Along the border — on foot

Continuation. Beginning in No. 2,3,4,6

The morning was cool on that 12th day of the trip. We spent the night in the forest near the village Medriki. I didn't want to wake up: I felt tired from daily walking. However, the mood was good, as the place to spend the night was chosen without discussion. How many times have we been convinced of how much mood affects physical condition? Therefore, we set out on the route at 10.15, getting ready without haste. We even fixed something.

After passing the town Soly, we entered the church. We sat there during the service. The organ sounded beautifully. The church was built before the war at the expense of the parishioners. The church drew attention to the memorial plaque of the local residents who died during the wars. Those we asked do not know where name Soly comes from. Even the elderly.

Going to Kushlyany, we continued to count the storks: 56 already. We began to get confused about where we had spent the night earlier and what was remarkable there. Therefore, we wrote down something as a keepsake. In the morning of the same day, we listened to the radio program "Belarusian Youth": on April 26, our colleagues conducted a radio marathon dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the Chernobyl tragedy. Silence and grace in nature, a beautiful morning forest in which we spent the night, contributed to a good mood. To get to Kushlyany, the places associated with Franciszek Bohuszewicz, we deviated from the main route – we went from Medriki to Soly, then to Osipany, Gaudevichi and Kushlyany.

From Ivan's notes after a conversation with a village grandfather, whom we met by the road: "Well, let it be a stork with me...", – says the grandfather. He lifted the old frames on old trees near the house, but for some reason storks do not come to him. In July, he says, they are chased by bees. Not all neighbors like storks. But the magpie is not a hindrance: they managed to bring chicks. We try to reason: maybe the grandfather is not doing well with the energy, because the stork does not take root. His reasoning about nationality: "We are Poles. After all, we go to the church and pray in Polish. We have a Polish faith. The parents were Poles. Poland was here until 1939"... But the poet Ales Zhamoitin has no doubts who he is.

Meeting with Ales Zhamoitin, who wished us strength and light on the spiritual path.

Arriving in Kushlyany, we immediately go to the post office. We put a stamp: a sign that we were here. Then they found out where to find the local celebrity Ales Zhamoitin.

The next stop is the museum-estate of Franciszek Bohuszewicz. We meet the caretaker, Regina Sidorovich, a very friendly woman. While we are waiting for Ales, she says that Franciszek Bohuszewicz was born in Svirany – now Vilnius region – on March 9, 1840. He studied at Vilnius gymnasium... He died

in 1900... His grave was in Zhuprany near the church in the cemetery. These are well-known facts now available online. They are noted in the diary. Franciszek Bohuszewicz Museum is located not far from the village, exactly where Franciszek Bohuszewicz estate was. We remember the beautiful landscapes around us, and how we walked along the alley to the gazebo. This is how they write about it on the Internet: "On the territory of the estate there is a park, the writer himself planted trees in it. One of the alleys, chestnut, leads to the

ALONG THE BORDER – ON FOOT

poet's favorite gazebo – the place of his creative inspiration on Lysaya Gora. Local historians claim that Bohuszewicz built it together with friends in memory of the victims of the uprising of 1863-64, in which he took an active part. Previously, there was a wooden cross in the pavilion (not preserved), and the place was called "Crucified Will". Nearby, at the edge of the forest, is another important element of the ensemble: the secret stone. They say that the Belarusian classic hid his manuscripts under it in order to avoid persecution for freethinking. After the death of the writer, an unknown master carved an inscription on the stone in memory of Maciej Burachka (Bohuszewicz's pseudonym). Finally, we waited for Ales Zhamoitin. Before that, by the way, we went to his house, but no one was there. We noticed: an ax lay in a bucket of water in the yard near the house. Apparently, the owner was going to chop wood. From his village experience, Ivan knows: an ax swells

from moisture, the ax sits on it more firmly. And the hives were in the estate: Zhamoitin was a beekeeper. At that time, the current head of the museum-estate of Franciszek Bohuszewicz "Kushlyany" kept a horse, using it both on the farm and for the needs of the museum.

