Rovanichi is a small, picturesque agricultural town 20 kilometers from the town of Cherven. It was first mentioned at the beginning of the 16th century (1535), as part of the Minsk region and the possession of the Gashtolds. To the genus Slotvinsky these lands were transferred 3 years before the second division of the Commonwealth (1790).

Agricultural town Rovanichi, Belarus

Abandoned Slotvinsky Palace in Rovanichi

History of the estate

The family residence was formed on a hill, in the central part Rovanichi. It is believed that the first steps were taken Anthony Slotvinsky, and already his descendants continued the construction and development of the estate.

Palace-estate of the Slotvinskys in Rovanichi

Manor Slotvinsky, which resembles rather a palace, was completed by the efforts of Ludwig Slotvinsky in the middle of the 19th century (1859). The house was built in a picturesque place, on the bank of a reservoir, with an excellent view of the surroundings.

Interesting places in Chervensky district

Manor Slotvinsky Rovanichi

A number of outbuildings have been preserved in the vast park area. At one time, Ludwig founded a cloth factory in Rovanichi and laid the foundation for a beautiful landscape park. To his heir, the eldest son Gvidon, he gave the richest estate.

Rovanichi in a painting by Napoleon Orda
The Slotvinsky Manor in a painting by Napoleon Orda (mid-19th century)

The building of the palace has a rectangular shape, one-story, in the central part it has two floors - a frequent technique in classical architecture. Also, due to the massive basement, one gets the feeling that the estate has 3 floors at all.

Palace estate Slotvinsky in Rovanichi

Basement of the Slotvinsky estate in Rovanichi

From the main entrance there was a terrace with a two-flight staircase and a balustrade.

Ruined manor balustrade

On the reverse side, the estate has a second - a park entrance, which is not inferior in architecture to the main one.

Manor Slotvinsky in the village of Rovanichi

What does the Slotvinsky estate look like in Rovanichi

Here is a similar portico on huge 4-columns, but the stairs are already straight, without marches.

Manor Slotvinsky park entrance

Symmetrically from the estate there were 2 one-story outbuildings. One was used as a kitchen, the second - as housing for servants. Both buildings have survived to this day, although their fate was different. The southern wing is abandoned, while the northern one is used as a local club.

Abandoned wing Rovanichi

The Slotvinskys owned the Rovanichi estate until 1917. After them, the building was used for various administrative and educational purposes. During World War II, the palace was badly damaged and partially burnt out. On the main facade you can see the numbers "1952", which probably refers to the time when the school was located in this place. According to archival data - up to 1971, then the baton was passed to the district hospital, below is an old picture:

Rovanichi hospital old photo
Photo taken around 1972

It is not safe to be inside and despite the strong foundation, the building itself is in a deplorable state and can collapse at any moment. From the former rich interiors, unfortunately, not a trace has been preserved.

Abandoned manor in Rovanichi

From the end of the 20th century, a gradual fading began, the result of which is excellent is visible in the photographs. It is curious that some outbuildings have survived much better than the palace itself. For example, the building of the distillery still functions to this day.

Manor Slotvinsky
2017 year

Near the estate, on the opposite bank, are Ruins of St. Anthony's Church, which was built as a tomb of the Slotvinsky family.

Abandoned estates of Belarus

How to get to Rovanichi

The exact address is the agricultural town of Rovanichi, Rovanichi village council, Cherven district, Minsk region. From Minsk The road by car will take about 1 hour and 20 minutes. The optimal route: the M4 highway to the village of Natalyevsk, from where we turn onto P59, to the village of Zamostochye, then we go right to Rovanichi along the local road. See the location of the estate on the map:

There is also an option to go by minibus, below is the schedule:

What else to see in this area? A few kilometers away is the curious village of Alesino, where the Vankovichi distillery. And if you are interested in photographic locations, then I advise you to stop by the natural pavilion of the Belarusfilm film studio - “Smolwood".

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