Vitebsk's calling card is being prepared for the anniversary
Ask a local resident or an avid tourist what can surprise Vitebsk. Along with the Summer Amphitheater, Chagall's House, and Repin's Estate, the Town Hall will be named among the top must-see places. The architectural dominant rises above the Dvina River by 40 meters. It is the best observation deck in the city and its brand. Just like the regional history museum, which has been located in the Town Hall since 1924.
— In March 2022, Vitebsk will celebrate the 425th anniversary of receiving the Magdeburg Law, — says Tatyana Starinskaya, director of the regional history museum. — We decided to prepare for the holiday in advance. Of course, the museum did not stand aside. Since summer, we have been doing cosmetic repairs. We have updated the base of the tower, installed a non-slip self-leveling floor — for the convenience and safety of visitors. We have also partially restored the railing of the balcony, which we use as an observation deck. After the repairs, sightseeing tours have resumed.
One of the local colleges is currently busy with an unusual order: the production of new town hall balusters – figured pillars in the form of columns supporting the handrails of the fence.
— The preserved drawings suggested the right direction, — Valery Shishanov, deputy director of the museum for science, joins the conversation. — For our balusters, we need alder wood, dried in a specific way. The entire technological process takes more than a month.
The task is not easy, but the product comes with a ten-year warranty. Any material gets tired over time – both wood andmetal, notes Tatyana Aleksandrovna:
— Therefore, maintaining such facilities as the Town Hall requires considerable effort and resources. For example, the option of replacing the heart of the tower — the clock mechanism — is currently being actively discussed.
To ensure accurate time on all four dials, an update is necessary. In addition, there is an idea to equip the clock with a sound signal or melody.
— Why shouldn't the Town Hall have its own colorful character? — smiles Tatyana Starinskaya. — Everyone knows the Brest lamplighter. Imagine, and we would have a clockmaker... This is also a contribution to the cultural and tourist treasury of the northern region.
— We have something to attract and retain people, — believes Tatyana Aleksandrovna. — Yes, the pandemic dictates new rules and affects profits. But even now, among our museum objects, there are those that remain popular. We are talking about the Repin estate-museum "Zdravnevo," which has plenty of visitors at any time of the year, and family excursions are popular.
However, it is also worth taking care of additional infrastructure —convenient transport links, public catering, and Wi-Fi support in museum halls.
The windows of the Town Hall once overlooked the "Brozi" hotel, where Marc Chagall's father-in-law had a jewelry store. By the way, in 1997, during the second Chagall Plein Air, the Town Hall was creatively used to tell about the love of the artist and his wife Bella. It was then that live music first poured from the building's windows. And a couple of years ago, the story got an unexpected continuation in the art project "Above the City." Musicians with violins began to appear on the Town Hall balcony, performing medleys of French, Jewish, and Belarusian motifs. Now, during the "Slavianski Bazaar," a violin and saxophone can be heard every year over the Town Hall courtyard. Making it possible for beloved melodies to sound throughout the summer is achievable, provided there is additional funding.
The Town Hall still holds many secrets, is confident Valery Shishanov:
— It is known that it was rebuilt in 1775 from brick by order of Empress Catherine II. But neither the decree itself nor details about the construction process are known – a whole field for historians' work!
BY THE WAY
If you visit the local history museum, be sure to linger in the foyer near the two-meter bronze coat of arms of Vitebsk depicting the image of Christ the Savior. The coat of arms was installed on the main facade of the building in July 1997, the year of the Town Hall's 400th anniversary, but was later removed. There is a beautiful legend: for a cherished wish to come true, you need to touch the bronze symbol and whisper the words "Into God's ears."
Will the Clock Speak?
The city received permission to build the town hall in 1597, along with the Magdeburg Law granted by King Sigismund III. However, the first entirely wooden structure was destroyed. Drawings from 1664 have survived to this day – a rectangular two-story building with a high pitched roof, topped by an observation tower with a dome and a spire. The basement and first floors were brick, the second floor and roof with the tower were made of wood. The town hall, repeatedly destroyed by fires, rose from the ruins and ashes. And in 1775, it was entirely built of brick. 245 years have passed since then. And today, the building is undergoing restoration again. Step by step, approaching an even more significant date.— In March 2022, Vitebsk will celebrate the 425th anniversary of receiving the Magdeburg Law, — says Tatyana Starinskaya, director of the regional history museum. — We decided to prepare for the holiday in advance. Of course, the museum did not stand aside. Since summer, we have been doing cosmetic repairs. We have updated the base of the tower, installed a non-slip self-leveling floor — for the convenience and safety of visitors. We have also partially restored the railing of the balcony, which we use as an observation deck. After the repairs, sightseeing tours have resumed.
