A large retreat center, White Lotus, is planned to be built on Braslaw Lakes — on the territory of the former psychiatric hospital "Slabodka" in the eponymous agro-town, "Onliner" reports .
The 12-hectare plot is nestled between three lakes; the complex itself will rise on the shore of Lake Ilmenok in a forest, next to the "Braslaw Lakes" National Park. The hospital buildings (built in the 1950s-70s, about 20 buildings, almost 10,000 m²) were sold a few years ago at auction for 231,000 rubles to a single participant — the company "Riviera Senioren Rezidenz".
The retreat center project is being developed by Pototskaya Architects bureau. They decided to avoid complete demolition: dilapidated buildings will be dismantled, while preserved ones will be reconstructed. A new public building will be constructed on the site of the main building — a compositional center of the complex with a spa, a swimming pool, and a healthy food restaurant.
The architecture is restrained, minimalistic, in gray tones, with clinker bricks, wood, and panoramic glazing, to blend with nature.
The first phase will involve building 20 modular houses for two guests in the Japandi style (a blend of Japanese minimalism and Scandinavian coziness) — without kitchens (meals are included in the detox program), with a panoramic window in the shower and sliding glass partitions leading to the terrace. The entire complex is designed for 160 guests.
The terrain, with an elevation difference of more than 20 m, has been divided into two zones: a wild forest (southern, almost untouched) and an open one. They plan paths for different senses — a garden with fragrant herbs and a tea room, a sensory path with various textures, as well as a rope town, a climbing wall, and outdoor massage areas. The center aims to integrate into the region's tourist infrastructure (hikes, water routes, horse riding).
The concept and permits are ready; the project is included in the state tourism development program and received the KUKHA 2026 award.
Modular houses (first phase of construction) are planned to be completed in April 2027. And public buildings (second phase) — approximately in 2029.
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