The text describes Mozyr, a town on the right bank of the Pripyat River, already described in M. Balinski's 'Ancient Poland'. The history of the place is also outlined, as well as the history of the Bernardine Church, which was founded in 1616 by Sigismund III. A description of the church is also given, and the question of, among other things, the miraculous image of the Blessed Virgin placed there is raised. (Source: Tygodnik Illustrowany, Warsaw 1865, T:11, p. 80., after: Digital Library of the University of Łódź).

A modernised reading of the text

Mozyr.

This small district town, situated on the right bank of the Pripyat River under a steep mountain, if not commemorated by any major historical incident, is nevertheless worth mentioning for its beautiful location. Around Mozyr develops the most beautiful, full of charm area. In the midst of the plane, which characterises this land, there is an astonishing range of picturesque mountains, stretching for several miles above the Pripyat.

On the slope of one of these mountains is built Mozyr. Its shabby wooden houses have succumbed to frequent fires, completely obliterating its former appearance. Interested readers wishing to learn more about the historical origins of Mozyr are referred to "Ancient Poland" by M. Balinski. There he will find a list of some of the eras of the existence of this town, which belonged to the Old Slavic towns. In 1161 it was part of the Kyiv principality, and as it passed from one princely state to another, it belonged to the Turov principality for the longest time. The barrows scattered around bear witness to the frequent Tartar raids; during these raids, mainly in 1508, Mozyr and the castle situated on the mountain were often plundered and burnt down.

Afterwards, episodes of Cossack wars took place here, and only since 1676 the town, having experienced peace, began to develop its trade and material prosperity. No wonder, then, that Mozyr, having succumbed to so many turns, has kept almost no monuments of the past. A wanderer will not find the thread for great memories in the everyday life of this town, inhabited mostly by Jews; however, when he or she looks at the dilapidated walls of the church and the Bernardine monastery, he or she will be involuntarily transported to the past centuries.

The Bernardine monastery was founded in 1615 by Sigismund III through the efforts of Balthasar Strawinsky, governor of Inoziv, and the monks were brought here in 1618 by Stefan Loszka. The monks were brought here in 1618 by Stefan Loszka. After the town was destroyed, the foundation was renewed by land officials and citizens, and the church and monastery were then built on the hill. After the dissolution of the Bernardine monks in 1835, the church was handed over to the lay clergy as a parish church until it fell into the state of disrepair caused by the fire. In the cloister and inside, there used to be numerous stone monuments, carved marble plaques, and tombs of citizens and officials from Mozyry who contributed to the new foundation of the church; however, these monuments, as well as everything in the church, have been destroyed.

The stork, having made its nest in one of the church towers, seemed to be the only guardian of the graves and ashes scattered on the Mozyr sands; it also flew away when the church, with the walls belonging to it, was completely and finally transformed. Kimbarka or Dark Valley ("Vallis umbrosa"), about 3/4 of a mile from Mozyr on the Pripyat, also called Sambor. Here, amidst a beautiful forest, the walls of a Cistercian monastery rise.

The church next to the monastery, decorated with statues, inside with richly carved altars, is surrounded by a wall with a gate, within which a large garden is located. It was founded in 1711 by several citizens of the district, led by Sigismund Shukszta, Kyiv's mayor; August II endowed the temple in 1717, and August III increased its fund with new revenues in 1742. At present, the congregation numbers more than a dozen monks. The church is well maintained, thanks to the zeal of the local prior.

The Angel Valley ("Vallis angelica"), just off the first, is situated between two mountains, a lovely place where the walls of St Michael's Church with the Cistercian convent are white amidst the fresh greenery of towering trees. Benedict Bóżański, the prior of the Cistercians of Kimbarka, having taken a liking to the charming location of the valley in 1744, established here a congregation of these nuns, the only one of its kind in Lithuania at that time. Following the course of the Pripyat river on its left bank, about three miles beyond Mozyr, we will meet the town of Jurowice.

On a high mountain, dominating the whole area, rises a church with three towers, surrounded by a high wall with loopholes, with a spacious monastery. The miraculous image of the N. The miraculous image of the Virgin Mary, located there, attracts crowds of devout pilgrims every year. The painting, brought from the camp of Hetman Koniecpolski by the Jesuit priest Marcin Tyrawski, who was on a mission at the time, was placed in Jurowice in 1653 in a wooden chapel. Later on, the church and the monastery were rebuilt, which, after the suppression of the Jesuits, belonged for some time to the Bernardines, then to the Capuchins; closed for a long time, it was recently returned to the thirsty inhabitants and is now a parish church. Jurowice, because of its location and the impressions it evokes, is one of those places where a long and pleasant stay leaves a lasting memory.