To go for a walk on town.

 

 

ow we shall make brief excursion on streets of our native town and we shall look, that can be interesting there. It is completely author's material, such you will not find in any book, it is simple useless to search. Probably it will take more than one minute. Probably there will be inaccuracies in it, but it isn't a dry doctoral thesis, it is the alive story.

Here we shall make a small digression. For certain you saw on the first page of this site an engraving of ancient Mogilyov, by slightly "lively" modern methods. It is part of a german engraving XVIII century. The complete version you can find here. There were opinions, that it is not Mogilyov on it, and another town is represented. Yes, if to consider, that it is made on the coast of Dnieper, it is impossible to identify on place any structure, which were in that time. Other matter if to look on the part of the river Dubrovenka. Then at the left there is Dubrovenskaya tower, on a mountain there is Bogoyavlenskaya church, on the right it is the tower of the Town hall. All has become on their places.

And now we shall begin from the outset.

Let's go to the Soviet square and visit the Gorky park. Here it is that place, from whence Moguilev began - mountain Mogila (Grave). Later the wooden fortified castle was constructed here. The castle was situated in extremely favourable place, from the military point of view, and practically was unapproachable for primitive army of that time.

Bychovskaya street (today - Cheluskintsev street) passes lower and as you understand it appeared much later. The popular Bychovsky market was and is settled now in this street.

In the XVII century three defence lines of Moguilev were constructed. The first had the name "Upper town" and had length of strengthenings about 600 meters. Present the racing track of the stadium "Spartak", its length is 500 meters. The second line of strengthenings - "Near wall" extented for about one and a half of kilometers. It surrounded Old Town- it is a territory from the Soviet square to Theatrical park, where there was third a line of the defense - "Far wall".

The Soviet square had a beautiful name - Torgovaya (Commercial). Earlier if to look lower from a mountain, to the left of the bridge through river Dnieper there was a quay. There were trade ships there. Moguilev town was a large river port. Let's recollect, that to the middle of the XVII century the town has become one of the largest handicraft and shopping centers of the Great Principality of Lithuania. The significant part - about 45 % from five thousands of the population was the handicraftsmen: smiths, mechanics, jewellers, tanners, dyers, carpenters, churnmens, butchers, brewers.

Let's go farther. The house of an old construction is situated on an exit from the square extremest on the right to us by an end face. It is a former town council which was constructed in the 19-th century. Let's go to the square Kosternya, today - Ordgonikidze square. We shall not take lanes and directly the Dneprovsky avenue, now Pervomaskaya street.

Our way is through the Old Town, which was the most prestigious part of Mogilyov. Here there was a town hall constructed in the 16-th century, mayor's house, house of merchant of Mogilyov, cult construction. From here Vetryanaya street begins (today - Leninskaya street), later Great Garden street. In a parallel way there are Small Garden street (today - Pioneer street) and Green street (today - Karl Marx street).

The Moguilev Jews occupied a part of Pokrovsky area (today - Podmikolie). Here were a synagogue, a school. This part of town has received the name - "Gidovnik" from the local population. While all children played with dolls, wooden toys, Jewish children played with coins in the games "Shop", "Bank". To the beginning of the XX century the Jews have made a half of the whole population of Moguilev.

We move farther. Opposite to hotel "Dnieper" we see an arch. This arch is constructed in the 18-th century, and recently, in the 20-th century, it was restored. The arch entered into architectural ensemble of Sobornaya square. And where is a cathedral? And anywhere, it is absent now. It was blown up in due time by the people with red stars and now the hotel "Dnieper" is on its place. And the cathedral was named - a Iosifskiy Cathedral. We still shall return to it.

Slowly walking along the Dnieprovsky avenue to the railway station, we shall reach up to the state departement store, hardly farther at the left we can see the building of the former landed-peasants Bank.

And, at last, we shall come in the center of the modern town on a large square one part of which is named Sennaya, and second - Bazarnaya. I have forgotten the name of this square today? All the same we shall finish our brief travel here. In the end you can examine also Ledkovskaya street (avenue Mira). Farther, if to look in the side of the modern railway station, Dneprovskiy boulevard passes in Large Schklovskaya street.

While all. A lot of interesting remained in the side, but we are limited in time. We have whole two minutes yet, which we shall spend in the past before to pass into severe week-days.

 

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