That gloomy day in July was full of surprises. Early in the morning, I was waiting for my friends on the outskirts of Minsk wrapping the raincoat around myself and thinking that it was probably a bad idea to start on our journey in such a weather. It was unexpectedly cold and windy as for midsummer, dark and heavy clouds hung over the city and the forecast promised heavy rainfalls all over the country. But this Saturday trip was long-planned, and it would be a pity to cancel it. Thus, we decided to take a risk.
We drove west from the city, first 120 kilometers on a highway crossing several rainbands on our way, and then – through tight network of local roads, sealed, paved and gravel ones, that were to lead us to ancient temples, romantic old parks and cemeteries, clear transparent lakes and half-ruined watermills generously scattered across picturesque hills of Navahradak surroundings. Before, it was the very heart of the former powerful Grand Duchy of Lithuania – full of mysterious legends, poeticized by word-men. The very heart of noble Belarus, the homeland of prominent poet Adam Mickiewicz who cherished the love for these places in his heart and found inspiration in their images throughout his life. These lovely corners of his Motherland that saved in sweet and romantic recollections of the poet’s youth became his lost paradise he always felt nostalgic for.
Once, Mickiewicz wrote in his poem “Pan Tadeusz”:
Meanwhile, bear off my yearning soul to roam
Those little wooded hills, those fields beside
The vari-painted cornfields like a quilt,
The silver of the rye, the wheatfields’ gilt;
Where amber trefoil, buck-wheat white as snow,
And clover with her maiden blushes grow,
And all is girdled with a grassy band
Of green, whereon the silent pear trees stand.
Such were the fields where once beside a rill
Among the birch trees on a little hill
There stood a manor house, wood-built on stone;
From far away the walls with whitewash shone,
The whiter as relieved by the dark green
Of poplars, that the autumn winds would screen.
It was not large, but neat in every way,
And had a mighty barn; three stacks of hay
Stood near it, that the thatch could not contain;
The neighbourhood was clearly rich in grain;
And from the stooks that every cornfield filled
As thick as stars, and from the ploughs that tilled
The black-earthed fields of fallow, broad and long,
Which surely to the manor must belong,
Like well-kept flower beds – everyone could tell
That plenty in that house and order dwell.
The gate wide open to the world declared
A hospitable house to all who fared.
Certainly, I knew that Adam Mickiewicz took many of his images right from the real life and from poetic local legends of his homeland. And it is a very special impression – to recognize sites, localities and names of villages mentioned in poems and ballads created 200 years ago every time trying to guess how they looked then through the eyes of the famous poet. Periods of political and social disturbance in the 19th century, revolutions and two world wars had no mercy on the legacy of these lands. Everything changed drastically. The more surprising it is to see a living and authentic evidence of that very epoch and cultural landscape. This is what happened to us that day.
Actually, I planned the route thoroughly, but one moment something got wrong: we realized that the GPS navigator was leading us in the wrong direction. We decided to obey and to get to the next point planned by another road. And right in the middle of the way we arrived to a village called Rajca where the same device offered us to visit an old noble estate we knew nothing about. Certainly, we couldn’t miss it out and branched off into the depth of an old shaded park.
In a minute, we arrived to an open place, and the view that appeared before our eyes resembled a filming ground. Amid the 400-year-old park of gigantic trees there was an authentic 200-year-old house. It looked exactly the way I imagined a house like this after reading historical novels and epic poems of the 19th century, including the one I quoted above. The impression got even stronger after the sun unexpectedly broke the heavy clouds and lit the landscape. Surprisingly, the house obviously looked inhabited. Soon, a man came towards us. At the beginning, he didn’t look friendly, however, after we had introduced ourselves, he told that he was the owner of the house Alexander by name and let us inside.
The noble estate Rajca that was first mentioned in documents in the mid 16th century later gave the name to the village. Interestingly, this name has a resonance with “raj” – the Belarusian for paradise. In the early 19th century, the house we saw was built. Soon, it was purchased by brother of Marylia Wereszczaka – the lady Adam Mickiewicz was in love with. Throughout its history, the house’s owners changed but it returned to the descendants of this family for several times. In the 20th century, the estate was donated to Roman-Catholic nunnery. Sisters lived here and provided medical treatment to the local people. Later, the village ambulance station operated in this building and finally, it stood empty and abandoned for several years until a couple of artists from Minsk – Alexander and Vera – purchased it. Vera is a recognized master of straw weaving, Alexander is an icon-painter. They saw the old house and decided: now it is their main business to give it a new life. They left the big city and moved to the village to save the ancient estate and make a dwelling house and a museum of it. The parlor that once saw festive parties, long conversations and musical soirees has already turned into an exhibition hall. Here, one can see artworks by Alexander and Vera, old household goods, antique furniture and crockery, icons, glass goods, textile and many more. There is a living room and an artistic workshop there. They plan to create an exposition devoted to the history of the house and its former owners. They say they regained true peace and inspiration here and, probably, even found their paradise.
