Apples, wrestling, and a tourism film contest: what do the brands of the Tolochin district represent?
It is not surprising that this land has given birth to many great people: among the famous natives are artist Mikhail Savitsky, playwright Ales Petrushkevich, contemporary theater figure Valery Anisenko, Heroes of the Soviet Union Ilya Kozhar, Petr Galetsky, and many others.
The Tolochin region, located in the south of the Vitebsk region, has changed its territorial outlines more than once in the past. For example, in its current borders, the Kokhanovsky district with its administrative center in Kokhanovo was once located; now it is an industrial center of the Tolochin district.
Continuing traditions and remembering history, the people of Tolochin are building the present. Agrarians, industrialists, keepers
and continuers of cultural and spiritual values, and many others work together for the benefit of their native land, confirming in the 21st century one of the versions of the origin of the name Tolochin, which means to do together, "toloka."
Right on target
The fame of the Tolochin Cannery extends far beyond Belarus. High-quality potatoes and apples are known in the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Moldova, and Ukraine. High yields annually allow saturating both domestic and foreign markets with in-demand products.
18 years ago, the area of the enterprise's industrial garden occupied only three hectares; today, it is 627 hectares. And this is only for plantings. The total area is 740 hectares. Like a city, the garden is divided into blocks where people are constantly bustling, and transport is moving. Apples, pears, chokeberries, red and black currants, gooseberries, and blueberries are grown here on an industrial scale. The main asset is apples. In autumn, their branches literally break from the fruit. Up to 40 kg of this healthy fruit are harvested from one tree here.
– We have opted for optimizing the orchards, – says Viktor Bulygin, head of the factory's horticultural department (pictured). – We are uprooting unproductive sections and replacing varieties with new, more productive ones. After all, today the most important thing is not volume, but quality. Last year, we harvested 4413 tons, and I think this year it will be no less. As for berries, we sold and processed 54 tons. This is more than last year. However, berries, like fruits, are smaller this year due to the drought. This further convinces us that we can achieve much higher yields if we have a drip irrigation system.
Seedlings are grown at the factory in our own nursery. Moreover, without the use of chemicals – only manual weeding. Under the leadership of Viktor Bulygin, 85 gardeners, 21 tractor drivers-mechanics, 4 agronomists, a mechanical engineer, a warehouse manager, and 9 security guards work in the garden. And in the autumn, student teams also come to help. Only selected fruits reach the store shelves, but the rest of the harvest also does not go to waste – everything is sent for processing.
Along with industrial horticulture, the main focus of the enterprise is potato growing. Here, more than half of the potatoes grown in the Vitebsk region are produced, and no other enterprise in the country can boast such a gross harvest of tubers. The factory annually produces about 45 thousand tons of potatoes with a yield of over 400 centners per hectare. Although this year, according to Tatiana Kapranova, chief agronomist of RUP "Tolochinsky Cannery", potatoes yielded worse due to weather conditions.
– We are a subsidiary enterprise of RUP "Scientific and Practical Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus for Potato and Vegetable Growing" and we test all varieties that are launched into production on our own fields, – says the chief agronomist. – We are always fully supplied with seed material to meet our needs. In total, we are cultivating 12 varieties this year.
13 potato harvesters have almost completed harvesting 831 hectares allocated for the popular vegetable. The harvested tubers are stored in two modern potato storages, each with a capacity of 12,000 tons. However, to accommodate the entire harvest, auxiliary premises are also being used. Therefore, the immediate plans include the construction of another storage facility. Especially since a quick-freezing workshop is being launched at the enterprise, where semi-finished products for french fries will be produced in large volumes. Therefore, one-third of the plantings in the total volume is occupied by technical potatoes with high starch content.
Speaking about the Tolochin Cannery as a whole, an integrated complex has been created here, including a full cycle of production, processing, storage, and sales of products. One of the leading enterprises in the country, in addition to industrial horticulture and potato cultivation, specializes in the production of fruit, berry, and grape wines, starch, juice products, and the cultivation of grain and oil crops.
A Sport Worth Investing In
A master class from champions, support from fellow countrymen, and a patriotic tournament. What makes Greco-Roman wrestling in Tolochin noteworthy?
Igor Galuzo, a Greco-Roman wrestling coach at the local youth sports school in Tolochin, does not need to visit schools to recruit boys for his department. Parents bring their sons to him themselves, even those younger than nine years old – wrestling is taught from this age. However, Igor Fyodorovich takes these young children under his care, conducts preparatory sessions with them in his personal time, and when the time comes, transfers them to the sports school. Today, the coach leads three groups, training 30 boys of different ages. What is the secret to the section's popularity?
First and foremost, it is worth starting with the coach. Igor Galuzo is a native of Tolochin, and has been coaching for over 30 years. True, he came to wrestling through biathlon, to which he dedicated six years, until a Vitebsk Greco-Roman wrestling coach noticed the stocky young man at a sports camp and took him to the regional center. In the late 1980s, Igor returned to his small homeland as a coach, while simultaneously pursuing higher education in physical education. Since then, the development of Greco-Roman wrestling in the Tolochin region began, as it became a constant component of the district's sports life.
