Ferdynand Ruszczyc is known as a painter of atmospheric, expressive landscapes. In his canvases, which present seemingly common landscapes, one can feel an emotional attitude to nature, as well as a great attachment to his home town of Bohdanov, located in what is now Belarus. A motif from Bohdanov appears, for example, in the painting 'Before the Church', created in 1899 and now part of the collection of the National Art Museum in Minsk. Although this is the only work by the painter to be found in Belarusian public collections, Ferdinand Ruszczyc remains a very important figure for the local culture.

St Michael the Archangel Church in Bohdanov
. Painted in oil, the painting depicts a scene taking place in front of the Church of St Michael the Archangel in Bohdanovo. The creation of the canvas was preceded by numerous sketches and preparatory studies, which today can be found in Polish museums (e.g. the National Museum in Warsaw) or in private hands. In the painting, we see a fragment of the temple encompassing the entrance, in front of which a group of worshippers has gathered. The human figures are depicted in a schematic manner typical of Ruszczyc. The forces of nature dominate human existence. The painter brilliantly conveys the mood of an early spring day - an intense blue sky interspersed with billowy clouds, bare tree branches and soft light bringing out the texture of the depicted buildings. A wooden bell tower closes the composition on the left.

The architecture painted by Ruszczyc unfortunately no longer exists today. The Church of St Michael the Archangel, built in the second half of the 17th century. -The Church of St Michael the Archangel, built in the second half of the 17th century as a foundation of Piotr Michał Pac, Starosta of Samogitia, and his first wife, Tekla Konstancja of Wolłowicz, was burnt down during World War Two. Ruszczyc's painting, along with photographs taken in the 1930s by Jan Bułhak and Juliusz Kłos, is therefore one of the few sources documenting the appearance of the church.

At the end of the 20th century, a new white brick church was built in Bohdanov (consecrated in 1999), with its mass referring to the shape of the old temple. A wooden tented bell tower was also built at that time. In recent years, both buildings have undergone radical modernisation and today bear little resemblance to their humble originals.

Artist from Bohdanov
Ferdynand Ruszczyc was born on 10 December 1870 in Bohdanowo. Situated in the former Oshmyany district of Vilnius Land, the estate was purchased in 1836 by the painter's grandfather, also Ferdynand. It remained in the hands of the Ruszczyc family until the Second World War. The Lithuanian, Byelorussian and Polish influences intersecting in the territory of the Oshmyany region had a clear impact on the artist's work, as did the changes in his place of residence during his youth. As a result of repressions after the January Uprising, his family was forced to move first to Lipawa and then to Minsk. Ruszczyc studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, where he made his debut in 1897 during an exhibition of his diploma works (the paintings Evening Star, Tritons and Spring, shown at the time, were purchased by Pavel M. Tretyakov for his collection in Moscow). He received the medal of the academy several times for his student works. Although he travelled frequently around the world, where he sought artistic inspiration (including to the Crimea between 1894 and 1895, and later to Sweden, Germany, France, Belgium and Italy), the motif of his home town constantly recurred in his work. The landscapes of the area, the view of the family house or the parish church were an inexhaustible source of inspiration for the artist. It was in Bohdanov that he spent his first years after graduation. It was then that he created the painting Before the Church, as well as one of Ruszczyc's best-known canvases today - Earth.

Bohdanov and Vilnius motifs in Ruszczyc's works
. The paintings and diaries written by Ferdynand Ruszczyc are an important source of knowledge about the history of the region from which he originated. The village of Bohdanów was founded in the mid-16th century by Bohdan Sapieha - hence its name. In his works, Ruszczyc repeatedly returned to the subject of his hometown, appearing, among others, in the cycle of "Bohdan interiors", created in 1905-1907. The last of his oil paintings, Gniazdo (Nest), painted in 1908, was also dedicated to the village. Nest. Afterwards, Ruszczyc did not return to easel painting, but devoted himself to teaching (from 1904 at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw and from 1907 to 1908 as the head of the Landscape Department of the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków), creating theatre scenery, applied graphics, posters and book covers. All his artistic activity of this period was connected with Vilnius, where he settled in 1909. In 1919, he became dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts established at the reactivated Stefan Batory University. He also became associated with Vilnius University, designing some of its interiors, as well as all insignia, commemorative plaques, seals and invitations. In Vilnius, Ruszczyc was involved in the organisation of cultural activities and the promotion of the city and its monuments, and was a member of the local Town Council for many years.

Towards the end of his life, due to health problems (in October 1932 he suffered a paralysis attack, as a result of which he lost his speech and the power in his right hand), he withdrew from intensive work and returned to Bohdanov. Using his left hand, he still created oil sketches and drawings, organised his rich collections and arranged his library. He died on 30 October 1936 and was buried in the local family cemetery. Today, this is the only surviving material trace of Ruszczyc in Bohdanov. His family estate burnt down in 1944, with only remnants of the foundations of the entire building remaining.