In the 19th century, literally in the Polesie marshes, the Małyński family laid out a magnificent English-style park, built a modernist palace and many other structures of great artistic value. It is said that the cream of European high society envied them their tasteful and opulent estate.

Today, the village of Żurne (Ukrainian: Zirne) is situated in the Rivne Oblast, in the Berezhany Raion. It has a population of around 2,500. Its history began in the mid-19th century, when the Polish nobleman Michał Małyński inherited a vast estate in the Bereza district from a relative of his wife, Anna-Michał Korzeniowski. The land he inherited comprised 18,000 acres of woodland and 700 acres of arable land. It should be noted that our compatriots played a key role in the economies of the Volhynia, Podolia and Kyiv governorates, as reported by the newspaper *Kijowianin* in 1865: “In the south-western part of the country, the landed gentry consists exclusively of Poles, who speak Polish and are Roman Catholics.”

In the English style
The town of Bereżne served as the estate’s administrative centre. However, for unknown reasons, Michał Małyński decided to build a new estate and turn it into the most magnificent residence, worthy of a sovereign ruler. And so the village of Żurne came into being. Apparently, its name derives from that of the Małyńskis’ son, Zuren, who died in infancy. It is not known, however, whether this story is true. In any case, the history of the Małyński family is full of similar inaccuracies

The site chosen for the new village was very unfortunate, as it lay on low-lying, marshy land. There were marshes in a nearby wooded area. Małyński therefore had to hire specialists to drain the area. The initial difficulties did not discourage the owner of Żurne. In accordance with his orders, buildings were gradually erected for the staff, the residence of Małyński’s estate manager, a power station (whose generator was driven by a steam engine), cattle sheds and storerooms. To supply the estate with water, a water tower was built, which has survived and remains in operation to this day.

The true jewel of the estate was the three-storey palace, built in the 1860s, with a façade made of cork wood. During the construction of this building, too, the team had to contend with the marshy nature of the land, draining it using hand-dug canals. The local residents then paved the drained area. Building materials were imported from abroad. Małyński employed the finest architects and paid them generously for their work. The result of this work was impressive—a palace that was ‘essentially a multi-storey villa, topped with a mansard roof, featuring turrets and balconies, and even pseudo-Renaissance arcades at the rear of the building’. The palace had forty-four rooms, intricately decorated with stucco and crystal chandeliers. Each room featured beautiful tiled stoves for heating. Paintings by European masters hung on the walls. The Małyńskis’ guests were enchanted by the long hall, divided into two parts by free-standing columns. The owner proudly referred to his residence as a ‘castle’, whilst the servants and local peasants called it a ‘little castle’.

A beautiful park covering an area of 10 hectares (some sources mention 17 ha) was laid out, considered one of “the most beautiful in Volhynia”⁴. It was designed making use of the existing, natural tree stand. It was an English-style park featuring “wide, light glades bordered by thickets of trees and shrubs”⁵. There were no exotic trees or plants apart from a few old thuja trees near the house. The park was mainly home to Vistula poplars, ash trees, maples, oaks, jasmine, lilacs and hawthorn. In early spring, the primroses bloomed beautifully. It is said that the park was a gift to Anna Małyńska from her adoring husband. She loved autumn, so the yellowing leaves of the trees were meant to please her eye. At night, the park’s avenues were lit by carbide lanterns. One of its curiosities was a narrow, approximately 5 km-long path laid out as a maze, in which one could easily get lost. The park was bordered by hornbeams. It was guarded by unarmed guards.

As the park was situated in a damp area, ‘irregularly shaped ponds, with islands in the centre, connected to the mainland by graceful arched bridges’ were dug to drain the water and also for decorative purposes.” Various species of fish, including trout, were bred in these ponds. The islands featured summer gazebos, where the host and his guests enjoyed spending time.

On the estate grounds, a coach house with a tall tower and arcades was built, as well as a water tower in the English Gothic style. There were many buildings there, quite a few of which were “in the style of English cottages”. Thus, ‘the Małyński residence, despite the lack of a uniform character across the whole estate, was intended to make an impressive impression’.

The Małyński estate generated enormous income. Farming was practised there, and its produce was sold; there was also a distillery in operation. A paper mill was established, producing, amongst other things, top-quality cigarette tubes.

Emanuel Małyński, the king of life
The only thing that saddened the Małyńskis was their childlessness. But unexpectedly, Anna became pregnant at the age of 46 and, on 8 April 1875, gave birth to a son, Emanuel. Naturally, the boy was doted on by his parents. Unfortunately, he lacked discipline and therefore did not receive a formal education. He was, however, a very well-read man, as well as an ‘outstanding writer and essayist’. He wrote mainly in French (a 25-volume edition of his writings exists in that language)’. In Switzerland, he published the magazine *Contre-révolution*.

Emanuel spent most of his life in the salons of Paris and London. He was well acquainted with, amongst others, the Russian prime ministers Pyotr Stolypin and Sergiusz Witte, and the French President Raymond Poincaré. He invited members of European high society to Żurne; his estate hosted the French princess Cleo de Merode, a renowned beauty. Małyński owned a private light aircraft—the famous ‘Farman’—in which, in October 1911, he made the first aeroplane flight in Volhynia. He covered a distance of 400 km. It could be said that, before the First World War, Emmanuel led a truly fairy-tale life. Roman Aftanazy characterised Małyński’s personality and behaviour as follows: ‘He was a man completely incapable of appreciating the value of money. Having amassed an enormous fortune in property and capital running into millions, he lived it up to the hilt until the outbreak of the First World War. For the resources at his disposal seemed inexhaustible.”

During the Second Polish Republic, Małyński’s fortune – whilst he spent most of his time in Switzerland – dwindled. Emanuel himself was already in poor health, suffering from severe asthma. He died in 1938. As he had neither a wife nor children (reportedly, he never married because no woman met his exacting standards), he bequeathed the estate in Żurno to the Ursuline sisters, who were to establish a children’s home there. The plan was never realised due to the outbreak of war.

In 1945, the magnificent palace in Żurnem was burnt down. The new Soviet authorities neglected the estate, which is why many of its buildings were irretrievably lost. However, the beautiful Gothic water tower has survived. The power station building and the outbuildings now house a hospital for tuberculosis patients (in this way, albeit in a different form, Emmanuel Małyński’s dreams of charitable work have come true). In the park, one can still find many elements dating from its former glory days. Most importantly, however, the memory of the Małyńskis and their estate is being revived.