The amazing and unique Lošice Park has long been one of the main attractions of the capital. The unique park complex is not just a place for pleasant strolls, but a whole world where the traces of several eras of landscape art are preserved. It is laden with legends, romantic and terrifying, that evoke a smile and a slight sense of nostalgia. Loshitsa Park in Minsk was founded in the 16th century, gave its name to one of the city’s neighborhoods, and is a popular tourist attraction.
History of Lošice Park
Walking along its shady paths, the attentive observer will see elements of several directions in park art, and lovers of mystical stories will satisfy their craving for the unknown. The full name of the array sounds as Loschitzky estate and park complex. Sometimes it is briefly called Losica.
Its history begins in the 16th century, the first owner was Vasily Yurievich Tolochinsky, then the right passed to the Princes Drutsky. A total of 14 people are listed as owners. At the same time, they took good care of the estate, contributing as much as they could to its prosperity.
The manor house under Eustathian Lubansky was considered one of the best farms in Minsk province. The new owner got a sturdy one-story house without much extravagance. In order not to ruin what was already there, the invited architect suggested adding a two-story wing to the main house on one side, and erect a high open veranda on the other. For the convenience of the young wife Lubansky insisted on the construction of a sewer and water supply. Nearby, a tower was built to serve as a watch point for monitoring fires. It now has an observation deck.
The best preserved wooden outhouse has no strong foundation.
A halo of mysticism
The park is admirable for its variety of species. At the moment it has about 16 thousand shrubs and twice as many trees, including exotic species such as cobus magnolia, American birch, fir, and Crimean pine.
The Engagement Oak is especially revered. It remains one of 3 mighty trees planted by a member of the Drutsky-Gorsky family in honor of the birth of their daughters. According to beliefs, it brings good luck in matters of the heart, keeps away from adultery and disappointment. At the beginning of the 21st century it was struck by lightning, but unmarried girls going to Lošice Park and walking along the paths and in today’s world ask it in whispers for love and good luck in family life.
The second unique tree is the Manchurian apricot. His story is quite sad. Lubansky’s young wife, despite her husband’s love and care, fell in love with another man, could not bear the torments of conscience and drowned herself. The apricot was planted by the inconsolable husband as a memento of his beloved Jadwiga.
Particularly impressionable tourists assure that in the windows of the outhouse sometimes flashes a translucent female silhouette, which invariably adds spice to the usual tour.
The last owner was Lubansky’s son Ivan. He carried out a series of transformations, turning the estate into one of the most modern and comfortable in Minsk. The well-preserved front entrance to the manor and the keeper’s house belong to this time.
Loshitsa Park fascinates with tranquility and the abundance of picturesque corners, opening with every turn of the walking path.
Interesting buildings and structures in the territory of Loschitsy Park
There was a Roman Catholic chapel on the estate, which served as a resting place for the owners. Only one wall is left of it. Also interesting to see from the outside is an old white mill, a brower with distillery and living quarters for workers. The rest of the outbuildings did not survive or were dismantled in the course of restoration work as damaged and not to be restored.
There is a dam, a bridge and a small waterfall nearby. If you walk a little to the side, you can see a spring in a stone ring. The water in it is delicious and crystal clear.
The surviving outbuilding houses a branch of the history museum and an exhibit called the Wheel of Time. Restoration work is in full swing, and when it is completed, the interior of the manor with its restored interiors will also be open to the public.
Location of Lošice Park on the map
Lošice Park in winter and summer is equally attractive, marked on the map as a tourist attraction for open visits. You can visit it on your own or as part of a sightseeing tour of the capital.
All useful information about Lošytsa Park can be found at the official website loshytsa.museum.by.
