Uzda. The former wooden school.

In the small town of Uzda in the Minsk region, a wooden giant suddenly grows up among the usual one-story buildings. Locals have long been accustomed to this building, and visitors often pass by, unaware that in front of them is a unique architectural object, officially considered the largest wooden building in Belarus in terms of its volume.

We are talking about the former school at 65 Pervomaiskaya Street. Built in 1939, it became not just an educational institution, but a symbol of an entire epoch - a time of rapid changes, industrialization and the development of education in the western regions, which recently became part of the BSSR.

A school built on the eve of the war.

The year 1939 was a turning point for Uzda: the settlement had just received the status of an urban settlement. At that time, the Soviet government was actively investing resources in the eradication of illiteracy and the construction of new educational institutions. By the early 1940s, there were 68 schools operating in the Uzden district, and the new wooden school became the flagship of these transformations.

The building was built conscientiously. More than 80 years have passed, but the two-story log house still stands, striking the imagination with its scale. Wooden architecture in Belarus is more often associated with compact churches or cozy mansions, but here we have monumental functionalism. Long rows of windows, a high roof and an impressive area create a sense of strength and reliability. Architecture here is devoid of frills, it is subordinated to the main task - to provide shelter and knowledge to hundreds of students. This is an example of pre-war constructivism, made, however, in such a rare material for large objects as wood.

Wooden record holder of Belarus.

Why is this building called the largest wooden building in the country? It's about his cubicle. With a relatively standard two-storey layout, the length and width of the building create a huge internal volume. There are many tall wooden churches in Belarus, but this school has no analogues in terms of its occupied area and massive walls. This is not just a house, but a whole "wooden block" under one roof. The logs and wood processing technologies used in the construction allowed the building to survive the war, the post-war devastation and several decades of active operation.

From school desks to wax candles.

Time is inexorable: the students have long since moved to a more modern and comfortable building. The old wooden school could share the fate of many historical buildings - dilapidated and awaiting demolition. But it was more fortunate. The building was not abandoned, but a new, peaceful use was found for it.

Today, production facilities are located in the walls where children's voices once rang and dictations were dictated. Candles are now being made in the former classrooms and finished products are being stored. This is a rare example for Belarus of a successful adaptation of a historical industrial and civil facility. Of course, the building has changed: there are new gates for the entry of machinery, a modern roof, but the main thing is that the volume and texture of the wooden walls have been preserved.

Passing by this building on Pervomaiskaya Street, stop for a moment. This is not just a warehouse or a workshop. Here is a silent witness to the pre-war era, an architectural record holder and an example of how history can seamlessly fit into modern life, filling old walls with a new light - in the truest sense of the word.