Description of the attraction
The village of Druya was once a thriving town built at the confluence of the Druyka River into the Western Dvina. The first mention of Druya was made in 1386 in the Chronicle of Polish, Lithuanian, Jomoit and All Russia. In 1515, the city was completely destroyed during the war with the Muscovites. The city was rebuilt and in 1620 received the Magdeburg Law. Currently Druya is a border village. To visit it, you need to issue passes, which can take up to 5 days.
The population of Druja was severely affected during the Second World War. Here the Nazis created a Jewish ghetto, and later shot all of its inhabitants. At the place of the execution on the banks of the Druyka River, a memorial to the victims was erected by the Jewish community.
There is one of the mysterious Borisov stones in the village. This is a huge boulder, split into three fragments, with a cross and inscriptions engraved on it. Presumably, the inscriptions date from the 12th century, although the stone itself is much older. Perhaps he still remembers our pagan ancestors. The stone was caught from Druyka and installed in the main square.
The Baroque Trinity Church is part of the Bernardine monastery, built in 1646. Despite numerous fires and wars, the church has been perfectly preserved. Particularly impressive is its interior decoration, which is replete with stucco and carved decor.
A unique monument of wooden Belarusian architecture, the Church of St. George, built in the 19th century, has been preserved in Druja. Built on the edge of the forest, painted green, the small church looks like a miniature toy.
There are many Old Believers in the village. Here you can see an Old Believer wooden prayer house built at the beginning of the 20th century. There are many ancient ruins here, mostly Orthodox churches. The best preserved are the ruins of the Annunciation Church built in 1740 with a hipped bell tower built later.
There is a unique ancient Jewish cemetery nearby, where gravestones with colored paintings have been preserved.
Near the village, not far from the Lithuanian border, is the grave of Colonel P. A. Shchitomir-Sukhozanet, a hero of the Turkish war and the war with Napoleon.
