Whether white vezha?

Kobrin → Outstanding persons → Alexey Mikhaylovich Martynov

Nowadays concerning the Kamenetsky tower expression "A white vezha" is widely used. Even according to "BSE" "White vezha", an adn z a nazva? it is old - a zhytnaga pomnika an abaronaga doylidstva 13 Art. y of Kamyantsa Brestskay voblastsi.

Meanwhile, this rough misunderstanding caused by simple ignorance of the fact that in the territory of Poland, at the Belarusian-Polish border, the settlement of Byala of a vezh is located to the North from the town of Gaynovka. In the remote past here, really, the disappeared white tower, "vezha" which gave the name to the settlement towered long ago.

Within centuries the next Kamenetsky tower also gradually collapsed, besides not only from time, but also with assistance of local population which diligent undermined available parts of an ownerless construction, using a sound brick for economic needs. And if the emergency measures which are not taken at the beginning of 20 Art. for its rescue, the collapse of a multiton bulk would be inevitable. And now to everyone the alien main is evident a laying up to several meters high from the basis.

The fact that to a certain extent I was the indirect participant and even responsible for fixing to a tower in post-war time of an epithet "white" induced me "to clear up" to some extent this question. Organizing the Kobrin military and historical museum of Suvorov, I at the beginning of the 50th in search of local materials on a profile of the museum came to be in Kamentsa. Acquaintance with its main sight made burdensome impression on me. All bottom of a tower was extremely dirtied, besides, according to eyewitnesses, efforts of pupils of the next school. At first I in a fit of temper largely talked to the principal, and then sent correspondence to "the Soviet Belarus". And as the raised question was too unattractive, my material was not published. But edition sounded the alarm on the relevant administrative authorities. In the end result the Brest regional executive committee made the decision on need of urgent restoration of "a kamenetsky pillar", having allocated necessary funds.

Meanwhile the Kamenetsky management, without waiting for drawing up project documentation for restoration works, hurried to show feasible own initiative, having bleached never the primordial-red bricks of walls shining with a whiteness. And whitewashing was so successful and strong, the lime so stuck to an ancient brick that all subsequent efforts to return to a tower at least rather primitive shape failed.

Here and expression "A white vezha" went for a walk widely all over the world though the Kamenetsky tower never before white was not.
26.04.93



 



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