The palace houses the literary museum-estate of M.K. Oginsky. It was in this place that Oginski, the author of the music for the song «Poland Has Not Perished Yet», created masterpieces known throughout the world. Also in Zalesye, Oginsky wrote one of his most significant musical works - the opera «Zelida and Valcourt or Bonaparte in Cairo».
UnderMikhail Kleofas Oginskythe estate became a place of cultural education, both among the local population and foreign guests. Friends and colleagues of the owner, various political and cultural figures often stopped here to stay. He was a generous philanthropist, a smart politician and a talented musician. Zalesye hosted various art exhibitions, literary reading evenings, as well as musical evenings, whereMikhail Kleofaspresented his works to the public. Music was his passion for the soul, while his main work was representingEmperor Alexander Iin the political arena.
Initially, Zalesie belonged to his uncle Frantisk Oginski, he gave it to his nephew when he returned from forced emigration (after he supported the uprising of Tadeusz Kosciuszko and even allocated a certain amount of money for it). By the time he moved to Zalesye, M.K. Oginsky had already achieved a lot; he worked as a Lithuanian treasurer. Having been abroad in cities such as Vienna and Paris, he already had his own idea of what the estate should look like, so a lot of effort was invested in the construction of a new building for the estate, as well as a park area around it.
Today, the palace ensemble includes a greenhouse, a chapel, a mill, a gazebo, a stable and 2 parks: a French regular park and an English landscape park. In the park, guests of the complex can see memorial stones in honor of the teacher Jean Raleigh and dedicated to the rebels of 1794 «Shadows of Kosciuszko».
Every year, the estate hosts various musical events, concerts, balls and performances by young artists. In 2015, within the framework of the project «The Year of Oginsky in Zalesye», a festival dedicated to the 250th anniversary of the birth of the composer Mikhail Kleofas Oginsky was organized. Throughout the year, young performers, composers and musicians performed within the walls of the estate, performing not only Oginsky’s masterpieces, but also works of their own composition.
