Malinovshchina. The chapel-tomb of the Sventorzhetsky family

One of the most unusual architectural mysteries of Belarus is hidden among the forests and fields of the Molodechno district, on the territory of the operating Malinovshchyna distillery. This is the tomb chapel of the Sventorzhetsky family - an elegant four-sided pyramid, as if descended from the pages of a book about Ancient Egypt and transferred to the Slavic landscape of the XIX century.

The history of this land goes back centuries. It is known that at the end of the XVI century, the territory of modern Malinovshchina belonged to the princes of Golshansky, and then passed to the powerful Radziwill family. However, the heyday of the estate is associated with the name of Stanislav Sventorzhetsky, who acquired these lands in 1826. It was his descendants who created an exemplary farm here, which included not only a manor house, but also distilleries, yeast and starch factories. By the way, the distillery, on the territory of which the tomb is now located, grew out of those industrial traditions.

An architectural masterpiece and its secrets.

The exact date of the pyramid's construction is controversial among researchers. Some sources point to 1840, while others believe that the tomb was built at the end of the 19th century, around 1898, when the ashes of Mikhail Sventorzhetsky, the creator of the estate, were solemnly reburied here.

The pyramid is made of limestone blocks and is distinguished by its strict forms. According to one version, the family tomb was designed by an Italian architect who remained in Belarus after the war of 1812. He is also credited with the layout of the once famous manor park with a cascade of 12 ponds. For Belarus, this form of religious building is very rare, which makes the monument unique.

What the stones are silent about.

Unfortunately, the Sventorzhetsky manor house itself has not been preserved. However, the pyramid, the servants' wing and the distillery survived the storms of the 20th century. An obelisk erected at the site of the original burial of one of the owners has also survived to this day.

Today, the chapel-tomb is located on the closed regime territory of the plant, which complicates its tourist inspection nearby. But the unique structure is clearly visible from some points outside the enterprise, allowing travelers to touch the mystery with their eyes. Looking at this pyramid in the middle of the Belarusian expanses, one involuntarily thinks about the quirks of history and how the noble family of the 19th century aspired to eternity, choosing for its memory the most stable form known to mankind - the pyramid shape.