P. M. Shpilevsky

The famous Belarusian ethnographer, the writer, the journalist Pavel Mikhaylovich Shpilevsky in the work "Travel across Polesia and the Belarusian edge" (1858) left interesting data on stories of the Belarusian cities, settlements and villages. This book was republished in 1992 in Minsk in publishing house - "Flame". The sections of work of P.M.Shpilevskaga devoted Kobrina are given below.

 ... As approaching Kobrin the dense forest considerably extends, but at the same time in some places of the road moves away from the highway, why, approaching Kobrin, feel some loneliness and as if an orphanhood of this city. Kobrin seems as if built in the field of or in the deaf steppe.

Almost at night I arrived to Kobrin, or, more correctly, on Kobrin station which will be spaced from the city nearly on two versts; and therefore about it I had to postpone the notes until the next day. The obliging unter brought to stations to me all possible conveniences of rest and a lodging for the night, and I very quietly overslept to nine o'clock in the morning.

The next day in the morning, at nine o'clock, I sat at a tea little table as Kobrin relay, that is the kike factor, one of those typical creations, eternal perpetuum mobile * rushed into my room and know-it-alls who filled the cities of the Western Russia and without whom, it is valid, difficult to cost the new visitor, especially there if he is not familiar with local language, mainly Polesia or Belarusian. The kike factor in the Western Russia for the traveler the same that for the capital inhabitant the newspaper or for the archeologist archive of rarities. He will tell you all sights of the city, will acquaint in words with all celebrities him, will explain who where lives with whom he is familiar that eats-drinks on what sleeps what has a state how many does debts, than is engaged that starts where is going to go as who puts on how many wears out boots or boots from where receives excess kopek who when arrived or left the city when will come back, will successfully or unsuccessfully end some business - the word, will transfer to you everything that want about the city and, in addition, will undertake to execute all your instructions, as if they were difficult, and will really execute. But do not think that it cost much to you: at all! For a fifty-kopeck piece the factor will run the whole day.

 After the lower bows the factor offered me the services on anything, and when I noticed to it that I on different affairs will stay in Kobrin two days, neotvyazchivo asked to charge it though something on the first time in the form of test of his dexterity and pansophy.

 - Pardon — it added — here all know me. All landowners from the county charge me in absentia the affairs. Sir governor of a town loves me, and the lady of a kaznacheysh any day on two times sends for me. As silly such samokhvalstvo seemed to me, but to get rid, I decided to charge something to it and, by the way, snest to... Kim the letter which I was given in Warsaw. The kike departed, and I in several hours went to the city.

 At first sight Kobrin seems the beautiful and graceful city because all is bound by gardens and Mukhavtsom is bordered from some parties with the canal and the river; but by the most detailed consideration of its rather dirty pavements, very narrow streets... you will involuntarily doubt neatness of this city...

