Dvor" (Courtyard) that attracts the attention of travelers and researchers due to one amazing structure.

The main attraction and architectural dominant of these places is the old Brovar (distillery), towering over the surrounding wooden houses like a medieval castle. Built at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries, this "red giant" still impresses with its monumentality.

The brewery building is made of brick, which has acquired a characteristic dark red hue over more than a hundred years. Even in its current dilapidated state, it looks impressive. The architectural appearance of the building is decorated with lancet windows, which give the industrial structure features of the Gothic style and make it look like a small knight's hall or a church. Next to the main building, a stone storage tank has been preserved, also made with a special architectural design, which allows us to talk about the whole historical ensemble.

Not only the architecture is interesting, but also the history of this place. Brewery was built by a local landowner and provided jobs to the surrounding residents, bringing them good earnings. The enterprising owner took care not only of production, but also of the infrastructure: a small river, the source of which is a local stream, was dammed. This is how an artificial square reservoir appeared, which locals still use for swimming and fishing.

After the revolutionary events, the plant was nationalized. Popular rumor has told a dramatic story about how, during the change of power, all the ready-made alcohol from the tanks was poured directly into this reservoir. Local peasants, according to legend, drank this diluted water directly from the shore, and then a huge copper distillation vat was rolled under its own power to the regional center - Lepel.

In Soviet times, the building was used for various needs: during the war, a shelter for the homeless was found here, later it was converted into warehouses and even livestock facilities. This saved the building from complete destruction, but caused damage to the interiors. The interior wooden floors rotted and collapsed, and the wide window openings were bricked up for the needs of the cattle yard.

Today, the fate of a unique monument of industrial architecture hangs in the balance. Locals bitterly tell how looters are pulling apart durable old bricks and tearing the tin off the roof. Back in the late 1990s, the staff of the Lepel Museum of Local Lore petitioned to grant Brewery the status of an architectural monument, and as a result it was taken under protection. However, the protected status does not always save from destruction.

Despite the desolation, the brewery in Dvor-Toronkovichi remains a real magnet for lovers of antiquity. He is a silent witness of an entire epoch, remembering the lords, the revolution, and the wars. As long as its massive walls with elegant lancet windows are standing, we have a chance to preserve a piece of the history of the Lepel region for future generations. There are other monuments near this giant - nearby there are giant boulders, the famous stone altar and stone crosses that complement the picture of this amazing place.