Real School built in the Russian Art Nouveau style

To the right of the Lutheran church stands a remarkable building at Akademicheskaya Street, 10.

This early 20th-century building was constructed as a Real School named after Tsarevich Alexei and designed in the style of Russian Art Nouveau.

Pay attention to the large semicircular windows and the decorative entrance.

If you have the opportunity, step inside to see the preserved interior elements, including restored doors and original ceramic tiles.

In 1915 the building housed the Adam Mickiewicz Gymnasium, where the famous teacher Jan Kochanowski worked.

Together with his students, Kochanowski created a collection of animals that later became the foundation of the Grodno Zoo — the oldest zoo in Belarus.

During the Second World War Kochanowski showed extraordinary courage. When the Nazis planned to execute the director of the gymnasium, he volunteered to take his place.

He was executed and buried near Fort No. 2 of the Grodno Fortress, a site later known for mass executions during the war.