Excursions around Grodno
Excursions around the city of Grodno are included in the program. We will visit the places, which are considered to be the most interesting and favorite among the locals.
SS. Boris and Gleb (Kalozha) Church in the city of Grodno
The SS. Boris and Gleb (Kalozha) Church in the city of Hrodna was built in 1180s by architect Pyotr Milaneh on the high right bank of the river Nieman, opposite the Castle Hill, in the territory of the former Kalozha settlement. The materials used in constructing the temple were brick, stone, glaze and lime mortar. On the ends of some bricks there are Slavonic letters and bas-relief signs whose meaning has not yet been fully understood. The rows of plinths alternate with thick lime mortar seams with added finely ground brick and coal. The foundation of the temple is 1.5 meters deep and it consists of earth or sand-covered boulders. A short step-like pedestal formed the lower part of the church. The brickwork of the facade walls includes large colored, face polished, granite and gneiss stones, and figured glaze-covered ceramic tiles of various sizes, shapes and colors, which form various geometrical figures and crosses. At present, the Kalozha church is an active place of worship. It is also claimed to be UNESCO world cultural heritage.
The Old and New Castles in Grodno
The Old Castle is the first fortification built by Russian dukes in the XI cent. In the XIII century the city of Grodno was merged in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and became the target of the numerous attacks of the Crusaders in the next century.
In 1391 the castle became one the main residencies of the Duke Vitovt, who built in 1398 the stone gothic castle with five towers instead of the wooden fortress.
The New Castle was the place for the Seims of the 1st Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The agreement on the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Partition between Russia and Prussia was signed in this building in 1793. In 1795 the Polish king Stanisław August Poniatowski signed an abdication here.
Today the Old and New Castles function as museums, where tourists from all over the world enjoy a rich number of displays.
The Gilibert Central Park
On April 8, 1775 Jean Emmanuel Gilibert, the French scientist & one of the first explorers of the fauna of the north-west of Belarus, laid out his botanical park. Nowadays, the park is named after him. During his spare time the future botanist was collecting the local plants for his herbarium. In 1778 there were more than 2000 species of plants in the park.
Today the Gilibert Central Park is a perfect place for relaxation and pastime with family and friends. The musical fountain and amusement park for children, concert platform and rare plants make this place a never-to-be-forgotten one.
Museum of Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno
The Museum of the History of Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno appeared in 2004. It conducts research, cultural, educative, training, ideological, information and patriotic activity based on the achievements of modern science, education and technology. The Museum collects, examines, exhibits, popularizes and protects historical and cultural heritage. It also contributes to the improvement of erudition of students and employees, their moral development.
City forest Pyshki
City forest Pyshki is the biggest in Grodno. In practice it is the city’s northern border.
The city forest is situated on both sides of the river Neman. Children camps are situated here in the thick, primary pine forest. One can listen to music here, rent a bike for a reasonable price, do any kind of sport activity or even visit military pillboxes, which were built in the forest before World War II.
There are two unusual water ponds in Pyshki. They are Sinka and Zelenka, chalkpits named this way because of their unusual turquoise color.
The Watchtower and Museum of Fire Service History
The fire tower in Grodno’s historical center combines a unique combination of various epochs. There’s no tower similar to it in our neighboring states, Lithuania and Poland. The building has taken on different roles: an operational firefighting station, a tower with a 107 year history…Today it is a museum located in the historic building, the so-called Kalancha tower, that was built to keep watch on fires after the terrible fire that broke out in Grodno in 1885. exhibits for the museum were brought from Minsk, Saint Petersburg, Moscow and Warsaw where they were in personal collections. It’s an ancient city’s calling card, which leaves no one indifferent, while continuing to open new mysteries to historians and tourists. It’s an ancient city’s calling card, which leaves no one indifferent, while continuing to open new mysteries to historians and tourists.