The poet began working in the museum in 1988, according to him, with all his heart attached to this land. Ales himself is from

the Brest region: he is from the village of Malakhovtsy, Baranovichi region. He started working in the museum as a research assistant, and since 1989 has been the head of the museum and director. The Kushlyan period of the life and work of Ales Zhamoitin is associated with the restoration of the estate, the organization of a new exposition, which gave the museum a truly memorial status. Museum-estate "Kushlyany" was founded in 1990 in a reconstructed house that Franciszek Bohuszewicz built in 1896 and lived there the last years of his life. This house is apparently the only authentic example of a 19th century writer's estate in the whole Belarus. Here Ales Zhamoytin conducts his business, knowing many secrets of the poet's life and heritage, familiar with his descendants. He has two thousand excursions a year, and he is looking for his own approach to each group. By the way, in the Baranovichi central regional library there is detailed information about this and about our creative interlocutor in general, the "Grodno Pravda" wrote about him.

During the conversation with Ales and after we make notes. At that time he was engaged in scientific work, studied yoga, occultism and mythology "with a projection on Belarus". I've been collecting materials for 20 years. In 1996, the scientist, according to his admission, went through the "stage of systematization."

He also participated in a folk music ensemble, for which he even bought a synthesizer. He boasted tha his daughter Zarina wrote music. At that time, the network radio in Kushlyany had already been liquidated. We're talking about global things in general. For example, about the global crisis. The fact that the sociologist Bestuzhev-Lada, according to Ales, "gives civilization 60 + 20 years to come to its senses and not fall into the abyss." The poet's wife is called Teresa, they also have a daughter, Olga.

We still remember the dinner with boiled potatoes: the hosts set the table for the guests. We ask them about life, and they are interested in our plans. Teresa talks about mystical events in those places. For example, what the patients of the hospital in Smorgon saw in 1996 before Christmas: in the afternoon a rainbow appeared in

the sky, the ends of which connected the church and the church. In one of the hospital wards there was an apparition of the Theotokos of Jesus Christ – on Orthodox Carols and on Candlemas.

Later we wrote in our diary that the lifestyle of Ales Zhamoitin is an attempt to combine earthly life with life in the spheres of the spiritual, the spheres of knowledge. He has his own horse, cow, goat, pigs, chickens... And even a dog, a German Spitz – but there are also scientific pursuits, the desire to spiritualize the earth, to understand where we live. Where we come from and where we are going. His wife is more engaged in agriculture and children, Ales – in science and bees.

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Notes on a journey that no one has repeated yet

MUSEUMS.BY

Museum-estate of Franciszek Bohuszewicz "Kushlyany" in Kushlyany.

GRODNONEWS.BY

Ales Zhamoitin, who knows well the legacy of Franciszek Bohuszewicz

Zhuprany landscape with the catholic church

TOMKAD.LIVEJOURNAL.COM The Gothic Church of Saints Peter and Paul, the so-called Peter and Paul Church, is the main attraction of the agricultural town Zhuprany, built in 1854. The town itself is located in Oshmyany district of Grodno region – on the section of the P63 highway between Smorgon and Oshmyany. Zhuprany are known for the fact that since 1407 the village belonged to the Radziwiłł family. The village gained real popularity in the 19th century.

He says he loves the rural intelligentsia. Here they celebrate the anniversaries of famous people, pay attention to spiritual life.

But we still did not understand: was Ales realizing his creative potential in the village? Were people already experienced in science focused on the fruits of their labor? Could he give "to each according to his consciousness"? I want to believe in that. So we thought and wrote then. He is glad that he found in Krevo (at last!) a pagan shrine. It looks like, he said, to the famous Stonehenge! With different levels of stones, with a place for the main FireZnich. He also claimed that the Druids were experienced Celts. The Celts are from the Aryans, and it is possible that the Druids in the names in the north of Belarus left traces of their presence: Druya, Druyka, Drivyaty, Drisvyaty... In addition, according to Ales, the religion of the Zoroastrians is the basis of the ancient faith of Belarusians – our paganism.

