The architectural monument "Ancient settlement "Haštoĺdava hara" is a historical and cultural value, which is included in a number of tourist routes.

Ancient settlement “Haštoĺdava hara” is a very interesting historical site of Kojdanava. And since the city in the 15th century was one of the major centers of Belarusian Calvinism, Haradzišča received a second name — “Kaĺvinščyna”. The Reformation, which encompassed the Grand Duchy of Lithuania at the same time as Germany, England and Holland, was mainly based on the expansion of Calvinism. The Calvinists rejected all desire for luxury, and advocated simplicity, asceticism and the fulfillment of their vocation. Therefore, the wooden church, built on Haštoĺdava hara around 1564 by Mikalaj Radzivil Rudy, looked as simple and modest as possible.

50 years later, the son of Mikalaj Radzivil Rudy, Kryštap Mikalaj Radzivil Piarun, rebuilt the church, erecting a large stone fortress on this site. The building was designed in the Gothic style and was intended for both worship and protection. The church-fortress was surrounded by a deep moat, which could only be crossed by a drawbridge. The thickness of the stone walls was one and a half meters. Embrasures were placed on all sides of the towers. The Kojdanava Calvinist community continued to operate until the turn of the 20th century. The church was the central temple for the Calvinists of the Minski, Ihumienski and Navahrudski Сounties.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, many battles took place on the territory of the Kaĺvinščyna, in which the fortress performed its defensive functions. It was the site of military operations during the uprisings of Tadevuš Kasciuška and Kastuś Kalinoŭski, as well as during the World Wars I and II.

The Calvinist church on Haštoĺdava hara has not been preserved. After the World War II, it was dismantled for stones during the construction of the district hospital. Now, only fragments of the foundation, walls and towers remain in this place. The historical significance of the place is evidenced by the memorial plate installed here.

Publication date: 25.02.2021.

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