Memorable places in the area: Lyakhchitsa

To the south of the village of Lyakhchitsa of Kobrin district of the Brest region Knyazhaya Gore's natural boundary is located. On this height the picturesque mushroom wood grows. Near Prince Mountains, near the village of Kotasha the only thing in Belarus the lake with sandy beaches is located. According to the local legend, in Knyazhaya Gore's natural boundary there is a tomb of the princess Olga.

"Long ago it was. The princess Olga passed here. There was it our, Russian … Once killed the husband it, Vladimir, and Olga went to be at war with enemies … Olga cunning won against enemies, having reforged at horses of a horseshoe on hoofs on the contrary. But for Dyvin there was a post, and from there soldiers caught up with it. At that time our mountain was above bogs, the wood on it was not. There the princess also stopped. Enemy troops came from the South, from Novoselok. On the mountain also found death Olga … There she was also buried. The grave was almost under top. Since then the mountain is also called the mountain Knyazhaya or the Princess. Long since on a grave there was a simple wooden cross, but, probably, at Bolsheviks it was removed …"

As it was succeeded to find out, the legend is connected with concrete historic facts. In 1287 the galitsko-Volynsk princes went hiking to Poland. The Vladimiro-volynsky prince Vladimir Vasilkovich, seriously ill, sent instead of himself the voivode. In Paradise on Volhynia the prince handed two donative diplomas. One diploma about talent to it the earth and the cities after death – to the cousin prince Mstislav Lutsky. The second – to the wife Olga Romanovna in whom to her the city of Kobrin and the village of Gorodel (Gorodets) was bequeathed. Besides, in the diploma the prince wrote down: "… and the princess my Auger will crave in chernich to go to poidet, Azhe will not crave for an ita, and Kako to it Ljubo to me without having risen smotret that who to mayet to repair after my stomach". Besides the prince forced the successor to kiss a cross that it will not give the foster daughter Izyaslava against her will in marriage but only as Olga will want.

To understand why it was necessary to the princess Olge Romanovne Kobrin and why it could and wanted to go after death of the husband to the suburb of the possession, we will dwell upon the biography of this educated, uncommon woman which was not only the worthy wife, but also the husband's ally, but as the local historian Mr. Musevich writes, the vital feat of the vladimiro-Volynsk princess remained in the shadow up to now.

And whether could be differently? Olga is the granddaughter of the Saint scribe prince Michael of Chernigov, the niece the Saint Evfrosinyi Suzdal, Olga's brother, Oleg Romanovich, renounced the principality, became monks and also subsequently was canonized.

Olga's aunt, the princess the Rostov Maria, had a direct bearing on the Rostov annalistic arches which fragment the academician D. Likhachev called "Marya Rostovskaya's Annals" where immortalized a feat of the husband Vasilki Rostovsky in fight on Syti's river in 1228. With its participation "Life" of the father, Michael of Chernigov was made.

Cousin of Olga, wife of the king of the Czech Republic Pshemyslav II – Kunguta Rostislavovna, became the first Czech poetess. However closest Roman Mikhaylovich's daughter and Michael of Chernigov's granddaughter Olga was connected with an Old Russian knizhnost. In July, 1263 Olga Romanovna was given in marriage to a knyazhich Volynsk – Vladimir Vasilkovich. From now on radically style of the galitsko-Volynsk annals changes.

Absolutely respect for Vladimir Vasilkovich's uncle, the prince Daniil Galitsky who was more successful in rivalry with Olga's grandfather, the prince Michael of Chernigov, and then and to his descendants – to Lev and Yury disappears. Having finished excess praise of Daniil, the chronicler brings the brother Vasilk out of his shadow. In many places of the text the appendix "and his brother Vasilko" appears after any mention of the prince Daniil. The author unostentatiously, but ironically focuses attention on deficiency at Daniil as diplomatic abilities, and... personal courage. The impression is made that on pergament pages the posthumous revenge of scribes of the Chernihiv school for lifetime defeats of the late prince took place.