In his diary on page 60, Ales Zhamoytin drew an isosceles triangle with symbols inside it. And below there are inscriptions. "And God said: Let there be peace. And let there be peace! (Bible of Skaryna). Then the wish: "Strength and light to you on the spiritual path! Ales Zhamoytin. 26.06.1996. Kushlyany ". For 25 years, the seal without paste has burned out: "Museum-estate... Kushlyany".

We leave Zhamoitn late and move straight into the April night: we hasten to spend the night in Zhuprany, at the school. It is 10 kilometers from Kushlyan to Zhupran, first along the highway (on the maps the P-63 highway: Oshmyany – Smorgon), then to the left along it towards Oshmyany. The darkness is already hopeless. If you look at the map of the area from Osipan to Zhupran, you can see large forests to the right of the road. How we remember them! The air was damp – it was raining. Somehow alarming, as it is described in any fantastic work. Clouds. Darkness. It is very dark in the forest. And, as they say now, the "cool" long blackening car stops several times to accompany us. How he dances: first forward, then backward. Someone is probably looking at us through the tinted glass. We talk about it quietly and try not to look in the direction of the car. Who is in it? Why are they watching us from her? The 90s and everything on the roads was enough. Just in case, Ivan pulls out an ax from the packages so that, if something happens, try to defend himself. We even read prayers, and try not to fall into anxiety – not to obey fear, although the obvious danger, as they say, is very close – we just have to reach out...

Everything worked out. The car spun and drove away. Perhaps we say that Saint Euphrosinia protected us. We believe that her intercession was with us throughout the "Walk to the Thirtieth Kingdom." And the black car in the black forest is often mentioned. By the way, this was the only strong fear that gripped us on the way. Therefore, the dream that night was disturbing.

13th day. Zhuprany – Kamenka. School in Zhuprany. Schoolchildren, their ideas about happiness and the basic law of the universe. A church in Zhuprany and a monument to Franciszek Bohuszewicz. We plant chestnuts.

The description of the day is given in accordance with the detailed content of the diaries made by Valya in autumn 1996.

Yesterday we covered 29 km. The day was full of both walking and meetings. We spent the night at the boarding school Zhupran. We arrived there late in the evening, the curator of the museum in Kushlyany sent us to school: her daughter, a teacher, works there. We went to bed very late, as we were in the school yard

only at 22.30. From the diary (Valya writes): "Ivan immediately went to the boarding school to negotiate. I stood alone in complete darkness, waiting for him for 20 minutes – and a black cat was spinning next to me. I was a little scared: as if some scraps of "fear of a black car" had stuck to my thoughts. We slept in the boarding school between the beds right on the floor: it was too lazy to unwind sleeping bags. In the morning, when we woke up, we quickly got together, because we were invited to school: to a meeting with high school students. Teenagers – with enlightened faces. Our business card was presented to one boy and a girl. (Which of the Zhuprans remembers our meeting? Answer me!) Ivan told a girl named Tonya about one of the basic laws of being: the law of cause and effect. The fact that a person is constantly making a choice every moment. Also about the teaching of Zoroastrianism... The headmaster is a very nice woman. She is characterized by a soft femininity, in contrast to the directors of the strict and "authoritarian", if not iron. She treated us to goodbye sweets! "

At the meeting, we ask students in grades 8, 9 and 10: what are people looking for in the thirtieth kingdom? Answer: happiness, better destiny, loved ones... And on the second question, what is the basic law of the world, they say: love for one's neighbor. It is obvious that the disciples in Zhuprany were brought up in a Christian spirit. By the way, today it is "Zhuprany secondary school named after F.K. Bohuszewicz". At that time, the school had 222 students and 24 teachers. The teacher of geography and singing Viktor Kovalenok is a traveler, just like us. Travel, boat and bike trips.

