Lepel. Monument to Lev Sapieha.

The role of the ancient Sapieh gentry family in the history of Belarus cannot be overestimated. The first mention of the Sapieha dates back to the fifteenth century, and in the XVI century there was a sharp rise of their kind. The Sapieha received their ancestral coat of arms "The Fox" at the beginning of the 15th century. 

The sharp rise of the genus is associated with the legendary Lev Sapieha. The family owned Slonim, Mogilev, Myadel, Belynichi, Ruzhany and other settlements. Lev Sapieha donated money for the construction of Christian churches and monasteries of various faiths. Lev Ivanovich Sapieha was the initiator of the creation and adoption of the third statute, consolidating the autonomy of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and also proclaimed the Belarusian language as the state language. 

Lev Sapieha contributed to the development of Lepel and was a major patron of the arts. He acquired Lepel and these lands in 1586 from the Vilino Catholic See and initiated the transfer of all the most important architectural structures (castle, church, church) on the other side of the river. Since then, Lepel began its development, gained the right to self-government and became a significant cultural and commercial center. The city did not change its location any more. Lev Sapieha reached the highest post in the Great The Principality of Lithuania is quite late in life. It was only at the age of 70 that he was appointed Grand Hetman and chancellor, that is, Minister of War and commander-in-chief of the troops.

The initiator of the monument's creation was the priest and rector of the local Roman Catholic community of St. Casimir, Andrei Aniskevich, and the author of the monument was the famous Minsk sculptor Lev Oganov. The local Orthodox diocese opposed the installation of a monument to Lev Sapieha, primarily because he was born into an Orthodox family and only converted to the Catholic faith at the end of his life.

The monument is cast in bronze and its height is 3 m. It is located on a pedestal of red granite. A plaque with the name of the Chancellor and the years of his life is attached to the base of the monument. Lev Sapieha is depicted in full dress. Dressed in a tunic over a cuirass, the chancellor holds a hetman's mace in his right hand, and leans on the hilt of a noble's saber with his left hand. The hetman's face is calm and focused. He seems to be watching the residents of the city passing by, as if reflecting on their fates.

In terms of power and influence, the Sapieha princely family was second only to the Radziwills. Dozens of great people came from the Sapieha family, but Lev Sapieha was and remains the main pride of the family. 

Today, Lev Sapieha is the only representative of the Belarusian gentry in whose honor two monuments have been erected - in Lepel and Slonim. The name of the prince is borne by the square in Slonim and streets in Minsk and Mogilev.

A visit to the monument to Lev Sapieha is included in a number of sightseeing tours of the Vitebsk region. It will be interesting for everyone who knows and appreciates the history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.