The first appearance of Olga Romanovna in the chronicle in the scrupulous description of a marriage ceremony with Vladimir Vasilkovich in Bryansk. And then her father Roman Mikhaylovich Bryansky is mentioned in the chronicle considerably more often than that was demanded by his real influence on the Volynsk affairs.

Vladimir Vasilkovich (Ioann) began to reign in a baptism after death of the father Vasilki. The main historical source telling about time of reigning of Vladimir Vasilkovich (1270 - 1288) is a part of "the Galitsko-Volynsky chronicle" which received the name "The Story about Vladimir Vasilkovich". In scientific community disputes who the author of the story are conducted.

The author of "The story about Vladimir Vasilkovich" showed extensive awareness in the theory and practice of a knizhnost and inexplicable proximity to the prince: "The Sy Blessed prince Vladimir vozrastom be vysok, a plechim velik, litsem krasen, hair having kudryava are yellow … To byashet the speech v nem it is sensible also orally ispodny is fat, a glagolasha it is clear ot knig, Zahn byst filosof velik., krotok, smiren, nezlobliv, pravdiv, not mzdoimets, not lzhiv, theft to a nenavidyasha, drink not pi ot the age, the love to an imyasha to vsim is more also to the brotherhood, in hrestnom a kissing to a stoyasha with all truth, truth unfeigned; God's fear napolnen". Redundancy of own feelings which breaks through shod lattices of a canon of a medieval epitaph (what it is worth "a hand there were beautiful also legs"), has no analogs in Old Russian annals. The next direct analogy – the panegyric to the prince Vasilk Rostovsky created as we remember, the native aunt of Olga Romanovna.

In the Aradsky Kormchey list of 1286 the text is followed by the following explanation: "As because of an illness it was exhausted very much. Because of it it could not accompany it". It was so exceptional case that the Volynsk chronicler emphasized and allocated this episode, having made the explanation to it.

It is necessary to tell that the prince Vladimir with own hand rewrote such books as "Dmitry Solunsky's Life" and "Parenesis" of Ephrem the Syrian, the Gospel, the Apostle, and also a set of other spiritual literature which he gave in church, monasteries, dioceses, and the most valuable Gospel (fettered by silver and decorated with pearls, and in the middle – with image of Saviour on enamel) it presented to the Chernihiv diocese – in acknowledgement of education of his spouse.

Also, reading "The story about Vladimir Vasilkovich", we meet the chronicler in places and situations where the stranger could not get, – at reflections about construction of the new cities, the prince will, negotiations with the Polish ambassador.

The last days and death of the prince in Lyubomle and internal experiences of the princess are extremely in detail described on December 10, 1288. I will remind, all elite of the principality remained in Vladimir-Volynsk, with the prince there were only domestic servants and the princess Olga Romanovna. On the basis of these facts researchers fairly assume that the princess Olga was the author of "The story about Vladimir Vasilkovich".

The will of the husband according to which Olga received several villages and the city of Kobryn in possession also fits into an outline of such facts, unique and exclusive for medieval history. The Ukrainian researcher S. Sinyuk writes: "With considerable probability it is possible to assume that the princess moved to Kobryn about 1290. Perhaps, it was preceded by a certain conflict with the successor of the prince of Vladimir Mstislav. And Olga kept control over the chronicle, otherwise it is impossible to explain with anything interruption of the biography of Mstislav directly on the middle. The impression is made that the last lines of the chronicle were written in general outside Vladimir-Volynsk. Records about death of pinsky and stepansky princes sound as the messages informed from far away, and they could be included in the code of the princess Olga just because Stepansky and Pinsky principalities are located near Kobrin". As we see, the national legend about Olga Romanovna's grave on Knyazhey Gore near der. Lyakhchitsa, finds scientific confirmations.

