Centennial Manor in Zheludok

Stomach - the estate of Svyatopolk-Chetvertinsky

For those who are inspired by architecture and history Belarus surely heard of the estate "stomach key” in the village Stomach. The place rightfully occupies various tops among attractions of the country and there are many reasons for that, which we will consider in this article. Manor Svyatopolk-Chetvertinsky in Zheludok (with obligatory emphasis on “O”) is rich in history, but quite young by the standards of its historical path.

Zheludok is not only a manor, but also possibly one of the oldest settlements in Belarus. There are no documentary facts or official confirmation of this by historians, but various finds provide such grounds.

The first historical documents related to Zheludok date back to the end of the 14th century. The first private owner of the estate was probably the prince Vasily Andreevich Polubinsky.

The construction of the estate itself began Prince Ludwig from the noble family of Svyatopolk-Chetvertinsky in 1907, and after only a year, the work was completed. The project of this unusual palace was created by a hereditary architect Vladislav Markoni, by the way, it was his father who designed Neo-Gothic church in Rozhanka. In architectural terms, the estate can be attributed to the Art Nouveau or Neo-Baroque style.

History of the Stomach under Svyatopolk-Chetvertinsky

Although the palace in Zheludok was impressive, the Chetvertinskys did not visit here often, preferring to live in Warsaw.

Initially, there was no understanding with the local peasants and there were conflicts. The prince did not allow the construction of the Orthodox Church to be completed, and the peasants did not recognize his right to pastures and forests. So, despite the innovative approaches and the desire to develop the estate, time passed.

The Zheludok spring grew, there were many outbuildings, some of which have survived in one form or another today.

For example, to the right of the palace you can see outbuilding ruins, which before the Chetvertinsky was a manor house Tyzengauzov.

And on the left - carriage, which unfortunately arrives in an abandoned form.

As has often happened in our history, the big problems began in 39. The estate of Svyatopolk-Chetvertinsky in Zheludok was captured by German soldiers. The owner of the palace, Ludwig Chetvertinsky, died in the Auschwitz concentration camp. From 41 to 44, a military hospital was deployed on the estate.

After the war, a military air defense unit was organized in Zheludok, which, however, did not last long. The estate itself housed officers and a soldier's club. Until 1983, the entire military garrison was moved to new barracks, and the fate of the Zheludoksky Key was left to nature and local residents.

It is difficult to say for what purpose the building of the palace was used (and whether it was used at all) in the 80s, there is no exact data.

Stomach after the collapse of the USSR and today

In the early 90s, the Zheludok estate was on the balance sheet of the Academy of Sciences and the “cinematic” part of the history of the palace began. The walls of the estate of Svyatopolk-Chetvertinsky become a movie theater.

Perhaps one of the most famous films shot in Zheludok is the film “Masacra“. The film search rating is not the highest, but there are also positive reviews, and below is a large fragment in good quality:

The next round in the history of the palace is 2014. The manor house was sold to a businessman from Russia for about $90, who planned to reconstruct the estate. Apparently, in 2021, the former estate was withdrawn and may be put up for auction again. 

Today, the estate in Zheludok is still waiting in the wings. The territory is fenced and partially guarded, the entrance is on a voluntary donation (if you find a guard). They stopped letting people inside the manor-palace, as the building is in disrepair.

Location on the map:

Not far from the village of Zheludok, you can go to the village Dikushki, an interesting church has been preserved there, as well as the ruins of the estate. see options excursions in Belarus at our web site.