Why do you need to include Kamarova in your itinerary around Belarus?

28.07.2023 - 19:02 / 34travel.me / Maria Gulina

Why do you need to include Kamarova in your itinerary around Belarus?

Routes

5647

If you’re planning a trip around Belarus, there is one spot we strongly recommend you to visit. And before you ask: you will not find a magnificent church or a mysterious eco-trail here. But there is perhaps the most important thing now: people who love the place where they live and do their best to make it flourish.

Читать по-русски >>>

This place is the village of Kamarovа in the Miadziel district. Minsk is 180 kilometers away, Lake Narač, Lake Svir and Blue Lakes are much closer. Those who travel here from time to time, know: you can always make a stop in Kamarovа, have a hearty dinner on the outdoor terrace of the cafe, drink nice coffee, buy fresh bread “to go”, get your breath back while walking in the park. Well, we have chosen Kamarovа not as a mid-stop, but as the destination of our trip – to talk with Eduard Vajciechovič, a local resident and the creator of the Center for the Development of Rural Entrepreneurship. Thanks to his energy people do not leave the village, but on the contrary, they move here from Minsk.

What is Kamarovа known for?

Historically, Kamarovа, like many villages in Belarus, was famous for its estate. The estate was first mentioned in 1330 – and since then it has changed owners a dozen times. Its last owners in the second half of the XIX century were the Staržynski family. Count Staržynski was an influential man and had substantially invested in the improvement of the estate. The manor house was expanded and new household outbuildings, a mill, and a woodworking manufactory were added. Grain and flour were stored in barns built of red brick and rubble stone, meat and fish – preserved in the cellar. Also, there was an orchard-house in the park.

The orchard-house and mill didn’t make it to our days, but Kamarovа has not become one of the many spots on the map with ruins falling into decline. There is a cafe and a shop here. As well as a business incubator and the Center for the Development of Rural Entrepreneurship, a bakery and a cheese dairy – they were created with the expert and financial support of international projects. Also, locals plan to establish a hostel and a museum here. And all this has happened largely due to the inspiration of one local dweller – Eduard Vajciechovič, who once worked as the Headmaster of the school, and as a Deputy to the Supreme Soviet, and then created the Center for the Development of Rural Entrepreneurship in his native Kamarovа.

– We want to ensure that Kamarovа becomes an example of the development of the village infrastructure. Since 2017 we have been running a business incubator. During this period, we have helped to create 23 enterprises in