The mythical dragon will become the brand of the Lepel region

The Chmyak, a Belarusian dragon, will become the symbol of the Lepel region. The mini-project to create a tourist brand for the district received financial support from the EU program "Water, Nature, People in a Disappearing Landscape: Development of Sustainable Rural Tourism in Russia and Belarus," Olga Makhonenko, the project manager for the Lepel region, told a BELTA correspondent.

In Belarusian and Polish mythology, the chmyak was the ruler of earthly and heavenly waters, which is why its habitat was swamps and lakes, and its symbol was the rainbow. Information about chmyaks can be found in the works of the famous Belarusian ethnographer Nikolai Nikiforovsky, and the researcher of Slavic cultures Alexander Afanasyev also mentioned them. However, chmyaks gained the greatest fame thanks to Vladimir Korotkevich's novel "Christ Landed in Grodno." It is in the classic's work that the habitat of the last Belarusian chmyak is described as one of the Lepel lakes. Therefore, the people of Lepel decided that this legendary creature could rightfully be considered the tourist symbol of the district. Moreover, unlike its Russian relative, Zmey Gorynych, and the Western European Dragon, the Belarusian chmyak had a much more accommodating character: it only harmed drunkards, hooligans, and harlots, while loving and harmonious family couples could count on its support.

The sculptural image of the Lepel chmyak will correspond to Vladimir Korotkevich's description: a monster with a seal's body and a head that is neither snake nor doe. According to Olga Makhonenko, all the necessary documents for the installation of the sculpture of the literary character have been approved by the Ministry of Culture. It is expected that the two-meter composition will appear in Lepel in September of this year on City Day.

However, the creation of a chmyak monument in Lepel is not the only intention. As soon as the sculpture is installed, local folk craft masters will start replicating it in the form of souvenirs. The district local history museum, having studied a considerable amount of folklore materials, has already created an animated game "Visiting the Chmyak."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The project "People in a Disappearing Landscape: Development of Agritourism in Belarus and Russia" is aimed at developing tourism and agroecotourism and involving local communities in this process. It covers the territories of the Lepel district (including the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve) in Belarus, as well as the Polesye district (and the "Curonian Spit" reserve) of the Kaliningrad region of Russia.

The EU is allocating over half a million euros for the implementation of the project. The funds will be used for the development of tourist routes, support of the network of agro-estates, conducting experience-sharing seminars, and internships in the Netherlands. It is envisaged that one model agroecotourism estate will be created in each district participating in the program, the example of their work will form the basis for those entering the new business.