Golovchin. Castle Hill and a memorial sign.

There is a small town of Golovchin on the Mogilev – Krugloye highway. The history of Golovchin begins somewhere from the 11th century. During the time of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, local princes Golovchinsky were here and a wooden castle with a stone Catholic church was built. The church and monastery of the Dominicans were built in the 17th – 18th centuries and closed during the years of the Russian Empire.

During the Northern War, one of the most significant battles between the Swedish army of Charles XII and the Russian army on the territory of Belarus took place here. The battle took place between Golovchin and the village of Vasilki in July 1708. The Russian troops were led by Field Marshal B. Sheremetyev, and the Swedish troops were led by the king himself. The Swedes won the battle, and during the battle Charles XII almost drowned in a swamp. This was the last significant victory of the Swedes in the Northern War. By order of the king, a medal was stamped in Sweden with the inscription: “Forests, swamps and the enemy have been defeated.” A Swedish historian later noted: "Golovchin turned out to be the place over which the star of happiness of Charles XII rose for the last time."

Over time, at the beginning of the 20th century, this huge swamp between the village of Vasilki and Golovchin was drained, and numerous artifacts of that battle are still found in this field. A few years ago, a memorial stone was erected in Golovchina near the highway in honor of this battle.

Castle Hill is located next to Golovchin across the road and you can easily get there. In the very center of Golovchina stands a hillfort.