Description of the attraction
The chapel-burial vault of the Paskevich princes is an example of respectful respect for the father of the son of Field Marshal I. F. Paskevich. The worthy son of a renowned father erected for his ancestors and descendants a family chapel-tomb on the ground of the Cathedral of Peter and Paul, not far from his estate.
Fyodor Ivanovich Paskevich for his services to Gomel and charitable activities in 1888 was proclaimed an honorary citizen of the city of Gomel. In return for permission to build a family tomb, Fyodor Ivanovich helped to strengthen the river bank, on which the Church of Peter and Paul stood. The slope was washed away by water, and its collapse threatened to bring down the cathedral.
Being a philanthropist and connoisseur of arts, Fyodor Ivanovich attracted the most interesting architects, sculptors and artists to the development of the family chapel project. The initial project was drawn up by academician architect E. I. Chervinsky. It was decided to make a chapel in the Russian style of the 17th century. External and internal decor elements were developed by the artist who worked with Montferrand in St. Petersburg A. Kh. Pel. It's amazing how many renowned masters have had a hand in this chapel, which is called the eighth wonder of the world.
The construction took 19 years. The result is a unique architectural masterpiece. The square tower, 18 meters high, is covered with an octagonal tent and crowned with golden onions of the domes. The underground part is a 32-meter-long vaulted tunnel lined with chipped stone. There is an amazingly beautiful mosaic panel depicting seraphim soaring in the azure sky. Presumably, this panel was made in the workshop of V. A. Frolov, in which decorative elements for the Savior on Spilled Blood were made.
Eight representatives of the Paskevich family are buried in the tomb. The last was a young maid of honor of the imperial court, 18 years old. She fell from her horse and crashed to her death.
Unfortunately, during the Great Patriotic War, the chapel was badly damaged. In 1968-75, an attempt was made to restore, unfortunately, it was not completed. The administration of the city of Gomel promises to restore the chapel in the near future.