Here's what else the headmaster of the school, Sofya Iosifovna Kovalenok, told us. Her reasoning is recorded in the diary. We quote: "I would like more. But household chores take a lot of time and effort. In winter, for example, it is very cold: because, say, the boiler is out of order. The batteries were heated for a week with blowtorches – parents took care. With regard to spirituality, I believe that the laws of good are fundamental in the world. I can forgive the guys for everything except deception. So as not to beat each other." Ms Sophia is trying to educate her daughter, who is in the 8th grade, she sings and participates in competitions.

From a conversation with the director, we still remember how she proudly mentioned that the school was attended by a famous fellow countryman Franz Klintsevich, a Russian politician, a candidate of psychological sciences – he comes from the village Kreivatsi, Oshmyany region. He was born in 1957. In 2006, by the decision of the Oshmyany District Council of Deputies for making a great personal contribution to the development and strengthening of friendly relations and cooperation between Belarus and Russia, for the courage and dedication shown during military service (participated in hostilities in Afghanistan), for public activities in the benefit of the city of

Oshmyany and the Oshmyany region, reserve colonel Klintsevich was awarded the title of "Honorary Citizen of the city of Oshmyany". He was awarded two Orders of the Red Star, the Order of Honor, Friendship, the Order of Alexander Nevsky, the Order of Honor of the Republic of Belarus, the Order of the Star of the III degree of the Republic of Afghanistan, 12 medals of the USSR and the Republic of Afghanistan.

After the meeting at the school, we go to the church, built in 1875. We meet the priest Krzysztof. Today's information about this church is as follows: "In 1875 the church was completed and consecrated on October 12, 1875 in the name of the apostles Peter and Paul." And also: "Around 1550 – the first wooden church was laid. The end of the 16th century was adapted for the Calvinist church. 1854 – the beginning of the construction of a brick church on the foundations of Count A. Chapsky. The future Belarusian writer Bohuszewicz took part in the work. Due to lack of money and the uprising of 1863, construction was suspended. "

There is also a monument to Bohuszewicz in the agricultural town of Zhuprany, erected in 1958 in the park. The author of the monument is the famous Belarusian sculptor Zair Azgur.

From Ivan's notes after a conversation with the priest: "Most of the inhabitants of Zhuprany are Poles. They do not pray in Belarusian in the Church, although every priest is open to the national language. The liturgical part is in Latin. The catechism is not taught in schools either. The priest does not go to school... There is such a division: Catholic – Pole, Orthodox – Russian. The Apostles Peter and Paul are the patrons of the church ".

The priest also said that 30-40 children go to the church. There is no alcohol at the burials in the settlement: he established the following order: "Vodka," he explained, "the deceased does not need, not the drunkard is still alive. So there is savings. Those who appreciate alcohol should look for another priest: I don’t want to participate in such an event". Some entries in the diary are dedicated to the peculiarities of Catholic worship and the life of believers. We also noticed that the priest himself allocates his time.

Tatiana Bohuszewicz, a school technician, at that time a correspondence student at the Warsaw Pedagogical University, talked to us and took us to Bohuszewicz's grave. The cross on the grave of Franciszek Bohuszewicz was erected on the occasion of his 150th birthday. The portrait was returned to the church – for the 150th anniversary. Tatiana said that in the house where the priest used to live, they opened a house for young people. In those days, faith returned to the daily life of parishioners.

We come to Oshmyany. Judging by the diary entry, nothing perceptible happened

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Grave of Franciszek Bohuszewicz in Zhuprany

State educational institution "Zhuprany secondary school named after F.K. Bohuszewicz"

Photo for memory. Maria Misevich (to the left of Valentina) with her son Igor and niece Tatyana.

to us there: only the telephone number of the editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Oshmyansky Vestnik" Yuri Nikolaev is indicated, and the editorial office is at 36 Sovetskaya Street. We arrived at the regional center on Saturday, April 27, at noon: I remember, how 5 chestnuts were planted on the road from Oshmyany (4-5 km). It was very cold, we walked in warm jackets. Having dined, we even warmed ourselves by the fire.

