Беларусь

Discover Belarus: an interactive journey through the heart of Europe

Author

1. Grodno
2. Smorgon
3. Oshmyany
4. Ostrovets
5. Lida
6. Novogrudok
7. Slonim
8. Volkovysk
9. Mir

1. Brest
2. Baranovichi
3. Pinsk
4. Beryoza
5. Kossova
6. Ruzhany
7. Belovezhskaya Pushcha

1. Minsk
2. Khatyn
3. Nesvizh
4. Molodechno/ The Stalin Line
5. Zhodino
6. Borisov
7. Slutsk
8. Soligorsk
9. Myadel
10. Narochanski National Park

1. Mogilev
2. Bobruisk
3. Kostyuovichi
4. Osipovichi
5. Aleksandriya

1. Vitebsk
2. Polotsk
3. Orsha
4. Braslav/ Braslav National Park
5. Miory
6. Tolochin
7. Postavy
8. Vidzy
9. Glubokae
10. Turov
11. Berezinski National Park

1. Gomel
2. Svetlogorsk
3. Rechitsa
4. Zhlobin
5. Rogachyov
6. Dobrush
7. Pripyatski National Park

Sport facilities

additional Materialsfor schools

Official website of the President of Belarus

Audioguides

E-Library

Coats of arms of Grodno region

Ohinski Manor in Zalessie

Krevo castle

Educational network

Secondary school №1

Art School named after M.K.Oginski

Smorgon State College

Secondary school of Soly

Secondary school №2

Secondary school №3

Gymnasium of Smorgon

Secondary school №5

Secondary school №6

Vishnevo school

Syrovatki school

Voistom school

Zhodishki school

Zalessie school

Krevo school

Sinki school

Smorgon nursery-garden - primary school

Osinovschizna school

Secondary school №7

SMORGON DISTRICT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Smorgon district educational and methodological office

Golshany Castle

Lida Brewery Museum

Lida Castle

Novogrudok Castle

Mir Castle

More info

Things to do

Gervyaty

Belarussian NPP

Chalkpit under Volkovysk

Things to do in Gomel

Gomel region

Ethnographic museums

Gomselmash

Palace of the Rumyantsev and the Paskeviches

SvetlogorskKhimvolokno

Belarussian Metallurgical Company

More info

Dobrush paper factory

Ideas for trip

Vitebsk region

Vitebsk oblastLandmarks

Marc Chagall's Museum

Ideas for trip

More info

Air Base

Brest Region

More information

Things to do

Ethnographic museums

Brest oblast landmarks

Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park

Brest Fortress

ZoolandscapePark

Butrymowich Palace

Ideas for trips

Things to do

Palace of the Puslovskyh

Ruzhany Castle

Ethnographic museums

Mogivev Oblast Landmarks

Districts of Mogilev region

Mogilev landmarks

Mogilevkhimvolokno

Landmarks

Local History Museum

Forestry Enterprise

Osipovichi railway station

Ethnographic museums

Minsk region

Minsk RegionalExecutive Commitee

Minsk underground

National Library

Belarus Events Calendar

Plaaces to see in Minsk

Minsk auto plant

State memorial complex

NesvizhCastle

The Stalin Line

BELAZ

Ideas for trip

BELGEE

Slutsk Belts

BelarusKali

National Park Narochanski

Sport facilities

Krevo Castle

The first fortress on the territory of Belarus, which was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, built only from stone and brick, which stood, for a minute, for 8 centuries! At the moment, the ruins of the castle are preserved, and its reconstruction is planned. Located in the village of Krevo, Grodno region. Interesting Facts: in 1382, the son of the famous Vytautas, Prince Keistut of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, was killed within the walls of the castle in 1385 the Union of Krevo, which we have known since our school days, was signed here, and in 1569 also the Union of Lublin The castle walls are almost 2.5 meters thick and their height is almost 10 meters

• Krevo is an agricultural town in the Smorgon district of the Grodno region of Belarus. It is located on the Krevlyanka River, 22 kilometers south of Smorgon and the Smorgon railway station, 100 kilometers northwest of Minsk. The area of the occupied territory is 6.284 km², the length of the borders is 35,450 m.

