The Republic of Belarus is a state located in Eastern Europe. The capital is the city of Minsk. Belarus borders Russia in the east, Ukraine in the south, Poland in the west, and Lithuania and Latvia in the northwest.
A little about the country
The state is divided into six regions and 117 districts. The number of cities in Belarus reaches 102, in addition, there are 109 urban-type settlements. The population of the country, according to the census conducted in 2003, amounted to 10.3 million people. Of these, 80% Belarusians, 12% Russians, 5% Poles, 2.5% Ukrainians. The population of Belarusian cities is 71% of the total.
The main water arteries are the Dnieper (with tributaries of the Sozh, Pripyat, Berezina), the Western Dvina (a tributary of the Viliya) and the Western Bug. There are more than ten thousand lakes here, the largest are Naroch, Lukoml, Drysvyaty and Osveyskoye. More than a third of the territory is occupied by swamps. A third of the country is covered with forests, mostly coniferous, but in the south there are hornbeam, maple, oak, ash.
Large cities of Belarus
Let'sLet's get acquainted with the largest settlements of the country. In addition to the capital, there are only five of them. So, the major cities of Belarus: Brest, Vitebsk, Grodno, Gomel and Mogilev. Here we consider settlements by their occupied area, however, the gradation in terms of population may differ. For example, the city of Brest ranks second after Minsk - its territory is 146 square kilometers. However, in terms of population, it is only in sixth place and is inferior to the capital, Gomel, Mogilev, Vitebsk and Grodno. So, the largest city of this country is Minsk, its area is 348 km2. The next five are in the range from 118 to 146 km2. The next contenders for the list of the largest cities did not even exceed 90 km abroad2 - these are Bobruisk and Baranovichi.
Cities of Belarus by population
Now let's get acquainted with the list of the largest settlements in the country by the number of people living in them. An example has already been given above that a larger area does not necessarily correspond to a higher density of citizens. So, the cities of Belarus by population: Minsk (1 million 900 thousand people), Gomel (512 thousand), Mogilev (370 thousand), Vitebsk (363 thousand), Grodno (356 thousand), Brest (330 thousand). This is followed by Bobruisk and Baranovichi - 217 thousand and 177 thousand respectively.
Now let's take a closer look at the largest cities in Belarus.
Minsk
Evil tongues speakthat two days is enough to see the whole of Minsk. And in fact, there is no need to chase sights in this city. On the first day, it is recommended to just walk along the avenues, you don’t even need to take a map with you, because Minsk is a monument in itself - a monument of Soviet architecture. It may take quite a bit of time, and this city will be considered as an open-air museum, embodying the era of developed socialism. However, all these words refer only to the center of Minsk. There is also an "old" city, the history of which goes back more than nine hundred years. Fans of antiquities will be able to visit the cathedral church and the town hall, see the ancient buildings. The peculiarity of Minsk can be called incredible cleanliness, the friendliness of passers-by and the unhurried rhythm of life; truly cosmic calm reigns here.
Brest
Every schoolchild of the Soviet Union knew about this hero city and the Soviet soldiers who died defending the fortress of the same name in the early days of the Great Patriotic War. Brest is a long-suffering outskirts of the Republic of Belarus. This ancient city, located on the border of three states - Russia, Poland and Lithuania, has repeatedly been attacked by enemies in its history. It was literally torn apart, destroyed, burned and even moved from one place to another. As a result, Brest cannot boast of architectural masterpieces, the oldest buildings date back to the 19th century. But in terms of all sorts of myths and secrets, the city has greatly succeeded. What are the remains is not clearby some miracle, an ancient wooden citadel that has survived to this day (how could he survive the Second World War?) or secret passages dug under the fortress. The first mention of Brest as a well-developed settlement is found in The Tale of Bygone Years (1019). This date is today considered the founding year of the city.
Vitebsk - Chagall's Paris
Vitebsk is known all over the world under this name. The world famous avant-garde artist was born here. Chagall studied in St. Petersburg and lived in Paris for a long time. However, he returned to his native land anyway and even organized a city art school here.
