Discover Ushachy District: Lakes, Museums and History

Literature and Remembrance in the Museums

The Vasily Bykov Family Museum-Estate is located in the village of Bychki. Its exhibition includes documents and photographs, works by V. V. Bykov, copies of his drawings, and the writer’s personal belongings. The collection therefore offers different ways to explore Bykov’s life and work, from visual and written materials to personal objects. Guided tours for visitors are available by prior arrangement. If you plan to take a guided tour, contact the museum in advance and confirm the current visitor arrangements.

The Ushachy Museum of People's Glory offers a different historical perspective. Four exhibition halls are devoted to the history of the partisan movement in Ushachy during the Second World War. There is also a partisan art gallery and exhibition materials on Ushachy’s historical past. Comparing the two museums can help you choose what to focus on: in Bychki, the emphasis is on the writer and the documents, works and personal belongings associated with him; in Ushachi, it is on the partisan movement and the history of the place.

Buildings Marked by Different Periods

The history of architecture can also be explored at specific sites. The Church of Saint Veronica in Selišče was built in 1726 beside a Bernardine monastery. Today, only the ruins of the buildings from the Selišče Bernardine complex remain. If you plan to visit the ruins, check locally to find out whether they are accessible. In Ushachi stands the Church of Saint Lawrence, dating from 1913. Another example of the district’s surviving architectural heritage is a manor house from the mid-19th century in Orekhovno.

These dates make it possible to compare the sites historically without treating them as a single attraction: the church in Selišče points to the early 18th century, the manor house to the mid-19th century, and the church in Ushachi to 1913. If you are interested in architecture, these different dates can help determine which places to include in your plans.

Lakes: Depth and Shoreline as Distinctive Features

Lake Vechelye is one of the ten deepest lakes in Belarus. The site of a partisan airfield, one of the most important tourist attractions in Ushachy District, is also located by the same lake. Here, the lake and the history of remembrance are connected to a specific place.

Lake Otolovo stands out for a different feature: in Belarus, it ranks second in terms of the shape of its shoreline. The two facts describe different characteristics—depth for Lake Vechelye and shoreline for Lake Otolovo. This gives you a factual basis for viewing lakes not just as one uniform type of excursion, but for choosing according to the feature that interests you most.

Consider Locations and Travel When Choosing Accommodation

In Ushachy are the Ushachy Museum of People's Glory and the Church of Saint Lawrence; the R29 republican highway also runs through Ushachi. Ushachy District is connected to other cities and regions of Belarus by bus services. As routes and operators may change, check the current timetables before travelling.

When choosing a holiday apartment, it is worth considering the named places alongside your interests: Ushachi offers the museum, church and road connections; Bychki is home to the Vasily Bykov Family Museum-Estate; Selišče to the Bernardine complex; and Orekhovno to the manor house. This is a practical way to decide what you would like to focus on without treating the different attractions as a single place. If you are travelling with a range of interests, you can also alternate between museum days, architectural visits and exploring the lakes’ different features.

Discover more destinations: Orsha District, Polotsk District, Tolochin District.

For the broader travel overview: Vitebsk Region.