Mir Castle Complex

A powerful and monumental castle complex, which is located in the village of Mir, Grodno region. Construction of the castle began in the 20s of the 16th century, and was updated and completed until the end of the 20th century. The architectural appearance contains features of Baroque, Renaissance and Gothic. Interesting Facts: each tower is about 25 meters high during World War II, from May to August 1942, the castle was a ghetto in 2000 the castle was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List

• The Mir Castle Complex is a historic fortified castle and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Belarus. It is located in the town of Mir, in Karelichy District of Grodno Oblast, 29 kilometres north-west of another World Heritage site, Nesvizh Castle. Mir Castle Complex is 164 metres (538 ft) above sea level. Erected in the 16th century in the late Brick Gothic style, it is one of the few remaining architectural monuments of the former Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in contemporary Belarus.

Brest region

Zhyrovichy Monastery

The monastery was founded in the 16th century. Due to a belief, an icon of Virgin Mary was found in the local woods. A church was built on the place where the icon was found, but soon it was burned by fire and the icon was lost. Many years later the icon was found again with mysterious imprints on it – presumably those of Virgin Mary’s palm and foot. The icon is considered miraculous and the stone became part of the altar in the church of Exaltation of the Cross. Since then the Zhyrovichy monastery is a major place of pilgrimage in Belarus.

• The Saint Ascension monastery in Zhyrovichy existed even during Soviet times and in 1989 it became a clerical seminary – a highest religious educational institution, accepting entrants from all the countries of the former USSR.

Novogrudok Castle

Once a famous fortress on the territory of Belarus and the oldest castle, the first mentions of which date back to the 11th century. At the moment, only two restored fragments of the towers have survived - Kostelnaya and Shield, which are located on a partially high embankment mountain. Interesting Facts: Initially the building was completely wooden and only gradually the wood was replaced by stone for a long time the castle was a key defensive unit on the territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania

• Navahrudak was twice occupied by Russian forces during the Russo-Polish War (1654–67). Further destruction was inflicted by the Swedes who sacked Navahrudak as part of the Great Northern War in 1706. Attempts to preserve the ruins from further decay were undertaken in the 1920s. The castle grounds at present provide the setting for medieval reenactment and theatrical jousting.

Minsk region

Gomel region

Old Cathedral of St. Barbara and St. Paul

The church was built next to a cemetery in 1785. In the years 1884–1885 was rebuilt in Neo-Romanesque style by architect Victor Junosza-Piotrowski (including the construction of two towers). It was closed in the 1930s in the era of the Soviet Union, and during World War II was partially destroyed. In the years after the war in the temple he had various uses.

Chapel-tomb of Ozheshko

The chapel was built in 1849 according to the design of the Polish architect Francis Jaschald with the consent of the Vilna bishop Andrzej Klongiewicz on the outskirts of the park as the family tomb of Orzeszko and the following owners of the estate: Bobrinsky, Talochkov. According to local legend, after the suppression of the uprising of 1863-1864, the leader of the Kobrin rebel detachment, Romuald Traugutt, took refuge in the high spire of the chapel, where there was a small storeroom. This refuge was offered to him by Elisa Orzeszko, who helped transport Romuald to Poland after the search gradually died down. It is worth noting that Eliza’s husband, Peter, was exiled to the Perm province for participating in the uprising, and the Lyudvins’ estate located nearby was confiscated.

The cathedral is named after the Holy Wisdom of God, similar to the Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv and Saint Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod.

Saint Sophia's Cathedral in Polotsk

St. Sophia's Cathedral in the ancient town of Polotsk does not look like other Eastern Orthodox churches of the same name. It is one of the oldest temples constructed by Eastern Slavonic peoples and the first church built from stone on the territory of Belarus.

Glubokoe Arboretum

Glubokoye Dendrological Garden is a park, a natural monument of republican significance in the city of Glubokoye, Vitebsk region. Initially, the arboretum was called the “Dendrological Park of the Glubokoe Forestry Enterprise”, in April 1985 it was renamed to the “Arboretum of the Glubokoe Forestry Enterprise” - Arboretum.

Beryoza Monastery

In the 17th century, the village of Beryoza belonged to the Sapieha, a powerful magnate family in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, who founded a fortified monastery and a palace in the village. In 1648, the monastery was presented to the Carthusian monks who came from the Italian town of Treviso and settled in the monastery.

