# Paskevich Burial Chapel, Gomel

> The Paskevich Burial Chapel is a jewel-box Russian-revival chapel (1870–1889) above an underground vault where eight members of the Paskevich family lie, Field Marshal Ivan Paskevich among them. It sits in the north of the Gomel Palace park, next to the Peter and Paul Cathedral. Entry to the crypt costs 5 BYN and takes 20–30 minutes. Individual visitors can go in on Friday 11:00–19:00 and at weekends 10:00–18:00; Tuesday to Thursday is for pre-booked groups only, and it is closed on Mondays.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/belarus/gomel/gomel-paskevich-chapel

- City: [Gomel](https://yesgo.io/belarus/gomel), Belarus
- YesGo score: 39/100 (Yes, if nearby)
- Time on site: 30 min
- Entry: 5 BYN, outside free
- Opening hours: Fri 11:00–19:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–18:00; Tue–Thu 11:00–17:00 pre-booked groups only; closed Mon; ticket sales stop 30 min before closing
- With kids: Better without small kids
- Location: Gomel Palace park (Lenin Square 4), northern end, next to the Peter and Paul Cathedral
- Friday: 11:00–19:00
- Saturday, Sunday: 10:00–18:00
- Tuesday–Thursday: 11:00–17:00, organised groups of up to 20 with a guide only, booked 3 days ahead
- Monday: Closed
- Last entry: Ticket sales stop 30 minutes before closing
- Crypt admission: 5 BYN
- Group tour: 45 minutes, up to 20 people: 25 BYN per adult group, 20 BYN per student group
- Outside: Free — the chapel stands in the open city park
- Photos: Phone and camera photos allowed; no tripods, monopods or extra lighting
- Phone: +375 232 50-96-91, +375 232 50-95-93, +375 29 174-19-11
- Payment: Belarusian rubles (BYN); bring cash, foreign cards are not accepted everywhere
- Coordinates: 52.42403, 31.01822
- Facts checked: 30.10.2026

## Key facts

- **1870–1889** — years the chapel and crypt were built (source: Gomel Palace and Park Ensemble website; Russian Wikipedia; Znai Svoi Krai (my-places.by))
- **8** — Paskevich family members buried in the underground vault, including Field Marshal Ivan Paskevich (source: Ensemble website; Russian Wikipedia; Nasha Niva)
- **Fyodor Paskevich** — the field marshal's son, who commissioned and paid for the family tomb (source: Ensemble website; Russian Wikipedia)
- **Russian Revival** — style borrowing from 17th-century Moscow churches: a tall octagonal tent roof and onion domes (source: Ensemble website; Russian Wikipedia; Znai Svoi Krai)
- **Yevgeny Chervinsky** — academician of architecture behind the original design (source: Ensemble website; Russian Wikipedia; Nasha Niva)
- **Mesmacher & Wegener** — St Petersburg architects who led the decoration (source: Ensemble website; Russian Wikipedia; Nasha Niva)
- **Seraphim mosaic** — 19th-century panel on the crypt's end wall, from V. A. Frolov's St Petersburg workshop (source: Ensemble website)
- **1953** — the building became a state-protected architectural monument (source: Ensemble website; Znai Svoi Krai)
- **2016 / 2019** — after restoration the crypt reopened, then the chapel above it (source: Ensemble website; Nasha Niva)
- **310G000044** — listing code on Belarus's register of historical and cultural heritage (source: Russian Wikipedia)

> **On your own? Come on Friday or at the weekend** From Tuesday to Thursday the crypt only opens for organised groups of up to 20 people with a museum guide, booked three days in advance. Solo travellers and couples get in on Friday from 11:00 to 19:00 or on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00. It is closed on Mondays, and ticket sales stop 30 minutes before closing.

## Paskevich Chapel opening hours

According to the palace ensemble's timetable, individual visitors can go down into the crypt on **Friday 11:00–19:00** and on **Saturday and Sunday 10:00–18:00**. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (11:00–17:00) it works for pre-booked groups only. Monday is the day off.

