Protection of historical and cultural heritage

Historical and Cultural Heritage

In accordance with the current legislation responsibility for preserving historical and cultural values is placed on the owners of material heritage objects (or on land users whose lands contain a historical-cultural value). This provision is enshrined in subparagraph 1.1 of article 75 of the Code of the Republic of Belarus on Culture. Moreover, the issue of preserving cultural heritage is a constitutional duty (article 54 of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus).

Guide for the owner of a historical-cultural value Procedure for carrying out works on historical-cultural values and in their protection zones

Jesuit College

With state support in the Orsha district, historical and cultural objects were restored and renovated.

The former Jesuit College, included in the list of state values of the Republic of Belarus that have historical and cultural significance, underwent a large-scale reconstruction of the surviving buildings in 2007‑2008, and the clock tower was rebuilt. After 400 years, the place and significance of the college for the townspeople have been practically restored: it now houses the V.S. Korotkevich Children’s City Library, the Orsha City Art Gallery V.A. Hromyko, and the Culture Department of the Orsha District Executive Committee.

What can be seen at the site of the monastery now is nothing other than the fruits of that very global reconstruction.

Gymnasium No.2 (former secondary school No.1)

Another successful example of object restoration is the building of secondary school No. 1 (now Gymnasium No. 2), located in the picturesque city centre on Lenin Street. In 2005 the school was closed for major repairs. Specialists of the Design‑Construction Center of the Orsha City Executive Committee and the chief architect of the project, Sergey Alexandrovich Yankovsky, had to solve a difficult task – to equip the building with modern educational technologies while preserving its century‑old architecture.

Doing this was not easy also because the school is located on a fairly cramped piece of land in the city centre, and not in one but in two separate buildings.

It took three years to carry out the modernization of the old building, which required serious repairs.

Trinitarian Monastery (Civil Registry)

With budget funds, the former monastery of the “Order of the Holy Trinity” trinitarians was reconstructed into a residential building for the city archive and civil registry office. The main church of the monastery could not be saved, but the building where the monks lived still stands. It now houses the Orsha Civil Registry Office.

Civil Registry building (former monastery)

Excellent conditions have been created for newlyweds to conduct an official registration and cement their relationship.

Petrovsky Rampart (village of Kopys)

Also with state support in the village of Kopys, Orsha district, a reconstruction was carried out with archaeological research by the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Belarus of the site “Petrovsky Rampart” at the mouth of the Smorkovka River on the left bank of the Dnieper. The area (60 × 80 m) is fortified around the perimeter with an earthen rampart up to 8 m high. The southwestern side from the Dnieper is paved with boulders.

After reconstruction, the “Petrovsky Rampart” became one of the favorite recreation spots for townspeople, the very highlight that embellished the village of Kopys.