Studying the cities of Belarus, one cannot ignore Vitebsk, because it can be safely called the soul of this country. The aroma of antiquity and national flavor have been preserved here. According to legend, the city was founded by order of Princess Olga in 974. It was located on a busy trade route "from the Varangians to the Greeks." Olga was captivated by the extraordinary beauty of the confluence of the Vitba River and the Western Dvina. This beauty struck her so much that she exclaimed: "Let the city of Vitebsk stand here." So now he leads his story from this event. Although it would be useful to note that there are references to the settlements of the Krivichi here back in the ninth century. The successful commercial location of the city did him a disservice militarily. He, like Brest, was repeatedly attacked by enemy armies, but he was able to survive all the hardships and today is included in the list of "The most beautiful cities in Belarus".
Grodno
It is a calm and quiet city. It is famous for its grandiose fortress walls, built long before the appearance of the current capital of Belarus. Grodno, perhaps, had the most hardships compared to other cities of the republic. And only thanks to the Old Castle with its reliable walls the city managed to survive. During the Northern War, Grodno still fell. The castle was literally wiped off the face of the earth. Later, in its place, no less majestic and beautiful New Castle was erected, decorating the city to this day.
Studying the cities of Belarus, an attentive person can notice one feature of Grodno, which is characteristic of the whole country, but it is especially noticeable here. This land has always been multi-confessional - Jews, Catholics, Muslims, Lutherans, Orthodox and even Old Believers coexist peacefully in the neighborhood. In Grodno, you can see the neighboring Lutheran church and synagogue, a mosque and a Christian church.
Gomel
Like most ancient cities, Gomel does not remember his year of birth. The first mention of it is found in the annals of the twelfth century. However, we are told that the city already existed, and when it was founded, this is not known. His citadel was located on a cape, which was formed by the right bank of the Sozh River and the left bank of the Gomiyuk stream, now it is the territory of the Gomel Park. According to archaeological data, in the 11th century, jewelry-bronze casting, iron-working, pottery, woodworking, weapons and bone-carving were developed here.crafts. Through trade routes, Gomel was connected with Kyiv, Chernigov, Northern Russia, Smolensk, Volyn and Byzantium. Today this city is one of the most beautiful in the country, having the richest cultural, historical and scientific potential, having a unique style and appearance. Today's Gomel has a developed industry, culture, science; it is a socio-political center and an important transport hub. Its very favorable geographical position contributes to the development of the national economy. Among other things, Gomel is the intellectual center of the republic, as well as the venue for the largest sports and cultural events. This is a city of shady alleys, ancient buildings, openwork chestnut trees, wide avenues and extraordinary people who made its history.
Mogilev
For the first time this city is mentioned in the "List of Russian cities, distant and close" (14th century). Starting from this period, Mogilev became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and at the end of the century it passed into the possession of Jadwiga, the wife of the Polish king and part-time prince of Lithuania Jagiello. There are many legends describing the origin of this settlement.
Modern Mogilev is rich in architectural monuments, for example, the complex of the St. Nicholas Convent. Here is an old Christian church of the early 16th century. In the city center you can see the Church of St. Stanislaus, built in 1752. Initially, it belonged to the Carmelite Order, but by decree of Catherine the Great, it wastransferred to the residence of the bishop. In 1785, on a high city rampart, the most beautiful palace of an Orthodox figure of the 18th century, George of Konissky, was built. In addition, many buildings of the 18-19th centuries and a memorial arch of that period, the building of the regional theater and the former City Council have been preserved here.
Belarus is an appendage of Russia?
Most Russians perceive this country as a kind of "province" of the once great Russian Empire, inferior to Russia both in territorial boundaries and in cultural and historical significance. If you ask the younger generation what cities are in Belarus, then few will be able to name even two or three settlements, except for the capital of this republic. However, such an attitude towards this state is unfair, and statements about the "province" do not stand up to scrutiny. It was here that the Principality of Lithuania was located and developed for many centuries, castles were created, the most beautiful cultural and architectural monuments, many of which can be seen today. This is such a glorious country - Belarus. The cities (the list of which was given above, and others, smaller in size, but not in historical significance) of the republic confirm this. Any of them, upon careful consideration, is capable of revealing the deepest historical layers. So the question of the "provinciality" of Belarus is at least incorrect.