The monthly cleaning day is the second Monday, so it never costs you an extra day. Ticket sales for every museum building in the park end **30 minutes before closing** — aim to arrive by 18:30 on Friday and by 17:30 at weekends.

The outside is a different story: the chapel stands right by the park paths, and the park itself is free to walk. On a weekday, circle the building for the tiles and domes and save the crypt for the weekend — or, if you are travelling as a group, phone the ensemble and book a guided visit.

## How much are tickets?

The ensemble's price list gives **5 BYN** for a visit to the "Paskevich Princes' Burial Vault" — one of the cheapest tickets in the park. For scale, the palace's main exhibition is 15 BYN for adults and the Winter Garden is 7 BYN.

Groups can book a **45-minute themed tour** of the chapel and crypt for up to 20 people: **25 BYN** for an adult group, **20 BYN** for a school or student group. That price covers the whole group, not each person. The price list offers an English-language tour only for the palace, so expect the crypt tour in Russian. Bookings go through **+375 232 50-96-91** or **+375 232 50-95-93**, at least three days ahead.

**Paying:** Belarus uses rubles (BYN), and small museum ticket desks are where cash matters most. Visa and Mastercard cards issued abroad often work in Belarus, but not at every terminal, and Russian-issued Visa and Mastercard do not work at all. This is unofficial — bring small BYN notes and check with your bank before travelling.

## What is the Paskevich Chapel?

It is the family tomb of the Paskevich princes, the last owners of the Gomel estate. **Fyodor Paskevich**, who owned the estate from 1856 to 1903, built it to honour his father, Field Marshal **Ivan Paskevich**, one of the Russian Empire's best-known 19th-century commanders. Work started in spring 1870 and ran until 1889.

Above ground is the chapel itself: a square brick building under a tall eight-sided tent roof crowned with a gilded onion dome, with smaller domes at the corners. Beside it a small separate pavilion, with its own dome and cross, holds the entrance to the vault — a staircase leads down into a vaulted underground tunnel.

Eight people are buried below: the field marshal and his wife Elizaveta (born Griboedova), his parents Fyodor and Anna, his daughters Anastasia Lobanova-Rostovskaya and Anna Volkonskaya, his son Fyodor, and Alexandra Balasheva. Russian Wikipedia says the field marshal and his wife were moved here in 1889 from Ivangorod, today's Dęblin in Poland.

After the 1917 revolution the icons, lamps and silver vanished from the vault, and the building was badly damaged in the Second World War. It was listed in 1953 and restored in 1969–1976. A long restoration from 2008 to 2019 came in two stages: the **crypt reopened in 2016**, the **chapel in 2019**.

## What to see

- **The tent roof and five gilded domes** — the classic view, best from the path on the palace side.
- **Glazed tiles with Old Russian patterns and majolica** on the facades, shipped from St Petersburg — look closely by the door.
- **Carved stone, red terracotta and decorative metalwork** — the full Russian Revival toolkit on one small building.
- **The crypt entrance pavilion**, a miniature of the chapel with its own dome; this is where you head underground.
- **The vaulted tunnel**, lined with glazed ceramic made to look like rough-hewn stone, produced at a glassworks near the village of Naspa in the Gomel region.
- **The flying seraphim mosaic** on the end wall of the crypt, a 19th-century survivor from V. A. Frolov's St Petersburg mosaic workshop.
- **The eight family gravestones** — look for the field marshal's and his wife's.
- **The chapel interior** — Wegener's designs called for a labradorite altar table and a black-and-white marble floor; ask at the door which parts are open to visitors now.

## How to get to the Paskevich Chapel

1. Get to Lenin Square (Ploshchad Lenina): from Gomel railway station it is a 20–25 minute walk south-east along Sovetskaya Street, or 5–10 minutes on any bus or trolleybus along Sovetskaya to the "Ploshchad Lenina" stop.
2. From the square, enter the park through the main gate by [Gomel Palace](https://yesgo.io/belarus/gomel/gomel-palace).
3. Walk north past the palace towards the golden domes of the [Peter and Paul Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/belarus/gomel/gomel-peter-and-paul-cathedral): the chapel stands right next to it, about 5 minutes on foot from the square.
4. The way into the crypt is through the small separate pavilion beside the chapel, where stairs lead underground.
5. City buses and trolleybuses are paid in cash (BYN) to the driver or at a kiosk — keep small notes handy.