The Jesuit monastery

The Jesuit College is one of the most recognizable landmarks of Belarusian Pinsk. Built in the mid-17th century on the site of the ancient Pinsk Detinets, the collegium building allows you to get acquainted with the expressive features of Renaissance and Baroque architecture. True, only the exterior of the building gives them pleasure. The interiors of the college have faced constant metamorphoses of time and have long lost their original appearance.

Lida Castle

It occupies a special place on the list, as it is one of the oldest castles in Belarus. Located in the city of Lida, Grodno region. It was built in the 1330s to defend against the Crusaders in the Romantic Gothic style. Interesting Facts: most of the castle was destroyed after a fire in 1891 life is still in full swing near the walls of the building - knightly tournaments and theatrical performances take place

• During much of the 20th century, an itinerant zoo or circus occupied the castle compound. Every December a Christmas tree was placed within the walls. It was not until 1982 that a restoration campaign was launched. The red brick was used to denote the newly reconstructed sections, up to 12 metres (39 ft) high. Significant restoration occurred in 2010.

Butrymovich Palace

Butrimovich Palace is an architectural monument of the 18th century located in the city of Pinsk, Belarus. It was erected by order of Mateusz Butrymovic, a famous political figure of that time. The first stone in the foundation of the future palace in Pinsk was laid by the last king of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Stanislav August Poniatowski. Another high patron of Butrimovich was Hetman of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Mikhail Kazimir Oginsky. In 2008, the Butrimovich Palace was restored and became one of the most beautiful wedding palaces in the country, as well as a branch of the Museum of Belarusian Polesie.

Tower of Kamenets

The Tower of Kamyenyets also called the White Tower , is the main landmark of the town of Kamyenyets in Belarus. The name Bielaja Vieža (alternative transliteration: Belaya Vezha), which literally means White Tower or White Fortress in Belarusian, presumably derives from the tower's proximity to the Belavezhskaya Pushcha Forest, but not from its color, which has been brick-red through the ages, never white

Mogilev region

Jesuit College

The history of the Jesuit order in Orsha begins at the end of the 16th century, when the Chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Lev Sapieha, acquired a plot of land that had previously been occupied by the Calvin collection for the Jesuit mission founded in 1590. The secular priest Jakub Lavrenti, who had previously worked at the Vilna Collegium, took advantage of the visit of Sigismund III to Orsha in 1609 and asked him to escort the Jesuits to the city. An important argument in this regard was the fact that at that time there was not a single educational institution for youth in the entire Vitebsk Voivodeship.

Vitebsk region

Pustynsky Holy Dormition Monastery

Pustynsky Holy Dormition Monastery is a male monastery of the Mogilev diocese of the Belarusian Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church, located in the Pustynki tract, 12 km from the city of Mstislavl, on the border with the Smolensk region The rector of the monastery is Archbishop of Mogilev and Mstislav Sophrony (Yushchuk).

Nesvizh Caste

Nesvizh Castle or Nyasvizh Castle is a residential castle of the Radziwiłł family in Nyasvizh (Nesvizh), Belarus. It is 183 metres (600 ft) above sea level. Built in the 16th and 17th centuries, and maintained by the Radziwiłł family until 1939, the castle and the nearby Corpus Christi Church were instrumental in the development of Central European and Russian architecture.In 2005, the castle, church, and surrounding environment were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Church of St. Michael, Synkavichy

The Church of St. Michael is an Eastern Orthodox church on the northern outskirts of the village of Synkavichy, Zelva District, Hrodna Province, in Belarus. It is an example of the Belarusian Gothic and one of the first fortified churches in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania along with the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Muravanka.

Bobruisk Fortress

The Bobruisk Fortress is an outstanding defense installation, one of the best surviving specimens of fortification architecture of the first half of the 19th century. In the early 1840s the Bobruisk citadel – “the elder sister” of the Brest Fortress – was the most inaccessible fortress in the Russian Empire and one of the best-equipped defense installations in Europe. The fortress witnessed the War of 1812, the Decembrist revolt, the Great Patriotic War

Brest Fortress

Brest Fortress was built in the 1830s-early 1840s at the meeting-point of the rivers Bug and Mukhavyets. During construction, the entire town was relocated to a new position 2km away. St Nicolas Church was built in 1851-1876. Much of it was severely damaged during World War 2.

