Radziwiłł Castle
10/6/0
The first people began to populate the lands of modern Belarus about 35,000 years ago. Much water has flown under the bridge since then. Almost all wars on the continent have passed through the territory of this country. And despite the fact that the aggressors did not care too much about preserving cultural monuments, many can still be admired today: St. Sophia Cathedral in Polotsk (11th century), Mir Castle (16th century), Nesvizh Castle of the Radziwiłłs (17th century), Jesuit Church of St. Francis Xavier in Grodno (17th century) and many others.
Legendary Brest. 73 years ago, the defenders of the Brest Fortress brought eternal glory to this city. Anyone can honor their memory and pay tribute to their courage by visiting the Brest Hero-Fortress Memorial Complex, created in 1969-1971.
To the west of the fortress is the half-ruined St. Nicholas Church, the oldest in the city. There are about 20 museums here, including the Brest Archaeological Museum, built over the ruins of a 13th-century craft quarter.
Minsk reminds of the hardships of the war period. During the retreat of the German army, many buildings of this beautiful city were destroyed, and only some of them were restored in peacetime. Nowadays, tourists are attracted by the beauty of the Troitskoye and Rakovskoye suburbs, among others. And one of the unique places is the memorial complex “Island of Tears” (1996) – a monument to “Sons of the Fatherland who died outside its borders.”
Bobruisk is famous for its abundance of cultural and historical monuments. One should not ignore the Bobruisk Fortress with its fort ruins. The city's architecture is mesmerizing: the former house of merchant Katsnelson in Art Nouveau style at 25 Internatsionalnaya Street, where the district library is now located, and you will surely find something interesting to read there; the former city mansion, 211 Pushkin Street, an architectural monument in the “eclectic” style.
Fans of Marc Chagall will find Vitebsk, where the M. Chagall Art Center has been operating since 1992, and you can also visit the house-museum of the famous artist. As for ancient monuments, there are countless: Old Town Hall, Church of St. Barbara, wooden Church of Alexander Nevsky, and others.
260 km north of Minsk lies the calm patriarchal city with a rich history and wonderful embankments – Polotsk, which in olden times was a major military center. Tourists will be interested to visit St. Sophia Cathedral here.
Gomel is famous for its wonderful park. The Peter and Paul Cathedral (1809-1819) is part of the palace and park ensemble. And in its northern part is located the chapel with the tomb of the Princes Paskevich.
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