Fate sometimes makes strange turns. Can you imagine that you were keen to change sunny Italy to Zhytomyr? Surprisingly, but were. This is exactly the case with the Galli family, participants in the Italian uprising, who at the beginning of the 19th century found refuge from persecution and provided the city with a glorious and mysterious personality.
Political persecution forced the Italian family of Galli to leave their homes and settle in Zhytomyr, where in 1816 they had their son Edward. A smart, capable boy was sent to Kremenets Gymnasium, one of the best educational institutions of that time. Learned Edward easily, with pleasure, had a special attraction to studying languages and botany, and especially history.
In addition to the learning abilities, the young Galli apparently inherited a rebellious parental character, because in 1831, yesterday’s graduate of the gymnasium desperately participated in the Polish uprising in Volyn against the Russian autocracy. Only from God’s mercy, he remained alive, did not get into jail or Siberia, and intact returned to his home in Zhytomyr.
In 1839, after successfully completing his studies at the University of Vilen, a doctor, Edward Marian Galli, forever settled in Zhytomyr in his family estate, on the corner of the present-day streets of Pushkin and Teatralna.
In addition to treating patients, he was engaged in social activities, with his head immersed in poetry, writing and bookkeeping. Scientific works on philosophy, history, botany, psychology and medicine came from under the pen of Edward Galli – each time the author showed special and profound knowledge. His memoirs, which are still attracting researchers, are also successful. Galli was co-founder and first secretary of the Volyn Society of Physicians in Zhytomyr, as well as an active member of the book publishing society at low prices.
For more than two decades, he collected his own library, which eventually comprised 8,000 volumes of rare editions, old books, incunabula and manuscripts. The library was so big that it would fit in a few trucks! There was also an interesting feature in it: solid works of occultism, black magic, hypnotism. Historians argue that Galli has repeatedly traveled to London for post-election auctions, maintained business relationships with European libraries, collectors and writers.
In addition to the well-known for the entire Volyn library, Galli gathered a large rare herbarium of plants of the region, expensive works of art of Western European painting and antiques. The collection of minerals in Volyn, which was going on throughout its lifetime, numbered more than 4,000 samples! After some time, this collection became the foundation of the Museum of the Academy of Sciences in Krakow.
As a historian, poet, writer and companion, Doctor Galli enjoyed great respect in cultural and enlightened circles. Knowledge of psychology, occult sciences, and non-standard approach to the philosophy of being attracted many supporters. A special mystery and even a certain fear caused the perfect, rare possession of the gift of hypnosis, suggestion.
In Zhytomyr and far beyond its borders, Edward Galli was considered a magician and a magician who seemed to be familiar with the devil and the otherworldly world.
At the house where he lived, came to see the visitors, and some Zhytomirians preferred to bypass the party.
Some of his collections and a part of the library Galli taught one of the best educational institutions in Europe – Jagiellonian University, where he was invited to give lectures.
And where else did the rest of the rare editions and collections go? Carefully preserved by descendants? Probably the left books were inherited by relatives – Prusinovskyi, who lived nearby. If the library did not perish during the revolution, wars and tribulations, then it still exists in the city? This story is unknown. The mysterious personality – the mysterious disappearance … And the only daughter of Edward, in marriage Sobkovych, who became a successful artist, did not leave us memories.
Edward Marian Galli was buried in 1893 in Zhytomyr, where among the trees on the hill of the Catholic cemetery there is a pedestal – a memorial to the outstanding Zhytomyr city dweller, whose name is named after legends and mysteries.
Serhii Sobchuk, February 2017
During the preparation of the article, certain developments were used by Mr. Ershov V.O., Professor I. Franko University and T. M. Rudkowski, Cmentarz Polski w Żytomierzu, Warszawa 1999.

Translated by Aliona Matushevich