Lepel. The Museum of Local Lore.

The museum building has a very rich history. After the alcohol warehouse, there was at one time a zemstvo, which had a museum. During the Soviet years, the military revolutionary committee, then a school, a pedagogical college. 

During the Great Patriotic War, the Gestapo was housed in a two-story, one of the tallest and most beautiful buildings in Lepel. The most spacious hall was designated as a stable.

Now the exhibition hall, where there was a stable during the war, is filled with paintings. There is a temporary exhibition of mostly professional and amateur artists. This hall is equipped with special exhibition equipment, lighting and is very suitable for displaying paintings. Every two years, the museum hosts the traditional exhibition "Farby Lepelshyny", which first appeared here 30 years ago. It collects works by artists who are somehow connected with the Lepel district. One exhibition can feature paintings by 20-30 artists, including people with disabilities. After the exhibition, each of them hands over several paintings to the Museum of local lore. The fund contains more than 300 original works of art.

The history of the Berezinsky water system is presented in a separate room. Here, visitors can see a model of the canal with locks (there were two of them in Lepel - the thirteenth and fourteenth), which connected the Berezina and the Western Dvina. The Berezinsky water system was built in 1805 and lasted until 1953. It was a large organization that made Lepel famous far beyond the borders of the country. Since 1802, it has been the center of the Berezinsky water system. It was from this period that the heyday of the city began. 

The hologram of the museum's caretaker tells about the duties of the staff of the introductory system and their lifestyle. This is one of the highlights of the exhibition, which can be viewed independently, thanks to the interactive help. In the hall, you can see photos of the caretakers, ordinary workers, views of the canal and its surroundings, and even a log left over from the water system.

The natural treasury of the Lepel district is also rich. A separate room is dedicated to her. There you can learn about the animals and birds that live in the forests and reservoirs of the area. There are also species listed in the Red Book of Belarus. These are the black stork and the brown bear. This exhibition is interesting for children. Here you can hear the voices of animals, thanks to the special buttons installed.

 A guided tour of the hall is held for modern schoolchildren, dedicated to the development of education in the region in the second half of the 20th century. The hall is styled like a classroom with desks. It features uniforms, bags, briefcases, diplomats, writing materials, quills, ink pens - everything that can only be seen in a museum now. You can listen to the songs of those distant years here, sit at your desk and learn a lot of interesting things about schoolchildren of the Soviet period.

The Lepel Museum of Local Lore leaves only the brightest and warmest memories. It is a very beautiful and modern museum with an interesting and informative presentation of the material.