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Postavy
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The town is located on the bank of the river Myadelka 250 kilometers away from Vitebsk. Railways connect Postavy with Vitebsk and Vilnius, and motorways link the town with Braslav, Glubokoye, Naroch and several other Belarusian townsd.
Initially the settlement of Postavy was called Posadnik. According to historic documents, in 996 it was owned by Danut Zenovich. The name of the town was changed in 1409 by Lithuanian Prince Vitovt. The town belonged to the Zenovich family till the 18th century.
The hey day of the town is connected with the noble family of the Tizengauzs, in particular the famous elightener Antony Tizengauz who built here a number of dwelling homes and 35 factories that used to make stamp paper, carpets, canvasses, hats, belts and even stagecoaches.
Most of the first stone buildings in Postavy were designed by Italian architect Giuseppe Sakko in 1760-1780. These included a shopping arcade, a hostel, a restaurant, several bureaus. An Uniate church was built in Postavy in 1713.
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Some of these monuments of architecture, such as a merchant’s house, a museum of local history and culture, a pharmacy, a school and several other buildings survived to the present day. And The Uniate church was replaced by an Orthodox Christian church in the early 20th century (neo-Russian style).
In 1780 there began the construction of a palace surrounded by a picturesque park with a huge fountain and beautiful sculptures. Antony Tizengauz, who was a friend of Polish king August Ponyatovski and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, was trying to turn Postavy into a cultural and industrial center. His palace hosted a chamber orchestra and a ballet school.
Another member of the Tizengauzs family, Konstantin, a talented ornithologist, developed a classification of birds in the 19th century. This classification is still used by scientists. He also wrote a number of books on ornithology and founded a museum of birds that counted several thousands of exhibits.
The palace of Konstantin Tizengauz also contained a picture gallery that once kept masterpieces of Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Rubens, Duhrer and other world famous artists. His library contained rare Polish documents, engravings and family records that dated back to the 13th century.
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Russian Emperor Nikolai II twice visited the Tizengauz palace in Postavy. Presently the palace hosts a hospital. It is considered to be the national monument of architecture and is guarded by the authorised state agencies.
A bronze statue of Konstantin Tizengauz was erected in Postavy in 2006 on the Belarusian Literature Day. The statue standing in front of the palace will soon be joined by a monument to Antony Tizengauz.
The cathedral of St Anthony of Padua (neogothic style) with a 43-metre tower was built in Postavy in the late 19th century. Much of the cathedral was destroyed during WWI. However, it was restored in the 1920s.
Another place of interest in Postavy is a watermill constructed in the 19th century (late classicism). Today the mill hosts a Crafts Shop called Stary Mlyn (Old Mill) with four exhibition halls.
Since 1922 Postavy has annually hosted a folk music festival. In 1996 the festival held every June became an international event.
There are three hotels, six restaurants, two night clubs and three billiards clubs in Postavy. Three rental agencies offer tourist equipment. Tourists interested in archeology may visit a settlement founded in the late Neolithic Age or early Bronze Age (3-rd millenium B. C. ) that is situated near Postavy. In addition, there are 28 more monuments of archeology, history and culture in Postavy District.
There is a unique ecotourism facility in Postavy District called Solovyinaya Roscha (Nightingale Wood). Nature-lovers will enjoy the possibility to see cows, rabbits, ostriches and deer and even ride a horse. The facility that has a parking lot, a cafe and a souvenir shop is situated close to Vilnius-Polotsk highway.
Another interesting place to visit in Postavy District is the residence of the alternative Santa Claus (Ded Moroz). The name of this character of ancient Belarusian legends is Zyuzya Priozerski. The residence located near the village of Prudniki (28 km away from Postavy) embraces the palace of Winter, a cafe, a beehouse, a Hunter’s house and a sauna.
Zyuzya is always delighted to show his residence to his guests, treat them with herbal tea and pancakes, let them ride his horses and give them some pot-making lessons.
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