Palace and Park

Oginsky intended to stay in Zalesye forever and started his new Belarussian life with maintenance and rebuilding of the estate. The old palace and park were massively remodeled according to a project of young architect Mikhail Shultz. A two-storey mill, greenhouse, hothouse and a chapel were added. By 1815 most of the construction works in the palace was completed in the style of Classicism. The central part of the palace was emphasized with a four column portico and finished off with a small turret, where striking clock was placed. The greenhouses and a gardener’s designed to suit the scenic courtyard which in the summer was filled with exotic plants and vases with flowers.

Oginsky attached great importance to the creation of an English style park, a popular design of parks in the 19^th century. The park in Zalesye met all the fashion requirements of the time and was a romantic place with pavilions, bridges and memorial stones tastefully placed in the most scenic corners. One of the memorial stones was dedicated to Kostyushko, another to Oginsky’s tutor, Jan Rollei. A watermill by a nearby pond finished off the ensemble.

Contemporaries called Zalesye the “Nothern Athens”. It was the place for the gathering of friends and associates: singer Paliani sang Italian songs, poet Yan Hodzka liked to come with his son Alexander. It is not known exactly how many musical compositions Oginsky composed during this period of his life. His first collection printed in 1817 in Vilno consisted mainly from polonaises, including A-minor “Farewell to Homeland”, the second of romances. It is widely accepted that “Farewell…” was composed in Zalesye.

During his last years at the estate, Oginsky frequently met with representatives of democratic student circles. In 1822 there started to be arrests of their members. The composer realized that he could become a prisoner and asked the Tsarist government for a permission to leave the country. In 1822 he left Zalesye forever.