Andrei Halias

The Boulder Museum, located in the Uruchye neighborhood of Minsk, is one of the most unusual attractions in Belarus and all of Europe. Opened in 1985, this unique open-air park has collected over 2,000 boulders from across the country. Despite its unofficial status, the museum has become a popular spot for relaxation and walks among both locals and tourists.

History and Concept of the Museum

The idea for the Boulder Museum emerged in 1975 thanks to the efforts of Belarusian academician Gavril Ivanovich Goretsky. With active support from scientists and enthusiasts from the Institute of Geochemistry and Geophysics of the Academy of Sciences of the BSSR, this unique museum was established in Minsk in 1985. In 1989, it was recognized as a monument of nature of republican significance.

The museum is located on the eastern outskirts of Minsk, between Akademgorodok and the Uruchye-2 neighborhood, on the site of a former river floodplain. The site preparation involved draining swampy areas and conducting earthworks to create a landscape that represents a miniature map of Belarus.

Exhibition

The museum’s exhibition consists of six thematic zones, each revealing different aspects of the stone collection:

<ul> <li>Map of Belarus The central hall of the museum is a scaled-down map of the country at a scale of 1:2500 km. Here, massive boulders represent major cities, regional centers are marked by blue spruces, and rivers are depicted by paths lined with small stones.</li> <li>Nourishing Provinces This zone showcases stones symbolizing the Fennoscandian Province, the source of the glaciers that brought the boulders to Belarus. The exhibits illustrate the geological processes that shaped the region's landscape.</li> <li>Avenue of Boulders A long chain of large boulders connects the Uruchye-1 neighborhood with Akademgorodok. This section of the museum features majestic and diverse forms of boulders, creating a natural transition between city districts.</li> <li>Shape of the Boulders This zone focuses on stones with unusual and whimsical shapes, emphasizing the artistic aspects of geology and showcasing the diversity of natural forms and textures.</li> <li>Petrographic Collection The boulders in this zone are arranged in a circle divided into sectors by rock type: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary. This allows visitors to better understand petrographic diversity.</li> <li>Stone in Human Life This zone features stones connected to human activity, such as historical and pagan stones. Among the exhibits are "Stefan Batory's Cross" and the "Ded" stone, illustrating the use of stones in culture and religion.</li> </ul>

Significance and Uniqueness

The Boulder Museum is not only a geological collection but also a cultural heritage site. Within the park, you can see unique exhibits such as a stone with ancient runes and boulders with historical inscriptions. All the stones in the exhibition were brought from the places they represent on the miniature map of the country.

Special attention should be given to the fact that the museum's exhibition includes stones that once served as sacrificial altars and were believed to have special magical powers. Despite some controversy surrounding the relocation of such stones, the park-museum has become an important center for the scientific study and preservation of Belarus's geological and cultural heritage.

Visiting and Infrastructure

The Boulder Museum park is open year-round, 24 hours a day, and admission is completely free. It is an excellent place for walks, relaxing with children, and outdoor games. The park features benches, large green lawns, and shady areas for resting. However, it's worth noting that in the summer, insects such as ants may be present, and there are no stalls or kiosks selling water in the park.

The Boulder Museum in Minsk is an amazing place where nature and history intertwine in a unique format, offering visitors the opportunity to enjoy not only scenic landscapes but also to immerse themselves in the study of Belarus's geological and cultural aspects.

巨石博物馆 位于明斯克的乌鲁奇耶社区，是白俄罗斯乃至整个欧洲最独特的景点之一。该独特的露天公园于1985年开放，收集了来自全国各地的2000多块巨石。尽管没有官方地位，博物馆还是成为了当地居民和游客休闲和散步的热门地点。

博物馆的历史与理念

巨石博物馆的创建想法起源于1975年，得益于白俄罗斯科学院院士加夫里尔·伊万诺维奇·戈列茨基的努力。通过白俄罗斯科学院地球化学与地球物理研究所的科学家和爱好者的积极支持，这座独特的博物馆于1985年在明斯克建立。1989年，它被认定为具有共和国意义的自然纪念碑。

博物馆位于明斯克的东郊，坐落在学术城和乌鲁奇耶-2社区之间的前河漫滩地带。场地准备工作包括排干沼泽地和进行土方工程，以创建一个微型的白俄罗斯地图景观。

展览

博物馆的展览分为六个主题区，每个区域展示石头收藏的不同方面：

<ul> <li>白俄罗斯地图 博物馆的中央展区是一幅按1:2500公里比例缩小的国家地图。在这里，巨石代表主要城市，地区中心由蓝色云杉标记，河流则用铺满小石子的路径表示。</li> <li>养育省份 这一区域展示了象征着芬诺斯堪底纳维亚省的石头，这是将巨石带到白俄罗斯的冰川的源头。展品说明了影响该地区地貌形成的地质过程。</li> <li>巨石大道 一条长长的巨石链将乌鲁奇耶-1社区与学术城连接起来。博物馆的这个部分展示了庄严而多样的巨石形态，创造了一个自然过渡的城市区域。</li> <li>巨石的形状 该区域专门展示具有独特和奇异形状的石头，强调了地质的艺术性，展示了自然形态和纹理的多样性。</li> <li>岩石学收藏 这一区域的巨石按岩石类型排列在圆圈内，分为火成岩、变质岩和沉积岩部分。这样可以让游客更深入地了解岩石学的多样性。</li> <li>石头与人类生活 该区域包括与人类活动相关的石头，如历史石头和异教石头。展品包括“斯特凡·巴托里十字架”和“老爷爷”石，展示了石头在文化和宗教中的使用。</li> </ul>
意义与独特性

巨石博物馆不仅是一座地质收藏馆，也是一座文化遗产地。公园内展示着独特的展品，如刻有古代符文的石头和带有历史铭文的巨石。展览中的所有石头都来自于它们在国家微型地图上代表的地方。

特别值得注意的是，博物馆展品中保留了曾经作为祭坛的石头，这些石头据说具有特殊的魔力。尽管关于此类石头搬迁存在一些争议，但该公园-博物馆已成为白俄罗斯地质和文化遗产科学研究与保护的重要中心。

参观与基础设施

巨石博物馆公园全年全天开放，参观完全免费。这里是散步、与孩子一起放松和户外游戏的绝佳场所。公园内设有长椅、大面积的绿地和阴凉区供人们休息。不过，值得注意的是，夏天可能会有蚂蚁等昆虫，公园内也没有售卖水的摊位或小店。

巨石博物馆 是一个令人惊叹的地方，在这里，自然与历史以独特的方式交织在一起，为游客提供了不仅能享受美丽景观，还能深入了解白俄罗斯地质和文化方面的机会。