Belarusian Versailles, condensed milk, and cherry festival: what do the brands of the Glubokoye district represent?
There is also Lake Beloye, which, like Dolgoye, is a hydrological reserve of republican significance, considering its unique flora and fauna. Lake Velikoye is inferior to them in beauty, but it has its own unique feature – in the center of the water surface, there is an island shrouded in a legend about the existence of mysterious underground passages several kilometers long.
This attracts tourists no less than the words spoken, according to legend, by the French Emperor Napoleon I Bonaparte, about the Glubokoye Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In his opinion, the Notre Dame Cathedral would not be ashamed to be located next to it. By the way, the Orthodox church in Glubokoye is considered one of the largest in the country in terms of area. And its dungeon, which once served as a tomb for the monastery's inhabitants and local magnates, 50 meters long, remains a record holder of its kind to this day.
Many visitors note that Glubokoye, whose chronicle spans over six centuries, resembles a European city in terms of cleanliness, order, and coziness. The list of local attractions that have appeared recently includes a golden fish of impressive size, a firebird with spread lacy wings, a family bicycle whose wheels are firmly held by wedding rings, the tallest flower arrangement in Belarus made in the form of a Ferris wheel, and alleys of street lamps along the shorelines of city lakes.
And there are also three real fighter jets, two of which are "parked" in the city center, a few meters from Lake Kagalnoye. The first supersonic "Sukhoi" was installed in the city a quarter of a century ago in memory of a native of the region, the founder of Soviet jet and supersonic aviation, the outstanding aircraft designer Pavel Sukhoi.
Several units of military equipment have been installed in the Victory City Park, and a cannon near the old cemetery. However, it is not real; it fired only once, and the cannonball flew only about half a meter from it. On it, with his legs dangling, sits one of the most recognizable literary characters to this day – the lean Baron Munchausen, looking around with a spyglass. In the cemetery, townspeople found a mysterious grave of a certain Munchausen. It served as the primary reason for the creation of the decorative sculptural composition.
Cherry Festival
Glubokoye is called the Cherry Capital of Belarus, paying tribute to the annual international festival "Cherry Festival".
It appeared in the lake region not by chance. Glubokoye sour-sweet cherries are a brand and are in high demand. Prices for juicy berries, especially during the festival, skyrocket.
Many Belarusian varieties have been developed based on the sour cherry, bred in the 1930s by agronomist Boleslav Lapyryon. It is said that industrial-scale cherry orchards existed in this area several centuries ago, for example, at the Glubokoye Carmelite and Berezvech Basilian monasteries.
And even today, almost every private household has 2-3 cherry trees. On the outskirts, a cherry orchard is growing at this time, with exactly 1414 small saplings planted at its establishment. This number is important for the townspeople: it is the date of the first written mention of Glubokoye.
Cherry-themed festivals are held in many countries. In Israel, for example, it is dedicated to the harvest, and in Japan – to the blooming of sakura. The festival in Glubokoye is timed to coincide with the collection of juicy berries. According to tradition, it starts at the monumental decorative sculpture "Cherry". The main heroine of the celebration is the Cherry Queen, who has her own residence. A festival museum is located there. And near a wooden structure, shaped like a cherry blossom, a natural symbol of the region – the common starling – settled not so long ago.
Healing Energy of Nature
Scientists have managed to prove the healing properties of sapropel from Lake Plissa. This natural reservoir is located 17 km from Glubokoye. Its maximum depth reaches 15 meters, and the coastline length exceeds 18 km. The water surface is surrounded by coniferous forests, and the bottom of the reservoir is literally covered with springs. Thanks to this, Plissa is called one of the cleanest lakes in Belarus.
Five years ago, near the natural reservoir, CJSC "Treст Промстрой" built the "Plissa" sanatorium-resort complex, which has been visited by representatives from more than 30 countries.
The main building, shaped like an ancient relic – the cross of St. Euphrosyne, Abbess and Princess of Polotsk, includes three buildings connected at the second-floor level by heated galleries. Cottage-type guest houses are located further away. Modern buildings, elegant sculptures, a fountain, and small architectural forms are harmoniously integrated into the local landscape. Two wells with underground mineral balneological and drinking water have been developed on the territory of the balneological resort.
In the future, the sanatorium-resort complex has every chance to become the most famous tourist center in the country. This involves the creation of a unique ethno-park that will allow everyone to take a trip to the distant past. According to legend, a princely castle stood on the lake shore during the times of the Principality of Polotsk. This gave rise to the idea of recreating the way of life of Belarusians, Lithuanians, Russians, Ukrainians, and other nationalities living in these lands in the 10th-14th centuries.