> **It is a burial place: what to wear and how to behave** The crypt is a family grave, not just a museum room. Keep your voice down, do not touch the gravestones or the mosaic, and dress modestly with shoulders covered. Phone and camera photos are allowed under the ensemble's rules, but tripods, monopods and extra lights are not. The vault stays cooler than the park above, so bring a light layer in summer.

## Before you go

- [ ] It is a Friday or the weekend — or our group is booked
- [ ] Arriving before last entry, 30 minutes before closing
- [ ] Small BYN notes in my pocket
- [ ] Shoulders covered, modest clothes
- [ ] Left the tripod and monopod at the hotel
- [ ] Time planned for the palace and the cathedral next door

## Crypt, palace or cathedral: which to fit in

|  | Paskevich Chapel | Gomel Palace | Peter and Paul Cathedral |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| What it is | Family tomb under an ornate chapel | The Rumyantsev-Paskevich palace and museum | The neighbouring cathedral above the Sozh |
| Entry | 5 BYN; outside free | 15 BYN adults, 10 BYN students | Working church |
| Time needed | 20–30 min | 1.5–2 hours with the park | 20–30 min |
| Open to individuals | Fri, Sat, Sun | Tue–Sun | During church hours |

The crypt is a short stop between the palace and the cathedral. On a weekday, admire it from outside and don't plan on going underground.

## Gomel history: compare and choose

Historic places in Gomel rated by YesGo.

- [Peter and Paul Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/belarus/gomel/gomel-peter-and-paul-cathedral) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free
- [St Elijah Old Believer Church](https://yesgo.io/belarus/gomel/gomel-st-elijah-church) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 25 min · Free
- [Sovetskaya Street](https://yesgo.io/belarus/gomel/gomel-sovetskaya-street) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free, open 24/7
- [St Nicholas Monastery](https://yesgo.io/belarus/gomel/gomel-st-nicholas-monastery) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Free
- [Gomel Regional Drama Theatre](https://yesgo.io/belarus/gomel/gomel-drama-theatre) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Facade free; plays from 11 BYN
- [Paskevich Burial Chapel](https://yesgo.io/belarus/gomel/gomel-paskevich-chapel) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · 5 BYN, outside free
- [Hunting Lodge](https://yesgo.io/belarus/gomel/gomel-hunting-lodge) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · 10 BYN, students 7.50, children 5
- [Museum of Military Glory](https://yesgo.io/belarus/gomel/gomel-military-glory-museum) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 12 BYN, students 7, schoolchildren 4.50
- [Rumyantsev-Paskevich Palace](https://yesgo.io/belarus/gomel/gomel-palace) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Park free, palace 15 BYN

## Gomel Palace park in half a day

The palace, the cathedral, the crypt and the Sozh riverfront, all in one park. Add them to your route and YesGo will set the timing and walks.

1. [Rumyantsev-Paskevich Palace](https://yesgo.io/belarus/gomel/gomel-palace) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Park free, palace 15 BYN
2. [Peter and Paul Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/belarus/gomel/gomel-peter-and-paul-cathedral) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free
3. [Paskevich Burial Chapel](https://yesgo.io/belarus/gomel/gomel-paskevich-chapel) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · 5 BYN, outside free
4. [Sozh River Embankment](https://yesgo.io/belarus/gomel/gomel-sozh-embankment) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free, open 24/7

## Not to be confused with

Ivan Paskevich is tied to other places too — Warsaw, and the fortress of Ivangorod (now Dęblin, Poland), where he was first buried; today the family rests in Gomel. Nor is the chapel the same as the Peter and Paul Cathedral next door: the cathedral is the large working church above the river, the chapel is the small building beside it with a separate entrance to the vault. Signs and maps spell the city both Gomel and Homiel.

