Minsk. House of Vankovich.

Manor.

The mansion, which is part of the Vankovich estate, was built in the late 18th century. Archaeological excavations have shown that the area was inhabited as early as the 16th century, and the main house was built on the foundations of an old stone building, of which the cellars in the northern part have been preserved. The new one-story house in the classical style had a colonnade, a high hipped roof and an attic in the center.

In the first half of the 19th century, the estate belonged to relatives of the artist Valentiy Vankovich. In 1828, when he visited Minsk, the city judge Vladislav Vankovich and his wife lived in the house. After the revolution, the mansion was used as communal apartments. During World War II, the building was heavily damaged by bombing. The restoration of the mansion lasted from 1980 to 1997.

In 1998, it was decided to open a museum in the mansion. On May 12, 2000, on the 200th anniversary of Valentiy Vankovich's birth, the museum opened to visitors. The study, dining room, tea room and ceremonial living room were recreated in the spirit of the first half of the 19th century using original items. In 2010, on the 210th anniversary of the artist's birth, the sculpture "The Artist's Morning" by Vladimir Slobodchikov was installed in the museum courtyard. In 2016, the reconstruction of the utility wing was completed, completely restoring the estate.

Museum.

Valentiy Wilhelm Vankovich is one of the few Belarusian artists of the 19th century who gained worldwide fame. The artist managed to paint many works, of which only a small part has survived in museums and private collections in England, France, Italy, Poland, Lithuania, Russia – and not a single one in his homeland.

The museum exhibits photocopies of archival documents about V. Wankovich and his family, photographs and color reproductions of his portraits, donated to the branch by their current owners, as well as painting copies. In addition, authentic paintings by other artists of the first half of the 19th century, contemporaries of Wankovich (Ivan Khrutsky, Jan Damel, Tadeusz Gorecki, Ksawery Kanevsky, etc.) are exhibited. The original corridor-enfilade system of the building and the interiors of some rooms have also been restored.

The Vankovichs also owned a suburban estate, now restored and located at the address: Minsk, Filimonova Street, 24.

Since the 17th century, the estate Bolshaya Slepyanka located on this site was owned by the Radziwills, and at the beginning of the 19th century it passed to the Vankovichs. Initially, the estate was wooden, but in the first half of the 19th century, a stone house was built. Around the estate were alleys, dams and a large pond.

The Vankovichi owned the estate until 1920. During the Soviet era, the building often changed owners and purposes. It housed the state farm office, a potato farm, the Minsk greenhouse plant, and the NKVD school. In the 1960s and 1970s, the house was used as a residential building and a club. Only in 1981 was the estate recognized as a historical and cultural monument.

By the time of reconstruction by a private company in 2009, the estate was in a state of disrepair. The original layout and many elements, such as staircases and balconies, were lost. The 19th-century interiors were also lost. The Ministry of Culture insisted on maximum preservation of the architectural monument, and as a result, the building was returned to its original 19th-century appearance. Now a restaurant and club is open on the estate grounds.