The Boulder of Davyd of Hrodna

Only a few names from the Middle Ages have survived in historical chronicles. One of them belongs to Davyd of Hrodna, the defender of the city against the Teutonic Knights.

In 2003, a memorial boulder was installed in his honor on the observation platform near the Kalozha Church. The initiative to commemorate the warrior came from the Grodno local historian Apanas Tsykhun. The monument was consecrated by Metropolitan Filaret, the first head of the Belarusian Orthodox Church.

Davyd of Hrodna lived at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries and served as both the city’s starosta and the commander of the castle.

He led the defense of Grodno during numerous sieges by the Teutonic Knights and organized military campaigns into their territories.

Davyd died during a campaign against Brandenburg, killed by a Mazovian knight named Andrzej Gost, who may have been bribed by the crusaders.

According to legend, his loyal warriors carried his body back to Grodno and buried him near the walls of the Kalozha Monastery.

Thanks to Davyd’s military talent, Grodno remained an impregnable fortress for several decades.

From the hill near Kalozha you can enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of the Neman River and the left bank of Grodno, historically known as the Forstadt — a German word meaning “the area in front of the city.”