 Kobrin is located over the river Mukhavets and almost in the center is cut with the small river of Kobrinkaya prevailing the inexact beginning from bogs of Dyvinsky near which as tells the local legend, there was before an ancient city, or fortress and the lock where subsequently, in the 15th and 16th centuries, there lived Kobrin heads who were depending on strong at that time Radzivillov and delivering them in case of need hastily the created auxiliary army. Nowadays on that place the remains і in bulk as traces ancient oselishch the Lithuanian tribe mixed with Slavic-and-Russian, more precisely Polesia remained; one part of it, places is built up by beautiful palayets and enclosed with a garden with the channel, and another — is started and known under the name of Ancient settlements and Zamchishcha now. And especially the lock the Polish chroniclers refer Kobrin's creation to XII and even by the 11th century and attribute to the Russian princes coming from the house Volynsk. From ancient diplomas of the 13th century it is known that the Vladimir and Volynsk prince Vladimir Vasilkovich in the spiritual bequeathed Kobrin as the considerable city to the wife Olga Romanovna Vposledstviya Kobrin became property of the Lithuanian princes from Olgerd's house. In the 15th century Kobrin is the Russian city again. In 1497 the Kobrin prince Ioann Semenovich constructed in him several churches and the monastery of sacred Saviour having written down in favor of it up to 40 tithes of the earth and two taverns on Kobrinke's river; in this monastery he is also buried. In the 16th century Kobrin fell under the power of Poland, and Sigismund I presented him Kostevicham which descendants consist landowners in the Kobrin County now. But in 1563 Kobrin was turned into a state manor and was considered as the royal city. From economic lyustratsionny record of Dmitry Sapegi it is visible, as at that time in Kobrin there was still a beautiful, majestic castle about twelve spikes with another, smaller, the Balt enclosed with a fencing from peaked, the underwater bridge at huge gate and the high shaft forced by 20 guns and several heaps of bullets; in general the lock was considerably strengthened and had even the commandant; in it there lived the queen Bona. In the same record it is shown that in Kobrin there was a monastery of sacred Saviour; churches: Prechistensky, Petrovsky, Spassky and Nikolaev; streets: Charnavchitsky, Rutensky (Russian), Pinsky, Blotsky Ostromensky and Brest; twenty eight areas and one Catholic church in Pinskaya Street. In 1586 Batory presented Kobrin to the queen Anna Yagelonka who, dying, bequeathed to his wife Sigismund III, the queen Constantius. In the 17th century Kobrin took part in affairs of the union. In 1626, on September 6, in it there was an uniatsky cathedral under leadership of Veniamin Rutsky at which there were bishops: Jehoiakim - Vladimir and Brest, Jeremiah - ostrozhsky and Lutsk, Grigory — pinskiya and turovskiya, Leonti — Smolensk and Chernihiv, Afanasy — peremyshlskiya and samborskiya, and Anthony — Polotsk. In 1653 and 1706 Swedes devastated and burned down Kobrin, and him smothered the inhabitants as animals. Hardly kobrinets from attacks of Swedes as in 1711 the morovy ulcer cruelly vygubit several honeycombs of souls from them so until the end of the XVIII century Kobrin represented quite pathetic picture managed to come round. In 1790 Kobrin was updated and as if strengthened concerning the exterior and the population; in it about 6000 inhabitants of a male were considered then. In 1795 Catherine the Great presented the Kobrin lock and a number of the villages adjacent to the city and making as if Kobrin's suburb, to the field marshal Suvorov. Kobrin according to the petition of the Lithuanian governor general Repnin is built to degree of the district city of the Grodno province what it consists and so far. Suvorov ordered to break an ancient castle and on the place to build it the beautiful palace which flaunts and now over the river with Mukhavts and is known under a name of palayets. The field marshal's son Arkady sold out a Kobrin manor, and now it is divided between several small landowners.

Cobras in lies on point port and could be the trade city if to connect Mukhavets to Pripyat by means of the so-called Royal channel especially as Mukhavets, in other places incapable of port departures, from Kobrin becomes navigable; but the thought of connection of this river with Pripyat arising in the 17th century in Jan-Kazimir's head and then shown during the structure of Royal channel, was not carried out still, and therefore Kobrin's trade the small and unenviable now. Main sale of Kobrin: the hemp and especially adobe skin manufactured by the Tatars who lodged here since the time of Vitovt, and which are taken out in a significant amount to Brest and to Grodno. And this small trade, equally, as well as any another, is in hands of Jews. Benches of which it is a little here, zayezdny and inns, hotels and coffee — all this makes their trade. They here all zavedyvat: both trade, and speculation, and the most laborious district swindles. You need to sell the stale hay, the bread which collected in barns, you need money, you sell wheat on a root — you do not pass the kike: he by all means will be to you and will arrange your affairs, of course, not without benefit for himself...

 Iskrestiv and iskhodiv all streets, platforms, a market and even fenny Kobrinki Embankment, I hurried was on station to have dinner, but in Gubernskaya Street towards to me my obligatory factor got and informed on accurate execution of the order, having noticed right there that... Kia asked me to themselves though for hour or so in the evening.

I wanted to say goodbye to a factor, but he took in head to suggest me to glance in one of the best, according to him, coffee Kobrin though, apparently, it is one and is it is available in Kobrin.

— There a nice kava (coffee) — the factor cajoled me, being drawn predo by me and constantly taking off a cap — it is not worse Warsaw. And kavyarka pretty... Believe, yasnovelmozhny the sir... Work...

At this time some hat sliped by us, and I could hardly consider a beautiful face of the lady... She seemed me the Kobrin lady, and in effect it turned out that that was Thackeray provincial snobs a feminine gender... Iosel (a factor name) blinked eyes and as the sparrow in chaff, began to mince before me the of a pantoflyama... It was expression of delight and factor obsequiousness.

