History / 1. Homeland History

Candidate of Historical Sciences Spirkina O.O.

Cherkasy Institute of Fire Safety Named After Chornobyl Heroes of National University of Civil Protection of Ukraine, Ukraine

TO THE HISTORY OF DACHOWSKI PALACE

IN THE CENTRE OF UKRAINE

In the 19^th century Dachowski Palace was recognized as the most beautiful and interesting Polish palace in the centre of Ukraine.

In 1801 (other sources give 1772) villages of Leskove and Kheilove (now Petrivka of Monastyryshche region) Polish noblemen Dachowski bought.

In 1950s Kazimir and Karl Dachowski built a new luxurious palace in the village of Leskove not far from Monastyryshche (now of Cherkasy region). As the brothers were real Anglomanes their Palace was built in Gothic style [1]. The name of the first architect is unknown but the money for its construction was given by their mother G. Grushetska [2].

Then there was a legend that the Dachowskis were envious of the Pototrskis because of “Sofievka” in Uman.

Later Tadeus Dachowski was engaged in reconstruction of the Palace and making an English landscape garden. The Polish architect Tsechanovski helped him to work out a new design of the Palace complex with the series of gardens [3]. It is known that the last reconstruction of the building was made in 1890.

The interior environment of the Palace was sophisticated, luxurious and rich. For example, a separate room was used for the collection of ancient fabric which Tadeus’s wife Maria Volodkovych-Romanovska inherited. Besides, she had a big collection of antiques, Renaissant furniture and marvelous pictures. In general, on the first and third floors there were 8 large halls for games, balls and parties. On the second floor there were 9 large halls and a bathroom. In front of the grand entrance there were concrete vases for flowers and next to it there was a building for servants.

The Palace was built with bricks of the domestic manufacture of Dachowski Estate. Nowadays, it is possible to see the bricks with the marking “TD” – “Tadeus Dachowski”.

Tadeus Dachowski was considered to be a strange man but a real gentleman. He was a sober person and wanted his peasants to be sober too. That is why at the beginning of the 20^th century he opened a teahouse instead of a pub in the village where tea, cookies and candies were sold instead of horilka and voblas (dried salty roach). Besides, Tadeus planned to build a porcelain factory there and dreamt about the combination of lakes. In 1912 he surprised his peasants with an automobile he bought abroad.

During the February revolution Tadeus was abroad at the competitions in Vienna. In 1918 his Palace was robbed by the local peasants. But he did not punish them, on the contrary he gave an award to those who returned his property.

For the last time Tadeus was in his Palace in 1920.

In the Soviet period first there was a Culture House in Dachowski Palace, then in 1934 a pioneer camp was opened there. In 1940s there was an insane asylum. In 1970s Dachowski Palace was reorganized into a storehouse for medical supplies. A high brick wall was put around it and its park. From 1992 till 2007 this fabulous Palace was a military facility.

Nowadays the Palace is put onto Leskove Village Council’s books but the military base sabotages this decision and does not take back the territory.

Till now the access to the Palace is limited. The condition of one of the most beautiful palaces in the centre of Ukraine is terrible. There is a long crack in the highest tower of the building, the roof needs to be repaired, the concrete floors collapsed. The balustrade is covered by a thick carpet of plants [4].

Thus, in the centre of Ukraine in Cherkasy region there are a great number of little known and forgotten pearls of historical and architectural heritage of Ukraine which need to be researched and returned from the nonexistence. We hope that soon Dachowski Palace will become one of the tourist objects of Cherkasy region and a real finding for those who investigate palaces, castles and parks.

References

1. Нариси історії Шевченкового краю [Текст] : У 3 т. / редакційна колегія : М. І. Бушин [головний редактор] [та ін.]. – Черкаси : видавець Гордієнко Є. І., 2014. – Книга 1. З найдавніших часів до 1861 р. – 2014. – 375 с.

2. Пустиннікова І. Леськове : заборонена зона [Електронний ресурс] / Ірина Пустиннікова // Фармація [Сайт]. – Режим доступу : http://www.aptekagal.com.ua/show_article.php?year=2008&month=8&num=15.

3. Маленков Р. Шістдесят сім зупинок Черкащини : путівник [Текст] / Роман Маленков. – К. : Грані-Т, 2010. – 112 с.

4. Падецький К. Монастирищенський замок-привид військові ховають від очей журналістів [Текст] / Костянтин Падецький // Прес-Центр. – 2006. – 27 вересня.