For me, this is the story about “genius loci” – the spirit of the place. One can discover it, take it into his hands and bring to light. This is about how to be a good master for your personal micro-world and your land, about responsibility and inspired everydayness. About rare and therefore valuable continuation of tradition in our country where, due to the course of history, there are so many interrupted and lost traditions. Actually, this is a love story. This is why it’s so important for me to share it with you, my friends.
Sincerely yours,
Volha Blazhevich.
Answer:
Dear Shivendu Paul and Metali Listeners' Club,
dthank you for your comment! We'll send you some of our souvenirs ASAP.
Stay tuned and 73,
RBI
Hallo Radio Belarus,
ja der Dieter Leupold ist jetzt auch hier im Gästebuch vertreten... Super, bald sind wir alle zusammen hier im "Belarus Hörerclub", Dieter könnte 1.Vorsitzender werden und Jana und Elena Ehrernmitglieder, Helmut Matt Schriftführer, Alfred Albrecht Beisitzer und ich mache Hausmeister:-) Lutz Winkler wie fit bist Du bereits wieder, für Dich finden wir auch eine nette Aufgabe:-) Beste Grüße und ein schönes Wochenende.
Dietmar
Answer:
Lieber Dietmar,
das stimmt, für alle finden wir im Hörerklub eine Aufgabe!:)
Liebe Grüße und einen guten Start in die Woche!
Адказ:
Дзякуй за водгук!
Hallo Jana und Jelena,
Höre gerade den tollen Song 10:45 min ( Hörerbriefkasten) Was ist das für ein traditionelles Instrument im Soloteil, klingt etwas wie ein Dudelsack, aber der ist ja in Schottland:-)
LG
Dietmar Wolf
Адказ:
Lieber Dietmar,
das ist wirklich ein Dudelsack :) In Belarus wird es aber Dudá genannt. Eigentlich ist Duda ein belarussisches traditionelles Musikinstrument. Übrigens gibt es viele Arten und Formen von Dudelsack in verschiedenen Kulturen und Ländern von Südamerica bis Indien.
PS: das Lied ist Каляда На Балоце von Тутэйшая Шляхта. ;)
Beste Grüße
Dear sir
How are you. I am rasheed from Pakistan. I am listners of radio Belarus. All programe is informative & intersting. I am intersting in history & culture. Thanks. Please send me some datiles about radio.
Muhammad RASHEED KHAN
PAKISTAN
Адказ:
Dear Muhammad Rasheed Khan, thank you very much for listening to RBI! We'll send you a parcel via regular mail as soon as possible.
Stay tuned and 73!
RBI
Добрый день! Прошу уточнить, что за песня играла в субботу 29.09.2018 в период с 14.00 до 16.00 со словами "Маша Маруся...в Беларуси". Буду очень признательна за ответ.
Елена
Адказ:
Добрый день, Елена!
Интересующая вас музыкальная композиция - песня "Маня-Маруся", которую исполняет ансамбль "Сябры" (вокал: Валерий Рязанов)!
Спасибо, что Вы с нами!
Вiтаю радыё Беларусь! Я з`яуляюся сталым слухачом Вашай радыёстанцыi. Вельмi падабаюцца перадачы на замежных мовах, якiя даюць магчымасць не толькi даведацца, што адбываецца ў Беларусi i за яе межамi, але ж i ўдасканалiць веды ангельскай, нямецкай, французскай моваў, праслухаўшы перадачы. Хацелася б даведацца, цi плануе радыёстанцыя вяшчанне на FM у Мiнску, бо ў заходнiх рэгiёнах Беларусi радыёстанцыя на FM працуе. У шматнацыянальным Мiнску жыве шмат замежных грамадзян, таксама прыязджаюць турысты, якiя б маглi даведацца пра тое, што аббываецца ў краiне i за яе межамi праз радыё Беларусь. На сёння ў Мiнску няма нiводнай англамоўнай цi iншамоўнай радыёстанцыi. З павагай, ваш слухач Сяргей.
Адказ:
Сяргей, дзякуй за паведамленне! Сапраўды, у Мінску нашы перадачы ў ФМ-дыяпазоне не чуваць. Аднак вы можаце паслухаць абсалютна ўсе нашы перадачы непасрэдна на сайце радыё «Беларусь». Уверсе на старонцы ёсць два радкі: он-лайн вяшчанне і ФМ-вяшчанне. Так што далучайцеся да нас у Інтэрнэце!
FM-перадатчыкі і частоты:
Ракітніца - 106.2 МГц
Гродна - 95.7 МГц
Свіслач - 104.4 МГц
Геранёны - 99.9 МГц
Браслаў - 106.6 МГц
Мядзель - 102.0 МГц
Спадарожнікавае вяшчанне:
тэхнічныя параметры глядзіце тут