With great gratitude – about librarian Maria Misevich. Her hospitality and her then great interest in life and people.

On the way to Golshany we spent the night in the village Kamenka. House of Vladimir and Maria Misevich on the road, on the right. Vladimir then worked on a farm, Maria – as a librarian. Let's get acquainted. It can be seen how worried Maria is: journalists from Minsk do not come to the courtyard every day, but ask to spend the night. Therefore, he is in a hurry to tell about everything. The youngest son Igor is 6 years old, his niece's name is Tatiana. Sasha is the senior. Maria graduated from the Mogilev Library College. It is 6-7 kilometers from the village to Golshany. There is a settlement and a castle in Golshany. not far away, in the village of Lyudvikashchyna, on the Zelenka farm, which we passed, the medicine man Ivan Kazimirovich Matskevich lives. We ask Maria: will it be possible to go to him in the morning. She promises us a "horse expedition" – to go there on a cart.

The Misevich family is not rich, but hospitable. We are given a whole room in the house. Maria, respecting the guests, covers the beds with clean sheets, puts in high pillows. We, grimy and tired, feel uncomfortable, do not want to violate the cleanliness, and therefore, according to our habit of vagabonds, we settle on the floor on our sleeping bags.

Sunday morning was sunny, somewhat festive. For the first time in almost two weeks of daily walking, we bathed in the bathroom with hot water. We treated ourselves to breakfast with delicious pancakes baked by the hostess in honor of the birthday of her eldest son Sasha. Since we had nothing to give the guy, Ivan wrote a poem right on our business card. So we wanted to cheer up a quiet, kind, hardworking teenager who, according to his mother, was not very confident at the time. Sketching these notes, both thought about how the fate of Sasha was? Does Maria remember our meeting?

Of course she remembers! We called at random on one of the home phones in Kamenka, and Yadviga Dokurno undertook to inform Maria that Minsk journalists were looking for her. By the way, Yadviga spoke very well of her fellow villager. Along the way, she told that she lives with her youngest son Igor, who works as an assistant to the combine operator. Son Sasha, like her husband earlier, passed away. Maria still works in the library, and although her fate is not easy, she does not take offense at life. The fact that Maria remembers us, she said herself, calling us for tomorrow. She also remembers how she took us to the healer in a cart.

We have not forgotten how, after breakfast, the residents of Kamenka saw the following picture: the burly Mrs. Maria, "sitting" with a whip on a cart, was taking us on the straw, who had become exhausted from bathing and breakfast; to Kazimirovich, for an "interview". The meeting with the healer did not take place (the owner was not at home), but we were very pleased with the short walk! Especially Valya, for whom a wheelchair ride is exotic. Especially after two weeks of walking...

It should be noted here that the idea of walking around Belarus was not disrupted by this voyage! After all, we drove back to Kazimirovich – who wants to, look at the

map! – this was the road that we passed. Then we returned to Kamenka, collected and packed the Kewpie, photographed for memory with Maria and the children and went further along the highway, to Golshany with its famous castle. Let Sasha Misevich poem remain on the pages of the magazine: as a memory of him.

To Sasha from village Kamenka on his 16th birthday

Sixteen! And springtime...

And there are so many roads ahead!

So let your doubts all burn out

In the fire of victories over the difficulties of life.

May your dreams come true! Just believe me!

Everything is in us: both our pain and

joy.

You just choose your own path! Now!

Then everything will come true! Be strong, Sasha!

April 28, 1996 in village Kamenka, Oshmyany region.

Unfortunately, Sasha did not become strong...

And his daughter Leona Matskevich told us about the healer. She said that the father was given the power of God to heal people. He makes infusions – from herbs and flowers. Helps patients with psoriasis, epilepsy, nerve damage... He has "strong, strong hypnosis." He has been treating people for six years. The thread will be knitted and taken by the patient's hand. It so happens that he holds the hand and already says where someone hurts. One woman had a terrible toothache. She took the pills – it did not help. And he cured. The nervous system, if someone fails, he calms, then relieves stress... Somehow someone broke his leg, relieved the pain. And the leg healed by itself, without a cast: the fracture was closed. Accompanies healing with prayer. Reading books. He's a Catholic, goes to church. He worked on a collective farm. Now retired.

