An interesting group among 19th-century residences in the lands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania are buildings shaped according to the designs (or precise instructions) of the owner. Among the most important examples of the principal's leading role in the choice of architectural forms is the history of the reconstruction of the palace in Vojtkuški. The palace was at the same time a place of residence, storage and display of the family archives and works of art, as well as the operation of a photographic atelier which made the Kossakowski estate famous.

History of the Kossakowski residence
The Kossakowski estate had belonged to the Kajgajls since the 15th century. In the following century, as a result of the marriage of the representative of this family, it became the property of the Zawisza family, and later it passed into the hands of the Skorulski family. Particularly interesting was the phase related to subsequent owners, which began with the purchase of the estate in 1764 by Michal Kossakowski, Vitebsk voivode and future Knight of the Order of the White Eagle. The purchaser contributed to the development of the centre, among other things by founding a brick church.

A relatively large number of accounts have survived concerning the appearance of the main residence in Vojtkutsy before the neo-Gothic reconstruction. The most important information is contained in an inventory written in 1814 and in the accounts of family members. Prominent in the town were alleys connecting the most important elements of the urban layout. One led to a courtyard flanked by a stable and a treasury, near which were a granary and two ponds. Another, planted with lindens, led to the outbuildings preceding the grounds belonging to the mansion. The entrance to the palace grounds had a rich setting, provided, among other things, by a gate with pillars topped by figures of lions, behind which stretched a spruce avenue leading to the Kossakowski residence. The wooden building had a regular architectural form: it had a rectangular ground plan with central risalits in both facades (front and garden). The symmetry of the mass was disturbed only by a side risalit. The building was one-storey with an additional storey added above the central risalit. The entrance on the axis, through the porch, led to the hallway, behind which was the main living room with a view of the garden, intended for receiving guests. Among the more important rooms, we can mention the office, library, archive, first aid room, as well as the bedrooms of the individual household members. The dining room, whose walls were decorated with a portrait gallery with images of Polish kings, had a ceremonial character. With the development of historicist construction and the growing importance of the Kossakowski family, it became necessary to erect a new brick residence - of a larger scale and fashionable style.

The new residence, the Neo-Gothic palace
. The reconstruction of the residence was carried out between 1857 and 1862 (although by 1860 the investment was so far advanced that the plasterwork had already been laid). The work was the responsibility of Bonifacy Pawłowski, who in fact carried out the designs by the estate's owner, the amateur architect Stanisław Kossakowski. The aristocrat's son, Count Stanislaw Kazimierz Korwin-Kossakowski, described the investment with the words: "[the modification of] the old palace [was carried out] according to plans drawn and long-studied by my father. One part of the palace is built in a pseudo-Gothic style, while the other imitates the Romanesque style". The above words capture the diversity and picturesqueness of the massing, evoking associations with medieval construction. One of the main features of the large-scale Vojtuska residence was the gradation of the height and the way in which the individual parts were shaped, thanks to which numerous faults, façade retreats or risalits were visible - i.e. solutions suggesting the multi-phase character of the building (for example, the successive addition of new parts with different window designs). The palace was one of the late developments in the phase of the so-called early 'romantic' historicism, dated approximately to the years 1830-1860. At that time, forms referring to the Gothic style gained popularity among rich landed gentry from the territory of today's Belarus, Lithuania and Volhynia - the more eagerly they were used at the Kossakowski estate. The two-storey main body was flanked by polygonal turrets topped with blanks. The irregular body of the building was enriched with triangular gables, crenellation, pointed and donkey arches. Adjoining the main part of the building were a wing with a tower on a quadrilateral plan, a veranda (added secondarily) and an orangery (an important sign of modernity, fully in keeping with the fashion associated with the cultivation of exotic fruit).

The lavish interior design was also impressive. At the turn of the 20th century, part of the art collection was moved to the palace in Wojtkuszki from the Kossakowski residence in Warsaw - including a considerable number of paintings. In addition to the paintings, the glazed wardrobes for the volumes were appreciated, as was the comfortable furniture, which made the residence not only worth looking at, but also friendly to live in. In the photographs from around 1900, the presence of numerous military items (including armour) and high-end handicrafts (crockery, mirrors, chandeliers, chandeliers) draws attention. Manuscripts and books were an important part of the Vojtkus collection: the archive held around 1,000 fascicles, while the library stock comprised around 12,500 volumes.

The works of art from the Kossakovskis' palace were mostly dispersed during World War II, during which the building suffered significant damage. Nowadays, one can admire the remains of the neo-Gothic architecture, which are a significant testimony to the history of the estate.

Atelier of Amateur Photography "Wojtkuszki "
For example, a considerable number of photographs survived from the Vojtkuški collection, which numbered around 7,000 in the palace. The prints are now in the Kaunas museum, among others. It is worth stopping here for a moment, as this is an important episode in the history of this residence. Count Stanislaw Kazimierz Kossakowski set up a photographic studio in one of the palace rooms of the family residence, bringing in a camera in 1894. Photographs were taken in the interiors of the neo-Gothic residence and in the open air - sometimes with the use of painted, canvas backgrounds. Also associated with the atelier was the Count's associate, Józef Krajewski, who was involved in attempts to improve the technology in terms of durability and detail of the images captured. The capabilities of the laboratory, which operated under the name of 'Fotografia Amatorska "Wojtkuszki"', are evident in the surviving prints: the works are characterised by excellent quality, clarity of forms and contours in each of the planes, and very good lighting (regardless of whether an intimate portrait, a group scene taking place indoors, a forest landscape or a city view was taken). The prints from Wojtkus' atelier have gained recognition and have been exhibited internationally, among others.