Hajciunishki Manor, Belarus

Hajciunishki Manor is a historic private residence situated in a mouth of the river Voishelk in a village of Hajciunishki of Belarus.

 

 

Location: Hajciunishki  Map

Constructed: 17th century

 

Description of Hajciunishki Manor

Town of Hajciunishki was first mention in written sources in 1512. In 1565 it belonged to a family of noble men of Rimshi family. In the 17th century these lands were given to the Nonhart family who constructed their Hajciunishki Manor in 1611- 12. Estate is located on the outskirts of Hajciunishki on the left bank of Zhizhmy river. It was designed by a military engineer Van Duden who made it into a private residence that can easily be defended in case of peasant revolts or rag tag men at arms.

 

The only surviving daughter of Peter Nonhart married the governor of Novgorod Jury Hreptovich and Hajciunishki Manor along with surrounding lands passed to him. In 1633 his son Adam Hreptovich constructed a small family tomb chapel not far from the estate. Today only few ruins stand in place of the structure.

 

During the Great Northern War Hajciunishki Manor was briefly occupied by the Swedish troops who defended building against Polish forces who surrounded it. Walls proved thick enough for a decent defense.

 

Unfortunately during World War I invading German forces captured the village and a residence. They burned the archives and a library that was kept in Hajciunishki Manor. After this part of Belarus became part of the Soviet Union Hajciunishki Manor was turned into a school for engineers (1946- 49) and later (since 1956) into psychiatry hospital. Today it remains in possession of the state as part of the Republican psychiatric hospital for compulsory treatment of violent offenders. Hajciunishki Manor is currently closed to the public.

 

Geography

A pond has been created on the Zizma river near the village of Gaytyunishki. In the South-West of the village in Gismu river flows Vaišvilkas.

 

History

Known since the XVI century, according to the inventory of 1565, the estate belonged to the Romans and consisted of a courtyard and outbuildings. The yard included three residential buildings, stables, and vegetable gardens. The outbuildings, fenced with doors, had two messengers (gates).

In the XVII century, Gaytunishki belong to Nonhart. It is not known where this family came from and how the name really sounded. They were considered Courland nobility because their surname looked like Courland. Two siblings, Peter and Stanislav Nonhart, for their great services to the country during the war with Moscow and the Swedes, in 1590 received confirmation of their nobility, which they had previously from the Holy Roman Emperor. Their coat of arms was also confirmed: "Silver anchor on a Red field".

Peter Nonhart, having married a Protestant Podberezskaya, received the posts of Vilna city clerk and construction worker. As a highly qualified professional, he was evaluated accordingly and received Gaitunishki. It is likely that Peter's only daughter, Susana, married Yuri Khreptovich (1586-1650), voivode of novogorodsky, and gave him Gaytunishki as a dowry. After Yuri, Gaitanski was inherited by his eldest son Adam Chreptowicz married to Elizabeth Izykowski.

It is unknown which way after khreptovichi this property has got Rotheram emblem" lubitsch", gentry inlandsche origin, and when Gaitanski got Puttkamer. It was probably a dowry Dorota has Shroter, the second wife of Valinco Puttkamer, steward plantskola. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, or perhaps earlier, the Gaitunishki were already the property of the von der Osten-sackens. Veronica Osten-sacken, who married in 1830 to Adam Rimsha of the Gazdava coat of arms, received the property as her dowry. After Veronica and Adam, all this was inherited by their daughter Elena, the wife of Romuald Rimsha. The penultimate owner Gatunek was the son of Helena and Romuald Edward Rimsha (1863-1937), married to Janina Lavretsky. The last owners of the estate were his two daughters: Elena (born 19.02.1911, was married to Jan Gashtaut-Ezhinsky) and Sophia (born 23.06.1913, wife of Napoleon Senkevich).