One of the local colleges is currently busy with an unusual order: the production of new town hall balusters – figured pillars in the form of columns supporting the handrails of the fence.
— The preserved drawings suggested the right direction, — Valery Shishanov, deputy director of the museum for science, joins the conversation. — For our balusters, we need alder wood, dried in a specific way. The entire technological process takes more than a month.
The task is not easy, but the product comes with a ten-year warranty. Any material gets tired over time – both wood andmetal, notes Tatyana Aleksandrovna:
— Therefore, maintaining such facilities as the Town Hall requires considerable effort and resources. For example, the option of replacing the heart of the tower — the clock mechanism — is currently being actively discussed.
To ensure accurate time on all four dials, an update is necessary. In addition, there is an idea to equip the clock with a sound signal or melody.
— Why shouldn't the Town Hall have its own colorful character? — smiles Tatyana Starinskaya. — Everyone knows the Brest lamplighter. Imagine, and we would have a clockmaker... This is also a contribution to the cultural and tourist treasury of the northern region.
In Vitebsk, they are confident that the local Town Hall is a landmark of the entire country. The fact is that among the regional centers of Belarus, only the city on the Daugava can boast not a new building, but a structure from ancient times.— We dream that it will be among the most attractive tourist destinations in our city, — continues Tatyana Aleksandrovna. — Such popular brands as the "Slavianski Bazaar" arts festival, the Vitebsk Art School, and UNOVIS are well-known. It's the turn of our Town Hall, capable of attracting both Belarusians and foreign connoisseurs. For example, for neighboring Russia, such buildings are akin to an exotic novelty, which means there will be interest.
The tower served as a fire lookout: signals about a fire in which part of Vitebsk were given by... air balloons of different colors, launched into the sky.The richest collections of the local history museum should also contribute to this. By the way, the public is currently shown at most a third of the unique exhibits. And the famous Vitebsk birch bark letter of the 13th-14th centuries is just the tip of the iceberg.
— We have something to attract and retain people, — believes Tatyana Aleksandrovna. — Yes, the pandemic dictates new rules and affects profits. But even now, among our museum objects, there are those that remain popular. We are talking about the Repin estate-museum "Zdravnevo," which has plenty of visitors at any time of the year, and family excursions are popular.
However, it is also worth taking care of additional infrastructure —convenient transport links, public catering, and Wi-Fi support in museum halls.
Chagall and Music
Towering over the historic city center, where the Western Dvina meets the Vitba, and the Resurrection Church is adjacent to the Holy Spirit Monastery, the Town Hall has seen a lot. The formation of the Vitebsk Governorate itself, the arrival of Napoleonic troops, the major construction of the city's historical center... In the 19th century, the city administration and bank, court, and police were located here, lists Tatyana Starinskaya.The windows of the Town Hall once overlooked the "Brozi" hotel, where Marc Chagall's father-in-law had a jewelry store. By the way, in 1997, during the second Chagall Plein Air, the Town Hall was creatively used to tell about the love of the artist and his wife Bella. It was then that live music first poured from the building's windows. And a couple of years ago, the story got an unexpected continuation in the art project "Above the City." Musicians with violins began to appear on the Town Hall balcony, performing medleys of French, Jewish, and Belarusian motifs. Now, during the "Slavianski Bazaar," a violin and saxophone can be heard every year over the Town Hall courtyard. Making it possible for beloved melodies to sound throughout the summer is achievable, provided there is additional funding.
The Town Hall still holds many secrets, is confident Valery Shishanov:
— It is known that it was rebuilt in 1775 from brick by order of Empress Catherine II. But neither the decree itself nor details about the construction process are known – a whole field for historians' work!
BY THE WAY
If you visit the local history museum, be sure to linger in the foyer near the two-meter bronze coat of arms of Vitebsk depicting the image of Christ the Savior. The coat of arms was installed on the main facade of the building in July 1997, the year of the Town Hall's 400th anniversary, but was later removed. There is a beautiful legend: for a cherished wish to come true, you need to touch the bronze symbol and whisper the words "Into God's ears."