Belarusian State Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Lifestyle stores and displays traditional monuments of Belarusian wooden architecture in the open air in a nature environment close to natural.

The museum was founded in 1976 on an area of 151 hectares. The exhibition is located in the picturesque natural area of the agrotown of Aziarco, in the floodplains of the Pcič and Mienka rivers. The museum offers a lot of interesting things for people who want to know the history of the Belarusian village, feel the atmosphere of the past or just relax.

Currently, the museum has 3 sectors: "Central Belarus", "Padniaproŭje" and “Paazierje". Each of them represents a fragment of a typical settlement of the late 19th – early 20th century with a characteristic building corresponding to this historical and ethnographic region. The exhibition presents more than 30 monuments of folk architecture of the 18th – early 20th century.

The exposition sector "Central Belarus" is represented by a village with a typical layout for this type of settlement: a square with buildings of a social and cultural center and a street with two-sided buildings of estates. The cultural and social center consists of the Uniate Church of the Intercession from the village of Lohnavičy, Kliecki District, Minsk Region, of the end of the 18th century, a school built in 1932, and a public barn. On both sides of the village street there are estates with linear development of courtyards.

The exhibition sector "Padniaproŭje" is represented by monuments of folk architecture, in which residential and household buildings were located around the space of an open courtyard, usually rectangular or square in shape. Nearby stands the restored Orthodox Holy Transfiguration Church built in 1704 from the village of Barań, Aršanski District, Viciebsk Region. In 2017, a tent-style mill from the village of Zielianiec, Chocimski District, Mahilioŭ Region was opened to visitors.

The exposition sector “Paazierje” is a small village and a farmstead, which is located separately. There is also an 18th century church with a small bell tower from the village of Vialiec, Hlybocki District, Viciebsk Region. Another attraction of the sector is a monument of folk architecture of the early 20th century – a windmill from the village of Janušoŭka, Miadzieĺski District, Minsk Region, a type of mill that is rarely found in Belarus.

The museum conducts cultural and educational programs and cultural events. Special attention is paid to thematic excursions, excursions with interactive elements. It also hosts the festival "The Age of Knighthood", the air show "U-liotny fest", the military-historical festival "Reconstruction of the Events of the First World War", the exhibition and sale of handicrafts and souvenirs.

In the tavern, where guests used to stay for the night, local residents used to celebrate holidays and relax, today visitors to the museum can relax and enjoy traditional Belarusian cuisine.

Publication date: 09.04.2021.

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