Turov – Olshany

06:00 Departure

The heart of Polesie is the ancient city of TOURS. In written sources, the city was first mentioned in the “Tale of Bygone Years” under 980. Medieval Turov was the largest cultural and religious center among the Eastern Slavs, the center of writing and chronicling. Stone—paved streets, cozy wooden houses with solar disks on the gables, with patterned drainpipes and chimneys, front gardens drowning in flowers – the original rich culture of the people has been preserved here. In the TUROV MUSEUM of LOCAL LORE we will see the foundation of the church of the XII century, get acquainted with many artifacts of the ancient city. In Turov in the XII century lived and worked the most educated man of his era — poet, philosopher, educator, theologian and preacher Bishop Kirill Turovsky. There is a monument to him on the ancient Castle Hill. And to the north-west of the Castle Hill there is an old Borisoglebsky cemetery. Here you will see the preserved ancient All-Holy Church of 1810, the attraction of which are two two-meter stone crosses, which, according to legend, sailed against the current in Tours from Kiev. The third famous stone cross is literally “growing” in the cemetery right behind Turov … We will also see a unique natural object — TUROV MEADOW. During seasonal migrations, millions of migratory birds stop here to rest, and many of them nest here. Annual floods turn it into a network of islands on which sandpipers, gulls, ducks and other birds arrange real colonies.

Then we go to the famous Turov DAIRY PLANT turovmilk.by, a high-tech enterprise for the production of semi-hard and soft cheeses using Italian technologies. The BONFESTO brand combines fresh cheeses of daily consumption. Let’s start our acquaintance with the plant with a delicious LUNCH at the Bonfesto cafe. And then an EXCURSION, where we will learn about the peculiarities of the production of soft cream and curd cheeses, as well as cheeses made using the traditional Italian Pasta Filata technology. The tour takes place in the gallery behind the panoramic window, from where the production process is clearly visible. At the end — a TASTING of the products; about 15 types of cheeses, including several types of mozzarella and ricotta, mozzarella pizza, kremchiz, provala, mascarpone … Bonfesto brings to your home the freshness of emotions of a real Italian holiday of life! You can buy all the cheeses you like in the company store.

1 option to continue the tour And a beautiful end to our day will be an hour-long boat trip along the Pripyat River! Beautiful photos and pleasant impressions are guaranteed!

2 option to continue the tour
OLSHANY has been known since the XVI century and in the past was the property of the princes Radziwills. This is one of the largest villages in Polesie, where there are over 8 thousand inhabitants, became famous as the “cucumber capital” of Polesie. The tongue does not turn to call Olshany a hinterland — modern cottages, one more beautiful than the other, paved streets, lots of flowers, large greenhouses… There are two Orthodox churches in Olshany: in honor of the Great Martyr Paraskeva Friday and the righteous Virgin Juliania of Olshany. A significant part of the population of Olshan professes Protestantism. Here is the largest House of Prayer for Christians of the Evangelical faith in Polesie, an inspection of the temple.

DAVID-THE TOWN is spread out on the picturesque shores of the full-flowing Goryn. Three bridges thrown over the old and new channels of the Goryn River and over the Sezhka Lake, the majestic silhouette of the Castle Hill — this is the charming town of David, grandson of Yaroslav the Wise, Prince of Volhynia, who founded this city in 1100… The most ancient place of the city is CASTLE HILL. In 2000, the city celebrated its 900th anniversary and erected a monument to Prince David Igorevich in the center of the square named after him. The oldest monument of David-Gorodok is St. George’s Church built in 1724. In its interior, attention is attracted by a wooden carved iconostasis, made in 1751 in the Baroque style by an unknown master. The iconostasis is painted and decorated with gilded carved overlays. Previously, it housed the Tsar’s Gate, remarkable in its plasticity, now stored — as a special jewel — in the National Art Museum of Belarus. The first known Catholic church in David-Gorodok was founded by Prince Jan Olbrecht Radziwill in 1623. In its place there is now a stone church with an ornate silhouette in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. This tour will introduce you to the picturesque landscapes of the Pripyat Polesie and the treasures of its history and culture…