Ivatsevichi

General information

Ivatsevichi is a town in the Brest region and in the center of Ivatsevichi district.

Ivatsevichi is a picturesque town, which was built on the site of gentry estates and became one of the most attractive places in the Brest region. Ivatsevichi is located 135 kilometers away from the regional center and has a population of circa 24,000 people.

History of Ivatsevichi

The ancient legend about the origin of the name of this city is still spoken of today. In ancient times the local lord went hunting together with his men. They spent a long time trying to hunt for animals but without any luck when suddenly a wild boar broke forth out of nowhere and attacked the lord, when one of the his men called Ivan, jumped forward and fought the boar of the lord and saved his life. As a reward for rescuing him, the lord gave Ivan a small plot of land where soon settlement appeared and this plot of land was eventually named after Ivan, hence the name today.

Ivantsevichi was first mentioned in history in 1519 as a private estate owned by magnate king Sapieha, and later they were replaced by Yundzilly. One of the most famous representatives of this generation, Frantisek Yundzill was an active participant in the uprising led by Kastus Kalinovsky in 1863 and commanded Slonim’s squad during the Battle of Milovidov.

Ivantsevichi could have remained the gentry’ estate if not for the railroad built, connecting Moscow to Brest and the station built next to the town in 1871.

Ivatsevichi reference information

Sightseeing in Ivatsevichi

The town’s hallmark is the Yundzillov family estate built in the late 18th century and is considered one of the most beautiful in Belarus. Unfortunately, only the manor house remains out of the entire complex, whilst neighboring parks suffered greatly during numerous wars. Today, one of the district hospitals is based within the Yundzillov manor.

Duga Struva in Ivatsevichi is an attractive site within the town. The monument was installed in 1930 on the site where in 1830 surveyor Vasiliy Struve carried out his measurements. Duga Struva is included in the UNESCO World Heritage list, as it has the most accurate degree of measurement of the meridian in the world.

It is worth noting that the church in honour of Bogomater Derzhavnaya in Ivatsevichi is amongst the more contemporary monuments. The biggest bell in Belarus is located in the belfry of the church the weight of which is about two tons. Tsar Kolokol is decorated with bas-relief images of the icon of Bogomater Derzhavnaya and the cross of Efrosiniya Polotskaya. Interesting exhibitions at the historical museum of Ivatsevichi await the guests visiting, here one can learn about the history of the region and its former owners, as well as the heroes of the Great Patriotic War.

Accommodation in Ivatsevichi

For accommodation there are a few of choices, you can stay at a hotel or a motel and there are also a couple of farmstead, a wellness center called ‘Energy’ and a camping place.

Economy

In terms of the economical prospects of Ivatsevichi there are various enterprises of woodworking area, food and peat industries. There is also a research base known as ‘Maysk’ and a wood enterprise called ‘Telekhany’ that produces skis, hockey sticks amongst other products. Farming area specializes in the production of milk, meat, growing crops, potatoes, sugar beet and flax.