Kamenetz Tower

Branch "Kamenets Tower" was founded in 1969, is located on the territory of the unique monument of the ancient Russian defense architecture of the XIII century. "Pillar of stone" was built between 1276-1288 on the bank of the Lesnaya River by architect Alexa by order of Volyn Prince Vladimir Vasilkovich, who decided to strengthen the northern borders of the principality.

Kamenets Tower is located on a high hill on the left bank of the Lesnaya River, on the outskirts of the town of Kamenets (Brest region). The tower is round in plan (height 29.4 m, outer diameter 12.5 m, wall thickness 2.5 m). Inside it is divided into five tiers (floors). Above the upper storey there is a domed vault. A stone staircase leads to the upper floor, which is part of the wall. The tower has 14 merlons, at the base of which is a turret.

The total display area of the museum is 313.2 m². The exhibition, located in 5 rooms of 5 tiers of the tower, includes 335 exhibits. The 1st tier presents a reconstruction of an episode of the tower life at the end of the 13th century and a triptych "The construction of Kamenetskaya tower", made by the artist N. I. Gurshchankov. The 2nd tier of the museum is devoted to archeological study of Kamenets and Kamenets district. Here you can see archeological finds from the kurgan burial mounds of Dregovichi from the 10th century (temple rings, glass beads, pottery, etc.), objects from the settlement Kamenets (fragments of pottery, ironware), see a model-plan of Kamenets and Kamenets Tower from the late XIII — early XIV centuries. The 3rd tier of the tower tells about the political, economic and cultural life of Kamenetz within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (XIV-XVII centuries). Archeological finds, presented here, testify to the development of trade, craft and hunting in the city. The bronze rhombus ring from the end of the XIII century from the town of Kamenetz and a portrait porcelain from the middle of the XVI century-the Italian Renaissance period are of particular interest for visitors — a very rare find in Belarus. Another unique find of the XII century is the encolpion cross, which was used to store the relics of saints. The 4th tier is devoted to the development of defense architecture in Belarus at the end of the XIIIth and beginning of the XVIIth centuries, and to the stages of restoration of the tower. The 5th tier shows the military history of Kamenets and the Kamenets Tower. Paintings on the walls by A. V. Pashkevich depict the city siege by crusaders in 1378-1379.  There are displays of East Slavic and West European weapons of the 13th and 14th centuries (swords, spears, crossbows, a quiver of arrows for a bow and crossbow), armor (chain mail, scaly armor, plated shoulder armor, iron helmet), outfit and armor of East Slavic warrior and a West European knight of the late 14th century.

On the observation deck of the tower there is a sightseeing tour "Architectural Monuments of Kamenets". From a height of almost 30 meters you can see a picturesque picture of the modern city and its surroundings.