20 thousand – this is the number of Belarusian rivers. If we would put them together into one long blue ribbon, we could girdle the Earth twice along its equator. Belarusian rivers are versatile: deep and powerful, like the Dnieper or the Nioman, or surprisingly short, like the Skema that is less that 200 meters long; the Prypiac famous for its high waters in spring when it overflows its banks and floods villages up to 15 kilometers away and the Western Dzvina, formerly a part of the famous trade way “from Varangians to the Greeks”, that still presents ancient artifacts to those walking along its banks…
This time, we spent a day-off on the banks of unruly Islach – fast-flowing, narrow, snaky and picturesque.
Its source is near the highest point of Belarus – the Dziarzhynskaya mountain. It flows for more than 100 kilometers carrying its waters into the Western Biarezina and connecting numerous curious places. On the Islach banks one can find the cozy town of Rakau – formerly a frontier settlement often mentioned as “the capital of Belarusian smugglers” between two world wars; next is the grave of outstanding Belarusian poet and play-write of the 19th century Vincent Dunin-Marcinkevich and romantic ruins of estate that belonged to count Benedykt Tyszkiewicz – the first Belarusian photographer. Then, the Islach weaves through the Naliboki Forest – one of the largest reserve forests in Belarus, and there, on the river’s bank, the travelers see a giant oak-tree, the oldest in the country. It is more than 400 years old, and six people can embrace it together. The Islach is the coldest river in the country and its water is clean, though it seems yellowish due to the color of sand on the bottom. Due to it, the Islach is home to river trout. All these facts attract numerous travelers, especially amateurs of kayaking.
However, this time, we were not searching for tourist attractions or abandoned signs of the past. We just chose a sunny spring day to spend several hours among smells, sounds and colors of nature awakening after winter.
Cross a large sunlit meadow with several oak trees in the middle and approach the transparent water. The river here is shallow, it may seem that it could be warmed up with the sun, but as you touch it, you feel your fingers tingling – the water is surprisingly cold. The sun scatters bright sparks on the water surface, you narrow your eyelids sometimes but can’t take your eyes off water-plants smoothened by the water flow and waving like long green hair.
Step on one of numerous shaky wooden bridges thrown between the banks and try to balance between the flow of water under your feet and the flow of warm and fresh wind shaking the carvel pines above. Make several steps – and now, you have reached the high river bank. It smells greenery and warm resin. You touch the warm surface of golden sand, run your fingers through it and feel that it is wet and cold inside.
Walk through the forest along the river. Tender flowers are right under your feet. Flower-buds of bearwood, bird cherry and wild apple trees are going to break but now, they look tender and defenseless, like fingers of a newborn. The water, reflecting clear blue sky is seen through bushes, trees and grass. Young leaves look like crowds of shining little butterflies. Here and there, the riverbed is blocked up with trees downed by winds and beavers. The ripples on the water surface around them resemble the canvases of impressionists. Tender sprouts of grasses are young and small yet, but very soon, huge leaves of ferns looking like feather of magic birds will hung right above the water.
Indeed, that was a perfect day for looking at small things, examining the details and moments through a magnifying glass. A great exercise not only for your eyes but – surprisingly – for your feelings and senses. A meditation due to which you learn how to feel yourself feeling the world around.
Sincerely yours,
Volha Blazhevich
تم إعداد قضية المعلومات على أساس المواد الراديو البيلاروسية الخاصة، وكالة المعلومات بيلتا ومصادر أخرى.