Memory of Olga and her grave on Knyazhey Gore are carefully stored many centuries by locals. About Knyazhey Gore there are written data in historical sources. In audit of Kobrin economy of 1563 it is written down: "Knyazhaya Gore, natural boundary of the village of Rukhovich". After Gore is present at the Russian cards of the 19th century and at the Polish – the beginnings of the XX century. At the end of the 19th century the archeologist F. V. Pokrovsky according to the priest wrote down: "village Habovichi … Blotskoy ox., Kobrin County. In 5 versts to the southwest from sat down to eat the small hill called in the people the mountain Knyazhaya. Is called so because here as if during fight some princess is killed".

Knyazhaya Gore exerted a great influence on development of the village of Lyakhchitsa and next the district. The female name Olga is very widespread in Lyakhchitsakh. The chronicle about the events connected with the natural boundary, and on July 24 "on Olga" was stored in Church of the Intercession of the village Habovichi which arrival entered Lyakhchitsa, the temple holiday is celebrated. According to the legend, on a tomb of the princess Olga there was a wooden cross, flowers a barvinka grew. Olga's grave was very esteemed by locals, for example, addressed the princess that wolves did not take away a livestock. After war the cross and a grave were lost. In 1999 locals at top of the mountain established a metal cross.

The solution of the Belarusian republican scientific and methodical are glad concerning historical and cultural heritage at the Ministry of Culture of Republic of Belarus of February 22, 2012 the decision to make the offer in Council of ministers of Republic of Belarus on giving of the status of historical and cultural value to toponymic object – to the name of the natural boundary of Knyazhaya Gore which is near the village of Lyakhchitsa of Kobrin district is made. It is the first toponym which is planned to be taken under protection of the state.

On pages of the free encyclopedia "Wikipedia" on the Internet pages of the village of Lyakhchitsa in the Russian, Belarusian, Polish, Ukrainian, English and German languages with information on Knyazhaya Gore's natural boundary are created.

In July, 2012 to Knyazhuyu Gore the film crew of RenTV TV channel visited (Moscow). By the day of remembrance of the Saint princess Olga equal to the apostles, and also to the 725 anniversary of the first mention of Kobrin, at the request of locals on July 22, 2012 the prior of Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh in the village of Korchitsa archpriest Valery Zaruboy consecrated a cross on Knyazhey Gore. Residents of the villages of Lyakhchitsa and Korchitsa, representatives of the Hidrinsky selyispolkom and APO Radonezhsky gathered for consecration. The Consul general of Ukraine in Brest Oleg Mysyk and representatives of the Ukrainian scientific and pedagogical union "Bereginya" from Brest was a special guest during the holiday.

After consecration of a cross of the resident of the village of Lyakhchitsa Anna Stepanovna Nazaruk and Nina Pavlovna Borisyuk told the local legend about the princess Olga, and the Kobrin club "Obrin" and Ekaterina Pavlovich (Brest) showed historical reconstruction of a legend. Action ended with small performance of Polesia Ringing collective of a town house of culture.

Now in Kamentsa the local historian Georgy Musevich, the artist Mikhail Maksimovich suggested to consider a question of canonization of the blessed and pious prince Vladimir Ioann Vasilkovich as mestnopochitayemy Saint. Now there is a collecting signatures in support of this idea. But as we see, the wife of the prince Olga deserves perpetuating of the memory not less.

Knyazhaya Gore's natural boundary can be used actively in the tourist industry as it is not necessary to invent any new myths, and "to untwist" the available legend. Already now to Knyazhuyu Gore local historians, pupils of local schools and colleges, not indifferent to history, visit.

It is necessary to tell that in 2013 the village of Lyakhchitsa, as well as Knyazhaya Gore's natural boundary, will celebrate the 450 anniversary of the first mention in Audit of the Kobrin economy made by the royal auditor Dmitry Sapegoy in 1563. Is planned by a traditional holiday of the village to date carrying out on Knyazhey Gore of a festival of medieval culture.



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