A unique 19th-century coaching inn was demolished in Vialikaja Bierastavica. A sign "protected by law" hung on its wall since Soviet times
In Soviet times, this building on Ratušnaya Square was considered a monument of civil architecture, but for some reason, it ceased to be so in independent Belarus. And now only a pile of stones remains of it.
The coaching inn in Vialikaja Bierastavica before destruction. Photo: Vandrvm
The destruction was noticed by the Vandrvm project, which published photos of the place at the corner of Chyrvonarmeyskaya and Chkalava streets, where a coaching inn from the second half of the 19th century still stood recently.
The demolished building was a rare example in Belarus of a traditional hotel complex, combining rooms for overnight stays, an inn, and an inner courtyard for horses and carts. The main facade was boarded, finished with a high triangular gable, decorated with figured clapboard.
The place where the coaching inn stood in Vialikaja Bierastavica. Photo: Vandrvm
The place where the coaching inn stood in Vialikaja Bierastavica. Photo: Vandrvm
As noted by the Telegram channel "Spadčyna" (Heritage), the coaching inn was recognized as a monument and included in the Soviet "Collection of Historical and Cultural Monuments" in 1986. However, during the formation of the modern State List of Historical and Cultural Values, for unclear reasons, it simply dropped out of the list of monuments and lost any protection. Meanwhile, a sign continued to hang on its facade, declaring that the monument "is protected by law."
A sign declaring that the coaching inn is a monument of civil architecture from the second half of the 19th century and is protected by law. Photo: Vandrvm
According to the channel's authors, there was a recent opportunity to save the monument, but those responsible for the restoration and protection of historical and cultural heritage did not take advantage of it.
Project of protection zones for neighboring objects — remnants of the Carmelite church and a mass grave on Ratušnaya Square. The coaching inn (below) falls within the building regulation zone (in brown), but neither on the diagram nor in the text is it distinguished in any way among postwar typical projects.
In September 2024, a project for protection zones for neighboring objects — the remnants of the Carmelite church and a mass grave on Ratušnaya Square — was approved. The documentation was developed by "Belrestauratsyya". Despite the coaching inn being located within the building regulation zone, it was not highlighted as a valuable historical object in the project. The absence of any protective regulations regarding it effectively allowed for its further demolition.
In Belarus, there are no longer any known examples of wooden coaching inns. The stone coaching inn in Niasviž, fortunately, retained its status as an architectural monument.
Coaching inn in Niasviž