The tournament in Greco-Roman wrestling in memory of Hero of the Soviet Union Pyotr Galetsky brought a certain fame to the people of Tolochin. It started as an open district championship, and in recent years it has acquired the status of open republican competitions, which are included in the national sports calendar. This autumn, the eleventh tournament was held, which brought together the strongest young wrestlers from all over the country. Despite the pandemic, a team from the Moscow region even arrived. By the way, Russians are frequent participants in the Tolochin competition; they have also come from Murmansk. Traditionally, the tournament attracts about 200 participants. The 10th anniversary tournament was a record, with the number reaching 300. Two-time world champion Alim Selimov and Olympic medalist in Rio de Janeiro Javid Gamzatov came to these competitions as guests. And this is no coincidence; previously, famous athletes had already visited the Tolochin wrestlers with master classes and gifts.
– When I organized the first tournament, I wondered: in whose honor should it be held? I needed a catchy and young hero, as the tournament is for juniors. I found a clue in the museum – I chose Pyotr Galetsky, a native of our region and a partisan saboteur. At just over 20 years old in 1942, he threw himself under a steam locomotive with fuel behind enemy lines with a mine. Isn't he a hero for the guys? – recalls Igor Fyodorovich. Thus, the competitions, which today can be considered the sports calling card of the Tolochin region, acquired a patriotic undertone.
The success of each coach is reflected in the achievements of their students. Four of Igor Galuzo's students have become Masters of Sport, and the young athletes from Tolochin perform with dignity in numerous competitions both within the republic and abroad. Having started with the encouragement of their first coach, they then compete for various Olympic reserve schools, including as part of national teams, yet they dedicate their victories to their native region. The past season was particularly outstanding: Igor Fyodorovich's student Yan Zenko won bronze at the European Schoolboy Championships, and he, along with Ivan Belyaev, became champions of the Belarusian Championship in different weight categories. Two graduates of the Tolochin school have met the requirements for the Master of Sport title.
And here is another important factor in the success of Greco-Roman wrestling in Tolochin. Many are aware that the section has several patrons from among local businessmen. The first sponsor was Vladimir Kamlyuk, and then his brother Dmitry and other entrepreneurs, Sergey Ivanyuto and Alexey Zakrizhevsky, supported this noble cause. The district executive committee also provides assistance.
Not Just a Movie, but a Tourist Film
It is in Tolochin that the country's first amateur tourist film competition "Traveling Through Sineokaya" is held, which has become a center of attraction for enthusiasts who love to travel with a camera from all over Belarus and other countries.
The author of the project, who is also one of the organizers and often a participant, is a local resident Dmitry Ivchenko (pictured). In addition to being a seasoned railway worker, he has been passionate about tourism for many years (having traveled almost all over Belarus, not to mention his native district), as well as photography and videography. Recently, he has become the director of the folk film studio "Letopis" at the Tolochin District Center of Culture and Folk Arts.
– It all started with me visiting many places in Belarus and creating the "Photo Encyclopedia of Belarus" online, but I wanted further development – to also post videos from trips around our country, not only my own work but also that of other people interested in this topic. So I decided to combine all this with a contest-festival. Moreover, similar forums existed in other countries, and I wanted something like that to appear here as well, – says Dmitry.
The contest has been held since 2017. The fifth forum has now started. About 30 participants are expected from all over Belarus, the Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Russia, and the USA. This year's winners will be announced on October 23.
Dmitry Ivchenko tries to come up with something new for each contest. Last time, the event was accompanied by an exhibition of tourist equipment from past years; this time, the exhibition will be supplemented with black-and-white photographs capturing Soviet travelers. The contest will also feature new statuettes that will be awarded to the creators of the best videos.
Cultural Wealth
The unique settlement of Drutsk in Eastern Europe and the monastery where Napoleon spent the night. What does the history of these places hold?
As Irina Pikulik, the director of the local history and local lore museum, told us, 33 objects of material heritage of the district are included in the list of historical and cultural values of Belarus. Recently, the Tsundzevitsky manor and park ensemble in Goloshevo from the late 19th – early 20th centuries was added to this list. This estate is undoubtedly worth including in your itinerary for those who love traveling around Belarus, but first, you should visit the Drutsk settlement, located near the district center in the agro-town of Drutsk. This is a unique monument of national and even international archaeological significance.
– This is the only place in all of Belarus and Eastern Europe where features of an early medieval town have been preserved – a citadel, an outer town, a moat, and a partially preserved kurgans burial ground. No other ancient town in Belarus from the 11th-12th centuries has such an intact complex. Last year, the Drutsk settlement was assigned the first category of historical and cultural value in Belarus; only the zeroth category is higher, – noted Irina Nikolaevna.
