In the Vileika district there is a beautiful village rich in history Ručica, where today you can see a picturesque suspension bridge, an Orthodox church, as well as the place where Oginsky estate “Ganuta”. The estate itself has been known since 1501 as the possession of the Golshansky princes. Then the Patsy, Sadovsky, Sangushki and Kotsells ruled here from the latter in 1738 the estate passed to the Oginskys. By the way, from the Kocells, along with “Ganuta”, Kazimir Tadeusz Oginski also received manor in Benice and in Molodechno. In 1755, construction of a luxurious summer residence began in Ruczyca, the central composition of which became a kind of palace designed by architects Tomasz Žabrowski and Abraham Anthony Genu. It is curious that, according to Genu’s project, it was probably also carried out estate in Leonpol.
The manor complex in Ganut included a number of buildings: the main house, an outbuilding, a lamus, a mill, two chapels, an entrance gate and various outbuildings. In addition, in 1763 the construction of a wooden church was completed. In terms of its architecture, the palace can be attributed to the Baroque style - rectangular and one-story, with a high attic. The central part of the building was distinguished by a massive projection, which ended with a triangular pediment. Unfortunately, the estate has not survived to this day; you can only find the foundations and filled-in basements.
Since 1814, Ganuta was owned by the famous composer Mikhail Kleofas Oginsky, who lived in Zalesye, but I came here with pleasure for the summer. After the Oginskys left the Belarusian lands in 1823, the estate began to be rented out. In the second half of the 19th century, representatives of the Rzhevuski and Lopatinskys became the owners of Ruchitsa.
During the First World War, the estate was severely destroyed, and during the retreat of German soldiers it was looted - all valuables and relics were taken away. In the early 20s, modest attempts were made to restore Ganuta; the last owners of the Volovichi farm repaired the house itself and some outbuildings. However, a new war was approaching, which finally decided the fate of the estate in Ručica - complete destruction. In the post-war years, the ruins of the manor house were dismantled for building materials, erasing from memory what little remained.
Unlike the estate, the Assumption Church has been preserved in Ganut. It is located on a peculiar peninsula, where it was built in 1881 from stone. It is this building that can now be called the main dominant feature of the village.
The chapels, which were built simultaneously with the Oginsky estate itself, according to the design of the same architect Genu, are worthy of special attention.
They had Baroque architecture with Rococo elements, and in the center of the chapels there were small wooden sculptures on pedestals.
When I came to Ruchitsa in 2023, the chapels were destroyed, but there is information that they began to restore them not so long ago. Below is an old photo of the far chapel:
The chapel near the main road is a little better preserved and gives a good idea of the original appearance of the structure.
Below is an old photo:
Another interesting attraction in Ručica is the suspension bridge over the Naroch River.
It is not known exactly when it was built, most likely already in the late 70s, and then it was remodeled more than once. Along the river, if you wish, you can find several more similar bridges.
Near the chapel, pay attention to the ruins of a mill from 1930.
Below is a point with the place where the Ganuta estate was located:
If you are in these parts, I also recommend going to Vileika и Smorgon.