Currently, as Maria said, he lives in Oshmyany.

As we understood, the healer checks everything on himself – all the recipes that he uses, and then advises people. According to his daughter, a German doctor aroused father's interest in treatment, the professor lived in those places that "remained from the war." Ivan Kazimirovich was small then, but something stirred in him. As a child, when he hit hard, he noticed how he put his hand on the bruised place – and the pain disappeared... His whole life was spent in great work. Until the 33rd, he did not pay attention to my health. And now he eats once a day, or even does not eat at all, until he accepts all the sick. He is strict to drunkard, he does not accept drinkers. So, let's go to Golshany. We feel refreshed. The hospitable Kamenka was left behind, and after 45 minutes, according to the tradition, which began to take shape from the beginning of the walk, we were resting. The terrain is hilly: we were told that the most elevated places near Kamenka are called the Caucasus. From walking on such a road as on huge waves, from the elastic joy of overcoming oneself after fatigue, a corresponding mood arises in the soul. Valentina made the following entry in her diary: "Ivan

wrote a wonderful poem dedicated to me." And this is Ivan's today's remark about Valya: "She withstood all the tests with me with dignity and courage in a rather difficult 120-day trip. I remember how I was taught, already in Polesye by one counter: "Everything is clear with you: you are a strong man! But why torture a woman? " Bow to you and thanks, my dear friend! And my wife. "

On our journey, we often asked the question: "What is happiness?" And we have heard different opinions on this matter. And, finally, comprehending the accumulated experience, we found a formula: happiness is not to languish in work, but to enjoy it. Of course, this does not mean: being lazy or working without enthusiasm. Here, first of all, the optimistic attitude of the soul to work is important. The mental attitude will isolate the joy of what has been done. "This work strangles us, we work like slaves" – and this we heard from the people we met. This, unfortunately, is not a working attitude, but a life full of stress, imbalance and even diseases of the soul. In such a mood, you quickly get tired, and you do not feel the joy of work, and therefore the illness approaches. We also met optimists who are doing their job in a good mood: "Glory to God, who gives strength to work, to earn bread for himself and his loved ones. Thank God that I can put my business in order, that there was income in the house. "Agree, this is a completely different labor melody!

If you strain your mind, maintain such a mood in your soul, then even if you are very tired, as we have already said, you will experience joy. The mood of the soul – it must be either tired or invigorating at work. And the best, sweetest rest – of course, after a lot of stress.

In Golshany we saw a miracle. Several, maybe five courtyards – house numbers of about 60-65 – stand on the Castle Hill – by the stream. Its water is in motion all the time. There is a spring at the top under the mountain. Untitled. (Perhaps this is the Ship? This name is found in the descriptions of the Golshany ethnographers). The stream flows into the Golshanka River. Cows drink from it, people wash themselves with water from the river. Drinking water is taken from the stream. If you lower the boat downstream, it will sail to the Berezina River. This is a miracle. But even the children are used to the stream. Because it is always there. This is already familiar. Therefore, it does not surprise either children or adults.

We walked and talked about how pleasant it would be for us to live in a house by such a resounding stream.

Then we went to the house of the director of the local historical museum Eduard Korzun – and it was Sunday, and he was resting... He agreed to show us the museum... Now Eduard Semyonovich, the tireless explorer of Oshmyany region, is gone. The Historical Museum in Golshany rightfully bears his name.

To Sasha from village Kamenka on his 16th birthday Sixteen! And springtime... And there are so many roads ahead! So let your doubts all burn out In the fire of victories over the difficulties of life. May your dreams come true! Just believe me! Everything is in us: both our pain and joy. You just choose your own path! Now

28.04.96, in Kamenka village of Oshmyany district

By Ivan and Valentina Zhdanovich