Hello to all! Yesterday I have an opportunity to visit one of the iconic places in the region - estate of Gatovsky or Kozel-Poklewski . This is an ancient noble estate of the late 19th century, which is part of the Golden Ring of Gomel region sightseeing route. The building is built according to the project of an architecture professor from St. Petersburg. Remarkably, the Owner Mikhail Gatovsky ordered to build an unusual mansion in the shape of the letter G. This is the first letter of his last name (In Russian, G looks looks like this “Г” - Гатовский).
The estate is located in a place called Krasny Bereg (Literally in English - Red Coast). During its existence, many owners have changed there, but only under the Gatovskys and Kozel-Poklewski the main building was erected. The main owner traveled a lot and liked to make sketches of the architectural styles he liked. For this reason, before the construction of the palace, he gave all his notes and sketches to the architect. This is how an architectural masterpiece in the eclectic style appeared.
After the death of the first owner, Krasny Bereg came under the possession of his daughter's husband, Vikenty Kozel-Poklewski. He was a noble Russian landowner, and the Manor in Krasny Bereg became one of his dachas. At his command, the family coat of arms of the Kozel-Poklewski appeared above the balcony of the main entrance. But after the revolution of 1917, Krasny Bereg became state-owned, and the chic estate turned into an agricultural school. Training was conducted in the living rooms of the estate, and the rest of the premises turned into warehouses and hostels.
During World War II, Krasny Bereg was occupied and used as a children's donor concentration camp. The building of the estate has completely survived, and therefore its restoration did not cost much. Only in 2015 the Manor opened its doors to the visitor in the form of a museum. Now everyone can enjoy the external and internal decoration of the Kozel-Poklewski Estate. But its main feature, in my opinion, is a combination of multiple architectural styles.
Elements in the form of goats with horns and lions at the main entrance bring an inexplicable charm. One of them depicts a forest with a snake's tail, and the other a goat with horns with the same snake. This is the nominal symbol of the Kozel-Poklewski family. These are Gargoyles-Chimeras living on the walls -are both frightening and enchanting architectures.
From the side of the park with century-old trees there is a greenhouse. This room stands out from the rest of the estate. Couples and newlyweds like to take pictures in this place. A kind of historical photo zone, the architecture of which few people think about.
The combination of red bricks and plastered white and green galvanized roofs adds color to the palace. I noticed a lot of small turrets with forged metal parts on the roof. An amazing combination of colors, architectural styles and historical heritage.
For me, Red Beach is not just a beautiful place, but also a historical one. The fact is that here I received my secondary education after school, my wedding photo session took place here. Coming back here is a sip of nostalgia for me. In addition, this palace was being restored before my eyes and seeing its original architecture now means a lot to me.
In my next posts, I will show you the interior decoration of the Poklevsky-Cosell Estate. Inside, many rooms are decorated in different styles. I hope you enjoyed the virtual acquaintance with the Kolez-Poklewski Manor.
Photo information:
Author:
Camera: Nikon D5200
Location: Krasny Bereg, Belarus
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