The owner of "Valewka Farmstead" in Braslav region will show guests a unique ancient oak cross and other wonders

Braslav region leads the province in the number of agro-estates – there are 186 of them, including 9 opened this year. The first ones were registered in 2006. Owners of such estates from other districts of Vitebsk region are confident that their Braslav colleagues are very lucky: they say it is easier to attract tourists and diversify their leisure time, because there is wonderful nature, many historical and architectural monuments, and a traditionally hospitable mentality of the population – a real magnet, especially for those not spoiled by everyday comforts. It is so. But the competition in the still young field of agro-tourism is constantly growing, especially in Braslav region, so one needs to come up with something unique for its enthusiasts.

Mikalai Valevka in Braslav is called a pioneer of agro-tourism. At his original estate on the outskirts of the picturesque lakeside regional center, he has been receiving guests for eight years, many of whom are regulars. He has accumulated rich experience in organizing this type of recreation.

…One cannot pass by or drive past his "Valevka Manor" indifferently. Those who see it for the first time are amazed, they take pictures. A wild stone house, resembling a small castle, is adjacent to another example of fairy-tale architecture – a thatched roof "Hut on chicken legs", plus wooden houses of more modern design – all for receiving guests who are tired of high-tech. A lawn, a deep pond, a bathhouse, gazebos, a well, an outdoor cooking area are decorated tastefully and remarkably inventively. The most unexpected objects are combined in decorative compositions.

Here, old-world charm is showcased. Cars of various years, handmade furniture “from the Polish times”, wall clocks, lanterns, coal irons, and other household appliances. The most interesting items are kept in the mini-museum. The collected evidence of local antiquity from neglected hearths serves as a good memory of ancestors, fosters interest in historical heritage, and, ultimately, good taste. If any guest wishes, Nikolay Nikolayevich will gladly show the rare collection and tell many exciting things about it, as each item has some life story associated with it.

What is worth noting is a 300-year-old oak cross, crafted from many small, intricate parts of the same size! Without glue, nails, or any fasteners – a voluminous, elaborate puzzle, although at the time when it was created by an unknown craftsman, such a word was not in use. Press a certain point from the bottom of the cross – and it will “fold”. Nikolay Nikolayevich acquired it near Vidzy from a person whose ancestor made this unique item.

– It's a great rarity, I think there is no other similar cross in Belarus. I am ready to offer it to some major museum, – says Nikolay Valeyko.

Here you can find icons and artifacts from the Great Patriotic War. To house the collection more appropriately, its dedicated collector intends to equip a suitable room. Many of the antique items have harmoniously blended into the estate's interior. For example, the former priest of Miory, Nikolai Runda, during his lifetime, ensured that a sturdy harmonium, the "Meinburg," which he had kept for a long time, was later passed on to a fellow countryman and namesake – Nikolai Valyovko. The priest was confident that he was entrusting a rarity into reliable hands. Now, the musical instrument stands in the living room of the stone house, a reminder of a highly spiritual, remarkably kind, and highly respected person, not only by believers. And how it sounds! In fact, everything else here attracts attention. Once you start examining it, you'll forget about the steam room with medicinal herbs, the appetizing shashlik on the grill, the fragrant fish soup made from fish caught in the pond, or the signature crayfish stew, which have multiplied there so much that the banks have subsided from the dug-out "estate" norms...

Nikolai Nikolaevich, who is indifferent to nothing beautiful, also befriends creative, skillful, and restless people – woodcarvers, blacksmiths, and collectors-restorers of antiquity. Friends, stumbling upon a water millstone with a diameter of over a meter near an abandoned grain storage in the forest near Druya, immediately informed Valyovko: "We found such a wonder!" He immediately rushed there. Now, the heavy stone roundel amazes the estate's guests with its impressive size.

Some visitors prefer quiet, solitude, the opportunity to see something unusual, while others, on the contrary, like to have fun and entertain themselves. As with most estates, at "Falkvarak Valeyka" nature lovers come from snow to snow, and in winter they usually celebrate the New Year. The reviews are most flattering.

Nikolai Nikolaevich not only does not lose interest in agroecotourism, although he is the only one in the family in this caring business (his wife, son, and daughter have other professions), but also strives for its development. Literally, without resting his hands, because he made and makes much of the equipment at "Falkvarak Valeyka" himself. Soon, near Lake Strusta, at the family dacha, albeit with modern amenities, it will be possible to accommodate about a dozen guests. The landscapes here are very attractive. In the yard, there is a bathhouse, a stocked pond, and a boat for water trips. The owner has new ideas for decorating this estate. It's time to choose a name to announce it to agroecotourism enthusiasts.

– If you are alive, it means you need to work and work, despite fatigue, illnesses, and problems that fate occasionally throws at you, – this is how Nikolai Valeyka answers the most frequent question to him: when do you manage to do everything?

Galina Shpakovskaya, "Vitebskiye Vesti"