Grodno region

Pokrovski Monastery

The Intercession Monastery is an Orthodox monastery in the city of Tolochin (Belarus), located under the jurisdiction of the Belarusian Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church. The monastery was founded at the Holy Protection Church, built in 1604 by the Chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Lev Sapieha. The Cathedral Church is a monument of the Vilna Baroque, consecrated in 1769. A monastery residential building was erected next to the temple.

Ostravets Nuclear Power Plant

Ostravets Nuclear Power Plant (also called the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant or Ostrovets Nuclear Power Plant) is a nuclear power plant located in the Astravyets District, Grodno Region in north-western Belarus. The power plant is built close to the Belarus-Lithuania border, being 40 kilometres (25 mi) east of the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius. The plant is powered by two 1194-MW VVER-1200 units supplied by Atomstroyexport, the nuclear equipment exporter branch of the Russian nuclear corporation Rosatom. The plant is owned by State Enterprise Belarusian NPP, which in turn is owned by the state-owned operator Belenergo.

Ruzhany Castle

The palace complex in Ruzhany is one of the unique places in Belarus. For centuries this magnificent architectural ensemble, nicknamed the Belarusian Versailles, was owned by the mighty Sapieha dynasty.

Golshany Castle

This castle is the most mystical of all. There are plenty of stories about the sign of the White Lady and the Black Monk. Vladimir Korotkevich wrote the novel “Chorny Zamak Alshanski” about him. The castle is located in the agricultural town of Golshany, Grodno region, and its construction lasted only a few centuries, from the 17th to the end of the 19th centuries. Now all that remains of the castle are ruins, which are currently preserved. There are plans to restore the surviving north tower. Interesting Facts: the first owner of the castle was Pavel Sapega, who was Lev Sapega's cousin the main defense of the castle was transferred to ditches with water and earthen ramparts, and the facade looked more like a residential building, since it did not have powerful walls

• In 2018, the foundation was waterproofed, the walls of the North Tower, as well as window and door openings were restored. The walls of the tower were strengthened with spiral rods, the inter-tier floors were strengthened, and a roof with a weather vane was installed on top. Reconstruction of fragments of walls adjacent to the tower is underway.

Ohinski Manor in Zalessie

The estate was originally acquired by the Ohinski (Oginski) family in the early eighteenth century. At that time it included a wooden palace, farmyard, pond, mill and a brewery. It had passed through several generations until the early nineteenth century when it was bequeathed to Michał Kleofas Ogiński.

• After the death of Michał Kleofas Ogiński, the estate was owned by several generations of his descendants. It fell on hard times in 1924 and was broken up and sold outside the family.

In Soviet Belarus the estate was used as a holiday resort and a nursing home.

The Catholic church of the Holy Trinity

One of the most beautiful places of the Belarusian land is a small village Gervyaty, which is located in the Grodno region on the border with Lithuania. Here is located the famous Church named after the Holy Trinity. This is a truly magnificent creature, the Church stands at 61 meters. Even from a distance you can observe the magnificent view of the Cathedral is in the Gothic revival style. Unique altars, the pulpit and the interior are striking in their splendor. Trinity Church is often called the Notre Dame.

Palace of the Puslovskyh

A unique monument of neo-gothic architecture of the 19th century is situated in the Belarusian town of Kossovo. The Palace of the Puslovskyh, or Kossovo Castle, has been nicknamed "knights’ dream" for its fairy-tale-like appearance and splendor.

Palace of the Rumyantsevs and the Paskeviches

AThe Rumyantsev-Paskevich Residence is the main place of historical importance in the city of Gomel, Belarus. The grounds of the residence stretch for 800 meters along the steep right bank of the Sozh River. An image of the residence is featured on the Belarusian 20-ruble bill.

• The park contains a modern statue of Count Nikolay Rumyantsev. The original marble statues of Euripides, Venus, Athena, Ares, Bacchus, and the Nymph were lost. It was only in 2006 that the replacement statues were put in place. The Paskevich art collection also boasted several paintings by Ivan Kramskoi, Marcin Zaleski, and January Suchodolski, as well as a marble bust of Count Rumyantsev by Antonio Canova