Therefore, it is not surprising that the museum begins its introduction to the history of the district with the hall dedicated to the Drutsk settlement. The museum's collection holds about a thousand exhibits found during archaeological excavations. The most interesting, unique specimens are displayed in the showcases. Here you can see fragments of scales, pottery, elements of warriors' armaments, glazed tiles for church flooring, pectoral crosses, and jewelry. Some of the antiquities are from distant countries; they ended up in Drutsk thanks to active trade, as it was part of the route "from the Varangians to the Greeks."
The "Drutsk Finds" kept in the museum help to recreate the picture of life and daily routines of our ancestors from the 10th to 16th centuries. Many items are housed in the Regional Museum of Local Lore, the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, and even in Moscow. The very first artifact, found in Soviet times – a fragment of a fibula dating back to the 4th-5th centuries AD – is located in Vitebsk. And how much more does this land hold?
In addition to scientific interest, the settlement is valuable from a tourist perspective. However, this requires considerable investment. Meanwhile, the centuries-old hills stand in solitary silence, awaiting better times.
Speaking of the history of these places, one cannot fail to mention the Holy Protection Convent and the church of the same name on its territory – a pearl of the architectural heritage of Tolochin region. One of the facts that arouses genuine interest among the laity is that in November 1812, Napoleon Bonaparte spent the night in the convent on his way back with his retreating troops. The history of the church's construction is no less interesting.
– In 1604, Lew Sapieha built a church on this site, and also opened a school and a hospital for the poor here. Then, in 1769, on the foundation of the Catholic church (what happened to the previous building, history is silent about), the then owners of Tolochin, the Sangushko princes, built a church in the Vilnius Baroque style. Ten years later, the residential building of the Basilian male monastery appeared next to it. The church was initially Uniate, and in the first half of the 19th century, it became Orthodox, – Irina Pikulik gave a historical excursion.
Today, thanks to the efforts of the abbess, Mother Anfisa, everything here seems to have been reborn. The centuries-old buildings have been restored, including thanks to the inclusion in the state investment program "Reconstruction with restoration of an architectural monument of the 18th century" and sponsorship (the list of benefactors even includes the famous singer Philipp Kirkorov, who donated money for the purchase and replacement of windows in the church). The building, which housed the district department of the Department of Protection for many years, has been returned to the nuns; now there is a bakery where locals come for monastery baked goods.
In a relatively short period, new buildings have appeared – the Chapel of the Archangel Michael with a spring, the Chapel of Nicholas the Wonderworker with a font, a church shop, a sports and playground, and a multifunctional building housing the Church of All Saints and other premises. Construction on the monastery grounds is still ongoing.
Ornament from the Depths of Centuries
The Crafts House is restoring costumes worn by local women a century ago.
Three women's costumes from the 19th – early 20th century have been restored at the Tolochin District House of Crafts. This is the result of the efforts of local craftswoman, embroidery club leader Maria Grigoryeva (pictured on the left). While she has long mastered the art of making an even stitch (she has been passionate about embroidery for many years), finding any information, let alone preserved items, is no easy task. When recreating the first costume, she studied more than one book and spent many hours in the local history museum, studying and sketching Tolochin ornaments. Her creative enthusiasm and desire to preserve the cultural and everyday heritage of our ancestors helped her bring her ideas to fruition.
Her latest work is a costume worn in the early last century by residents of the village of Mikulino, Tolochin District. A shirt, skirt, apron, and headscarf are classic elements for Belarusian women of those times. However, the regional distinction lies in the ornament and its color scheme. Restraint and modesty are characteristic of this area: embroidery adorns only the sleeves and the hem of the apron, with predominantly red and black colors used.
When the employees of the House of Crafts don these ancient costumes, they use belts as a finishing touch. These belts are made by methodologist Nadezhda Kolbenkova (pictured on the right). She weaves them on a heddle loom, a simple comb-like device known since ancient times. On it, the craftswoman skillfully manipulates multi-colored threads, weaving them into a single pattern. The time required for one item depends on the complexity of the pattern – sometimes a couple of days are enough, and sometimes it takes up to a week.
Longitudinal stripes are more characteristic of this area; however, the craftswoman has not managed to find a preserved rarity of specifically Tolochin "origin." For guidance, Nadezhda Pavlovna uses a book on Belarusian national belts.
The craftswomen of the House of Crafts plan to create a sample of the Tolochin women's costume for exhibition, as well as restore a shirt worn under a sarafan, which a local resident once brought from her grandmother's chests. Based on its tailoring and ornamentation, it can be attributed to the late 19th – early 20th century. They also plan to make a namitka, which, according to the stories of the old-timers, Tolochin women also wore as an alternative to a headscarf.
Despite having rather scarce material for study and work, the craftswomen still manage to create items that fascinate with their simple beauty.
"Vitebskiye Vesti"