— You know... you know, yasnovelmozhny the sir!. It it!., it!.

— Who is she? — I asked it.

Iosel as if stuck to my head and in spite of the fact that on the street was not a soul, carts, whispered to me on an ear:

— It is a kavyarka!. Young lady Koleta... What good!. Ah-ah!. On all Kobrin one such good!

Out of curiosity, and more from desire to drink a cup of coffee, I went in coffee the young lady Koleta... And, really, the young lady Koleta very pretty Pole, though with a little hvatsky manners...

 I took leave with the young lady Koleta and came to so-called Russian plyats (area), pererezyvayemy a highway, with intention to make the way to station. Iosel as spirit, appeared before me and suggested me to sweep to station on the carrier or as speak in Kobrin, on remise. But remise, Ioselya who flew up on call, was no other than the Polesia taratayka harnessed by one lean loshadenka with a shaggy small beard, or simply the cart shaking, and I preferred to go better on foot, despite fatigue after five-hour walking, than to shiver on such crew Polesia kobrinskogo works.

 Towards to us uncountable ternary supplies with logs, boards, poles, Balts and other construction medicines got. All-knowing Iosel explained that it is materials from which contract buffooneries were built.

 In Kobrin there is a fair beginning on June 22 and continuing week. Landowners call it contracts (that is conditions, contracts) because this week elections of the nobility are made and conditions with the employed managing directors, house-keepers and clerks in manors consist. Using such favorable circumstance, on contracts all district pomeshchichestvo gathers, and in humble Kobrin there are a terrible movement and nervousness of hearts! Here in all district showiness provincial snobsa of all possible breeds, dandies in Hungarians and sherachkovy frock coats, in blue, with dimly shining metal buttons, dress coats of bygone years, house-keepers, volost the clerk, commissioners and subpunks in repp kazakina, with ablaukhy caps without peaks and with it are on a scene. In a word, on contracts all shlyakhta is flown from every quarter of the Kobrin County... Kobrin comes to life, takes a festive, solemn form. On collected it is universal from each landowner, the subpunk and a city snobs, the note fan of noisy pleasures money so-called redoubts, or resources, that is something like dancing meetings are arranged, and then dance the whole week desperately to exhaustion that they did not go to waste the offered money; different Poles, krakowiaks, quadrilles, a mazourka and even forgotten anglez break away long ago. Speak in these resources often the destiny not of one Polesia pan-night which was captivated some egomosty, posessory or the Kobrin dandy who demented all townswomen the courtesy and dark green eyes is decided. However, in resources the Kobrin ladies-townswomen, the big shchegolikh dressing tastefully and which are writing out ball dresses, caps, even boots and gloves from Warsaw always take priority. But from men, speak, the shlyakhta, that is pomeshchichka differs; Kobrin dancers, only one gentleman with dark green eyes, very fashionable in Kobrin give in to them, challenges sometimes resource superiority.

 Except resources there are sometimes also other contract pleasures. The theater from the wandering provincial actors is improvised, passes kamedyya (comedians), rope dancers and different shtukar under leadership of the famous Belarusian conjurer Davgyala are and in conclusion masquerades are given.

 I was told that on these summer masquerades incomprehensible things are made "to mind", and I quite trust because already the masquerade in the summer, at the end of June, on capital understanding, is the greatest rarity. Fun and a celebration contract are promoted .edinodushy, friendship and a consensus of kobrinets, and in particular a so-called district snobichnost...

 The next day at about noon I went to the city for some archaeological investigations again and, by the way, incidentally found the rare volumes in Latin, German and Polish languages transported from library of the Brest baziliansky (uniatsky) seminary well-known once in library of Kobrin spiritual school.

 I had to glance in library of the bernardine monastery, but in the absence of the prior could not consider zamechatelnosty this library. Except the bernardine monastery in Kobrin there are four more churches and one orthodox church.

 Inhabitants in Kobrin it is considered to 7000 now; from them most of all — Jews, and less all — Tatars. Almost at night I left Kobrin and the next day came to be in Moldovidakh in the morning — stations of the Minsk province and, therefore, on border of the Belarusian edge. On me pakhnut vivifying Belarusian air.

Shpilevsky P. M. Travel across Polesia and the Belarusian edge. Mn., 1992. Page 42-48.



• P. M. Shpilevsky
• Kobrin Shpilevsky's eyes
• To return back