GRODNO, 9 December (BelTA) – Grodno Oblast will make an emphasis on careful restoration of the historical heritage and promotion of the most interesting sites, Grodno Oblast Governor Vladimir Karanik said as he visited one of the historical buildings in the city downtown to inspect the course of restoration, BelTA has learned.
According to Vladimir Karanik, the region has not yet realized its potential in tourism.
“There are many interesting places but few routes which are known outside Grodno. Therefore, we will focus on two areas. First of all, we are talking about careful restoration of the historical heritage. In addition, we will pay more attention to the presentation and promotion of our landmarks so that tourists would be interested to visit our region," said Vladimir Karanik. According to him, it is important to create infrastructure so that travelers could also have an opportunity to spend quality time. The region will also invest more effort in the promotion of the Augustow Canal.
Vladimir Karanik got familiar with the restoration of the so-called Tyzenhaus House in the center of Grodno.
"This is an example of the careful attitude to history. Firstly, we were able to preserve it, and secondly, thanks to modern technologies, we can use this building as a tourist and cultural object," Vladimir Karanik said.
The 250-year-old building, located in Tyzenhaus Square, is better known to Grodno residents as the former archive depository. After restoration, the atmosphere of the 18th century Grodno will be recreated here. There will be royal and music halls, a cafe and an art gallery which will exhibit the works created during thematic plein airs. The building will also be used for receptions, conferences, and other big events. Plans are in place to arrange theatrical performances to show how the city lived in the 18th century. A bench of architects will be made next to the building to celebrate those who built the city a few centuries.
The building is part of the Tyzenhaus international technical assistance project, which is being implemented as part of the Poland-Belarus-Ukraine cross-border cooperation program. The partners of the project are Grodno and Polish Sokolka. These cities have similar architecture built during the time of Antoni Tyzenhaus. By the way, these cities have been connected by a cross-border bicycle route: new bike paths were made on the Belarusian side, a rotunda was built in the Yubileynoye Lake area.
Oleg Andreichik, the head of the sport and tourism department of the Grodno regional administration, said that several cross-border projects worth about €10 million are being implemented in the region, many of them in the area of Augustow Canal. In particular, roads are being built and reconstructed. In the spring, a new vessel will launched on the canal. Plans are in place to set up a floating museum of the unique waterway.
