Kamenets. White vezha.

Story

In the historical article of the Galicia-Volyn Chronicle for 1276, news is given about the founding of Kamenets by the Volyn prince Vladimir Vasilkovich: “ And then God put a good thought in the heart of Prince Vladimir, he thought about building a city somewhere beyond Berestye.” By order of the prince, Oleks was sent to build a new city. Under his leadership, a “ pillar of stones 17 fathoms high” was built. Like the wonder of all who behold him .” The period of construction, based on the Galician-Volyn Chronicle, is generally considered to be the period from 1276 to 1288.

In the 14th century, the tower many times withstood the raids of the crusaders and the assaults of the troops of the Polish and Lithuanian princes. In the 17th century, near the walls of the Kamenets Castle, ruthless battles unfolded between the armies of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Russian state (in 1661, Kamenets was even exempt from paying taxes for 4 years).

The tower served as a warehouse and arsenal - provisions were stored in the lower, coldest tiers, and weapons and ammunition were stored in the upper, next to the combat platform. The free space was occupied by fighters. The tower withstood many attacks, but it suffered not from soldiers, but from looters, who in the 19th century got into the habit of breaking down and removing bricks from it for household needs. With the improvement of technology, the tower lost its defensive significance.

The remains of the earthen rampart and wooden castle finally disappeared in 1903, during restoration and excavation work. A three-meter layer of earth was removed around the tower, as a result of which its first tier, which was previously mistakenly considered a basement, again found itself on the surface. At the same time, the vaults between the first and second tiers were dismantled and replaced with wooden beams. An earthen rampart was poured around the tower and lined with stone. The monument has been preserved in this form to this day. In the early 1950s, the tower was whitewashed for the first time and the floor was paved with stone. Restoration work was also carried out in the tower in 1968-1973 and 1996-2003.

Architecture

The Kamenets Tower is located on a high hill, on the left bank of the Lesnaya River, on the outskirts of the city of Kamenets (Brest region). The tower is round in plan (height 29.4 m, outer diameter 12.5 m, wall thickness 2.5 m). The interior is divided into 5 tiers (floors). There is a domed vault above the upper tier. From the 5th tier a stone staircase leading through the thickness of the wall leads to the upper platform. The tower has 14 battlements, at the base of which there is a battle platform.

It is made of cobblestone bricks of dark red and yellowish colors with characteristic oblong grooves in the lower part. “Baltic” masonry - two “spoons” alternate sequentially with one “poke”.

Museum

The total exhibition area of the museum is 313.2 m2. The exhibition, located in 5 halls on 5 tiers of the tower, has 335 exhibits.

On the 1st tier there is a reconstruction of an episode of the life of the tower at the end of the 13th century and the triptych “Construction of the Kamenets Tower”, made by the artist N. I. Gurshchenkov.

The 2nd tier of the museum is dedicated to the archaeological study of the city of Kamenets and the Kamenets region. Here you can get acquainted with archaeological finds from the Dregovich burial mounds of the 10th century (temporal rings, glass beads, pottery, etc.), objects from the Kamenets settlement (fragments of pottery, iron products), see a model plan of Kamenets and the Kamenets Tower of the late 13th century - beginning of the 14th century.

The 3rd tier of the tower tells about the political, economic, and cultural life of Kamenets as part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (XIV–XVII centuries). The archaeological finds presented here indicate the development of trade, crafts, and hunting in the city. Of particular interest are a bronze diamond-shield ring of the late 13th century from the Kamenets settlement, a portrait tile from the mid-16th century during the Italian Renaissance - a very rare find for Belarus. Another unique find of the 12th century. - an encolpion cross that served to store the relics of saints.

The 4th tier is dedicated to the development of defensive architecture in Belarus at the end of the 13th and beginning of the 17th centuries, and the stages of restoration of the tower.

The hall of the 5th tier shows the military history of Kamenets and the Kamenets Tower. The wall painting by artist A. V. Pashkevich reflects the siege of the city by the crusaders in 1378–1379. East Slavic and Western European weapons of the 13th–14th centuries (swords, spears, crossbows, a quiver with arrows for a bow and crossbow) and military armor (chain mail, scale armor, shoulder pad of plate armor, iron helmet), equipment and armor of an East Slavic warrior and a Western European knight are exhibited here end of the 14th century.

A sightseeing tour “Architectural monuments of Kamenets” is held on the observation deck of the tower. From almost a 30-meter height you can see a picturesque picture of the modern city and its surroundings.