Dzerzhinsk (Belarus) is known to everyone as a small town in the vicinity of the capital of the country. Few people know the history of this town, its significance. Few people know about the past of this place.
Geography
Now the city of Dzerzhinsk (Belarus) is a small provincial town in the suburbs of Minsk. The population is just over 25 thousand inhabitants. Its location is the Minsk Upland (at the intersection of the Dnieper and Neman river basins). The city is located on the territory of the highest point of Belarus - on Dzerzhinskaya mountain. Coordinates: 53 degrees and 41 minutes north latitude and 27 degrees 8 minutes east longitude. 222720 - Dzerzhinsk index (Belarus).
Town History
The history of the city dates back thousands of years. About this there is evidence of many archaeological finds, monuments and burial grounds. The district has a large number of mounds, hillforts and villages.
Since ancient times, Dzerzhinsk (Belarus) was known as Highmountain. The first mention of the city dates back to 1146. In the ancient church, which later burned down, there was an icon depicting Highmountain and an indication of the date. There is evidence of this in the book of the famous ethnographer Shpilevsky.
Until 1483, Dzerzhinsk passed from hand to hand, from one ruler to another. Countries and rulers changed, but the city remained. It was under Highmountain that the Tatar army of Khan Koidan was defeated. At first, the Highmountain was part of the Principality of Polotsk, and after its collapse and the death of Vseslav Charodey, the town went to the Minsk Principality. This happened in the 11th century, and already in the 13th century AD, Dzerzhinsk became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In 1445, at the behest of the King of Poland and the Prince of Lithuania, a number of cities, including Highmountain, were donated to Mikhail Sigismundovich, their cousin. During this period, the town received a different name.
The city of Dzerzhinsk (Belarus) received the name Koidanovo in honor of local blacksmiths, who were called koidans. The mountain on which the city is based has always yielded good ore. And the forge products from this ore were famous throughout Kievan Rus, especially weapons.
Since 1483, Koidanovo was under the jurisdiction of Vasily Vereisky and was in the possession of the great-grandson of Dmitry Donskoy. From 1550 to 1831, Koidanovo belonged to the Radziwill family. At that time, the town began to settle down, grow. Were erected:
- Calvin Cathedral.
- Hospital.
- School.
Alas, the cathedral was destroyed by wars and time. In the war with Napoleon near Dzerzhinsky, a major battle took place, where the French troops were defeated - the Russians won.
The city of Dzerzhinsk (Belarus) is famous for the fact that it was there that the “iron” Felix was born. In honor of this event, the city was later renamed in 1932. Koidanovo was given the status of a city and its modern name.
Sights and memorials
The city of Dzerzhinsk (Belarus) has a number of attractions that any tourist will be interested to visit.
Gashtoldova Gora. The hillfort. It was there that the foundation of the city was laid. An ancient settlement was laid there, where the Calvin Cathedral was subsequently built . It was preserved only in drawings and photographs of drawings, since in the 30s of the last century it was dismantled for the construction of a regional hospital. Now it is a symbolic place in the form of a hill with a memorial plaque and the remains of a fortress wall and one of 9 towers.
Chapsky Manor. Its historical value lies in the features of the building, which was erected in a medieval style as a knight's castle. The estate has a collection of paintings and numismatics.
Church of St. Anne. The history of Koidanov began with this structure. The temple is built of wood, so it is constantly being rebuilt and restored. On the territory of the church there is a real garden with altars, flowerbeds, statues and benches.
Church of the Protection of the Holy Virgin. An ancient building with real ancient salaries and icons. Ancient shrines are stored there.
Crypt of a Protestant temple. He is walled up because there is a legend that when the Bolsheviks tried to destroy the tombs and the sanctuary of the temple, they were met by an enraged army of skeletons from the crypt. After this, the crypt was walled up.
Dzerzhinsk is worth a visit. Good location. Cozy hotel Westa, which is located in an ecologically clean area of the city. Friendly residents. And the ability to touch the story.