Gomel. Chapel-tomb of the Paskeviches.

In memory of Count Ivan Fyodorovich Paskevich-Erivansky, Prince of Warsaw

The construction of the Paskevich crypt was started in 1870 by Lieutenant General Fyodor Ivanovich Paskevich. The chapel was built in memory of the prince's father, Field Marshal Ivan Fyodorovich Paskevich. The famous military leader was the only full knight of the Order of St. George and St. Vladimir in history. During his lifetime, Ivan Fyodorovich was famous for his excellent bravery and talent as a commander. During the reign of Nicholas I, Prince Ivan Paskevich had no equal in influence. The prince died in Warsaw and was buried in Ivanovskoye, now the city of Demblin.

The construction of the chapel in Gomel was completed in 1889. The remains of the Most Serene Prince of Warsaw, Count Ivan Fyodorovich Paskevich-Erivansky and his wife, the Most Serene Princess of Warsaw Elizaveta Alekseyevna Paskevich, were moved to the family crypt under the chapel.

After some time, the remains of the field marshal's father, Fyodor Grigoryevich Paskevich, and his mother, Anna Osipovna Paskevich, as well as their daughters, Anastasia Ivanovna Lobanova-Rostovskaya and Anna Ivanovna Volkonskaya, were reburied in the crypt at a depth of three meters. The last to be buried were Lieutenant General Fyodor Ivanovich Paskevich and his granddaughter, Alexandra Nikolaevna Balasheva. All the graves are covered with slabs with eight-pointed Orthodox crosses.

The luxurious decoration of the chapel

The chapel above the Paskevich burial vault is built in the "Russian style", which is characterized by the techniques of Moscow architecture of the 17th century. The square brick building is crowned with a high octagonal tent. At the top is a gilded onion-shaped dome. The same onion-shaped domes are erected at the corners of the building. Carved stone, painted walls, smalt mosaics, red unglazed ceramics, artistically processed metal - all this diversity is characteristic of the exterior decoration of the chapel.

The entrance to the underground tomb is located in a separate pavilion, which is made in a similar style. A gilded dome with an Orthodox cross is also installed above the pavilion. The vaults of the tomb are lined with ceramic material with glass glaze. This material was produced at a factory near the village of Naspa, which is located in the Buda-Koshelevsky district. Previously, the interior of the dungeon was decorated with icons, silver wreaths and porcelain items rested on the tombstones. In the crypt there were marble vases, a chandeliers, candlesticks and lamps made of silver and gilded bronze.

The Paskevich tomb today

In the 1920s, the tomb lost its interior decoration, then, during the Great Patriotic War, the chapel suffered serious damage. In 1953, the building was recognized as an architectural monument, and the republic's authorities took it under protection. In 1969-1976, the chapel-tomb was restored, after which the object was transferred to the Gomel Palace and Park Ensemble Museum. In the 1980s, gilding returned to the metal elements of the monument. In 2016, the final stage of restoration was completed, and the tomb of the princes Paskevich opened to visitors.