## Tips

- Pair the crypt with Gomel Palace and the cathedral — all three are within five minutes of each other.
- In Gomel only on weekdays? Walk around the outside — the tiles and domes need no ticket.
- For the best photo, step back along the path until the tent roof and all the domes fit in the frame.
- Travelling as a group? The 45-minute tour is priced per group, and the family story makes the vault far more meaningful.
- Afterwards, walk down to the [Sozh riverfront](https://yesgo.io/belarus/gomel/gomel-sozh-embankment) right behind the cathedral.

## Questions

### Where is the Paskevich Chapel in Gomel?

In the northern part of the Gomel Palace park (Lenin Square 4), right next to the Peter and Paul Cathedral, about a five-minute walk from Lenin Square.

### What are the opening hours?

Friday 11:00–19:00, Saturday and Sunday 10:00–18:00. Tuesday to Thursday (11:00–17:00) is for pre-booked groups only. Closed on Mondays. Ticket sales stop 30 minutes before closing.

### How much does it cost?

Admission to the crypt is 5 BYN. A 45-minute guided tour for a group of up to 20 costs 25 BYN for adults or 20 BYN for students — per group.

### Can I visit on a weekday?

Only with an organised group of up to 20 people and a museum guide, booked three days ahead, from Tuesday to Thursday. Individual visitors are welcome on Friday and at weekends.

### Who is buried in the crypt?

Eight members of the Paskevich family, including Field Marshal Ivan Paskevich and his wife Elizaveta, his parents, two daughters, his son Fyodor and Alexandra Balasheva.

### Is there anything in English?

The museum lists English-language tours for the palace, not for the crypt. The crypt tour is in Russian, so read up on the family beforehand.

### Can I take photos inside?

Yes, with a phone or camera. Tripods, monopods and extra lighting are not allowed, and posed photo shoots are booked and paid separately.

### How long does a visit take?

20–30 minutes including a walk around the outside; a guided group tour takes 45 minutes.

### How do I get there from the train station?

Walk 20–25 minutes south-east along Sovetskaya Street to Lenin Square, or take any bus or trolleybus to Ploshchad Lenina, then walk 5 minutes through the palace park.

### Is the Paskevich Chapel worth visiting?

Yes, if you are in the palace park on a Friday or at the weekend: 5 BYN and half an hour buy you the most unusual interior in the ensemble. Don't make a weekday trip for it — you won't get in without a group.

## How we checked

Opening hours, admission and tour prices, group conditions, photography rules, phone numbers and the address come from the Gomel Palace and Park Ensemble's official website on 30.10.2026 (printable versions of its pages). The travel guide Tonkosti Turizma gives outdated information — weekends only and 1.50 BYN — so we follow the museum. The years of the Soviet-era restoration differ: the museum says 1969–1976, the Russian Wikipedia text 1968–1975; we use the museum's dates. The museum dates the latest restoration 2008–2019 (crypt reopened 2016, chapel 2019), while Znai Svoi Krai ends it in 2016. Sources describe Alexandra Balasheva's relationship to the field marshal differently (great-granddaughter, granddaughter, great-niece), so we leave it out. The building's height and the length of the underground passage appeared in only one source and are not included. The move of the remains from Ivangorod is attributed to Wikipedia. Card payments are based on travel-finance sites and marked as being checked.

## Sources

- Gomel Palace and Park Ensemble, official website (palacegomel.by): the chapel page, opening hours of the museum buildings, price list, photography rules and contacts, 30.10.2026
- Russian Wikipedia: Paskevich burial chapel; Wikidata Q4507582
- Znai Svoi Krai (my-places.by): Paskevich burial chapel
- Nasha Niva: reopening of the Paskevich crypt after restoration, April 2016
- Tonkosti Turizma (tonkosti.ru): Paskevich burial chapel
- Visasam (visasam.ru): which bank cards work in Belarus in 2026

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