When did bulbos americanos appear on Belarusian land?

I found it by chance, in the book Siedziby Kiszków i Radziwiłłów na Białorusi w XVI-XVIII wieku. Opisy z zasobu Archiwum Głównego Akt Dawnych (Opracował Jarosław Zawadzki, Warszawa 2002).

I delved into the book to read about Janusz Kiszka (1586—1654), the Grand Hetman of Lithuania. He inherited the town of Krivichy and had a manor house there. (I grew up in Krivichy and will try to superimpose the 1611 inventory data onto modern topography: Kiszka's manor stood in the center, near the modern bridge over the Servach river, on a hill behind the "Rodny Kut" shop).

It's always interesting to see a living person behind the documents. For example, from the inventory descriptions, one can conclude that Janusz Kiszka was fond of gardening. In particular, he loved garden labyrinths — he had as many as two in his Ivye estates. And in his Danyushava garden, there was a flowerbed with flowers planted in the shape of the Kiszka coat of arms "Dubrova" (a horseshoe with three crosses).

But the Hetman had his most spectacular garden in Vilnius: a labyrinth (of course!), a bathhouse, and paths lined with bushes and trees. Among other things, artichokes, asparagus, melons, and even — attention — the exotic bulbos americanos, or ziemniaki (potatoes), as the Polish scholar notes, grew there.

Janusz Kiszka sold that garden to Radziwiłł's widow in 1623, leaving for several years to Italy to study at the University of Padua. This was Janusz's second higher education. In his youth, he graduated from Vilnius University. And in between, there were the Battle of Kirchholm, the Siege of Smolensk, a raid on Starodub, and the Battle of Khotyn.

What became of the exotic plant in his absence is unknown. But why not imagine that Kiszka cultivated bulbos in his other estates? In Ivye, Danyushava, Krivichy? During the description of the Krivichy manor house, a chained bear was inventoried in the courtyard. It must have been guarding something!

The old voivode might have treated his guests to the exotic bulbos — for example, Field Hetman Janusz Radziwiłł, who visited him in Krivichy on his way from Vilnius to Polotsk (two letters written there have survived). Although in those days, bulbos were probably grown for their flowers.

Furthermore, Janusz Kiszka is one of the few magnates who can boast a settlement named in his honor. In his time, the Janushova estate was founded not far from Krivichy. It seems probable to me that it was named after its owner.

Now it's a village where, already in the 20th century, Prosecutor General Oleg Bazhelko was born. But that, as they say, is a completely different story.

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