A Delicacy from the USSR
Books have been written about the culinary heritage of the Glubokoye region. Some unique cooking technologies, for example, "Butter Ram," rye bread, have been included in the state list of historical and cultural values.
But there is another delectable product that is well known to adults and children alike. Exactly half a century ago, the first batch of sweetened condensed milk was produced at the Glubokoye Dairy and Canning Plant. It is noteworthy that it was the Dairy and Canning Plant that was the first in the USSR to master the production of this delectable product.
Today, the range of products manufactured, with condensed milk being only a part of this impressive list, is regularly updated. For example, for the winter holidays, the technologists offered a new product – sweetened condensed milk with "Gingerbread" flavor. To create a festive mood, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, and cherry brandy were added to the condensed milk.
Another popular product is boiled condensed milk. Adapting to customer preferences, the Glubokoye plant offers four types of products, enhanced with the flavors of natural coffee, cocoa, and chicory. In addition, they produce products using fructose and stevia.
There are many condensed milk producers in the world. The Glubokoye plant manages to compete through the high quality of its products. Following the results of the recent competition "Best Products of the Republic of Belarus," a new product – sweetened condensed milk with cherry brandy flavor – was recognized among the laureates in the "Food Products" nomination. The recognition of the incomparable taste and aroma of "Cherry Condensed Milk" is the best gift for the enterprise's 55th anniversary.
By the way, the products of the Glubokoye Dairy and Canning Plant are known not only in Belarus but also in the CIS countries. They can be found on the shelves of shopping centers in the USA, Israel, Georgia, and other countries.
Belarusian Versailles
The village of Mosar, which is over five centuries old, leads the list of the most popular rural settlements in the district. Tourists have nicknamed it the Belarusian Versailles.
For many years, Father Juozas Bulka served here. Tourists were drawn not so much to admire the magnificence created in the Belarusian hinterland, but rather by the cordiality of the white-haired Catholic priest, who was awarded the presidential prize "For Spiritual Revival". Together with his parishioners, he repaired the church, and laid a cultural and dendrological complex according to his own design, which is now looked after by the employees of the Glubokoye Historical and Ethnographic Museum branch.
After the death of Father Juozas, the "Versailles" was orphaned, but not forgotten. At any time of the year, tourists flock to Mosar to see with their own eyes the tallest cross in Belarus, towering twenty meters above the ground, the only sculptural copy in Belarus of Michelangelo's famous work "The Lamentation of Christ", and to walk along the Way of the Cross, symbolizing man's resistance to the destructive addiction to alcohol. Visitors also visit the parish museum in memory of the late priest, one of the rooms of which is dedicated to the anti-alcohol theme.
By the way, the village of Mosar, where the "sobriety zone" is still in operation, is one of the oldest villages in the district. In the Museum of Ethnography and Everyday Life, guide Marina Tkachonok presents a unique collection of antique items. Among the museum exhibits is an 18th-century musical billiard table that formerly belonged to the former owners of Mosar. There are only two such tables in Belarus. One is in the Glubokoye hinterland, and the other is in Nesvizh.
"Veles Path"
Given the number of nature reserves in the Glubokoye region and the beauty of its vast forests, which occupy a quarter of the total area of the district, enterprising people are actively developing businesses here.
Currently, there are a total of 47 agro-ecotourism estates, and each of them is attractive in its own way. The people of Glubokoye are accustomed to surprising. In May 2017, they were the first in the Vitebsk region to create a consumer cooperative for the development of agro-tourism, "Veles Path".
The agritourism cluster includes five farmsteads and a peasant farm. Together, they present opportunities and prospects at tourism fairs and investment forums, conduct master classes, and ethno-festivals.
"Velesov Put," whose name is directly related to the Slavic pagan god Veles, offers tourists the opportunity to dive to the bottom of the lake with scuba gear, live in Indian wigwams, become a rider or an archer, try traditional dishes and delicacies, and immerse themselves in the enchanting world of wildlife.
The cooperative is headed by Alexander Tsvirko, whose farmstead "Zapovedny Ostrov," located in close proximity to the geographical center of Europe, was recently recognized as the best in the country. Pheasants, cross foxes, and South American coatis look great against the backdrop of Belarusian nature.
By the way, in December last year, "Velesov Put" won the Republican Tourism Competition "Poznay Belarus" in the nomination "Agritourism Cluster," and the agritourism farmstead "Utrina" became the best in the nomination "Innovative Approach."
Alla Galay, an instructor-methodologist for tourism at the district physical culture and health center, helps coordinate the work of the farmsteads, suggests innovative ideas to their owners, and makes proposals. Since November last year, the project of international technical assistance "Creative Village: Entrepreneurship + Creativity + Cooperation = Sustainable Development" has been launched on the basis of the consumer cooperative "Velesov Put."