The city of Smorgon, Grodno region, is by no means a bearish corner on the map of Belarus. Lives in the district center more than 37 thousand people. But the history of the city is closely connected with bears...
Glory to the Smorgon Academy
In the 17th-18th centuries, the famous “bear academy”, a school for training bears, operated in Smorgon. Clubfoot students from Smorgon amused people not only at fairs of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, but also in Europe. They founded the bear school of the Radziwills, who owned the city. And the cubs were brought from the surrounding forests.
There is a version that successful bears were fed bagels, which were baked in the city for two centuries. Moreover, Smorgon is called the birthplace of bagels.
The bear training school was closed in the 1870s, but managed to bring fame to Smorgon. The “Smorgon Academy” was glorified in the poem of the same name by the Belarusian classic Rygor Borodulin, and in 2014 the townspeople erected a sculptural composition in honor of the bear school.
The black bear also occupies a central place on the coat of arms of Smorgon, established in 2004. The bear stands on its hind legs and holds the Radziwill coat of arms in its paws.
About the origin of the city's name
There are many interpretations of the toponym “Smorgon”. According to one of them, the name of the city comes from the combination “with morgue goni.” In the distant past, “morgues” measured land areas (1 morgue - 0.7 hectares), and arable plots were called “gonya”. There is information that the Zenovichs, who owned the town, allocated no more than 1 morgue to the villagers. Hence the combination.
According to another version, among the first settlers there were those who, after clearing the site, uprooted stumps and drove turpentine from them - “smar”. These were called “smarogons”.
7 milestones in the history of Smorgon
This Western Belarusian city, located on the Oksna and Gervyatka rivers, has a rich and eventful history, but it has not always spared it from wars and devastation. Thus, during World War I, it was near Smorgon that Russian troops used a gas attack for the first time in history. In 1921, Smorgon had only 154 inhabitants.
1503 – first mention (about the construction of the Church of St. Nicholas the Archangel by Zenovich).
1590 – a paper mill was founded in Smorgon.
1762-1790 – Smorgon was owned by Karol Stanislav Radziwill (Pane Kohanku), who founded the “bear academy”.
1812 (December 5) - Napoleon transfers control of the army to Murat in Smorgon and leaves for Paris. The French are retreating. Within a couple of days, Kutuzov’s headquarters was located here.
1972 - 1976 - optical machine-tool factories, milk powder and a flax plant were put into operation in Smorgon.
2003 – Smorgon celebrated its 500th anniversary.
Land of Oginsky and Bogushevich
The Smorgon land has become the homeland and haven for many wonderful people. Thus, near Smorgon (the village of Zalesye), the composer and diplomat Michal Kleofas Oginsky, who wrote the famous polonaise “Farewell to the Motherland,” lived in his family nest. Oginski Manor (“Northern Athens”) – a must-see tourist routes according to Smorgon.
And in Kushlyany, not far from the regional center, there is the estate of Frantishka Bogushevich, the founder of Belarusian literature. In 2009, a monument to the writer was erected in Smorgon - the only one in Belarus.
Smorgon – hometown for the famous Belarusian poet and prose writer Vladimir Neklyaev.
To experience and understand this city, you must definitely touch the walls of the defensive church of St. Nicholas the Archangel, visit the rock garden and the Winter Garden greenhouse, taste the local bagels and don’t forget about the bears...
The city that saw Napoleon is ready to show tourists many beauties: unique Catholic churches, castles and even the only place in the country where coffee is harvested.
This one is completely small town I saw the most dramatic moments in Napoleon's life. It was here that the French emperor handed over command of the retreating troops to his comrade-in-arms and left for Paris. Smorgon was founded two centuries before those days as a private settlement, which was owned in turn by several large families, among which were the Radziwills. They even once organized a bear academy here, which is reflected on the city’s coat of arms.
The origin of the toponym is dissonant. According to the most common version, “Smorgon” is a derivative of the Baltic “smurgo” - “slob, hack”. In 1842, the city became state property and was almost completely destroyed during the First World War. The line of the Russian-German front passed through it. Smorgon held its defense for more than 800 days, but paid too high a price for it. By the end of the battle, 154 people survived in the city. In those days, a remarkable event happened here. It was near Smorgon that the women’s battalion of death of Maria Bochkareva fought for the only time.
Now a little more than 37 thousand people live in the city. The main attractions, as history has decreed, are located not within the city, but in its immediate surroundings.
The most beautiful church in Belarus
“Little Switzerland” and “Belarusian Notre Dame” - these are the nicknames people gave to the Church of the Holy Trinity in the agricultural town of Gervyaty, which is very close to Smorgon. A number of surveys have shown that this church is considered the most beautiful in the country. And official data shows that he is also one of the three highest. The bell tower ends at 61 meters from the surface of the earth.
This church is not as old as its Smorgon counterpart - St. Michael the Archangel. Construction was completed in 1903, and its distinctive feature is the neo-Gothic style. Actually, until that time there was a small wooden temple here, and it had stood virtually without incident since the middle of the 16th century.
Around the church there is a large landscaped park with rare plants and figures of the apostles. In front of the building itself are several richly carved wooden crosses. The interior decoration matches the external claims.
Witness of eras
This place has seen many events of different centuries; key historical figures stayed here. In Krevo Castle they worked out the Krevo Union, which united Poland with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It was besieged, but the Tatars could not take it, but the Muscovites captured it. The fugitive Russian prince Andrei Kurbsky lived here for a long time.
In the 18th century, the gradual destruction of the castle began. Natural processes were aided by the First World War. Kreva also found himself on the front line. After the Germans captured a village near Smorgon, they placed shelters and observation posts in the castle, which, in turn, were subjected to massive shelling.
From the unique building made of stone and red brick, only ruins have survived to this day. They are an architectural monument and are protected by both the state and several volunteer organizations.
Birth of Polonaise
In another agricultural town - Zalesye - there is a manor, of which there are many throughout Belarus. But this one is notable for the owner's name. Once upon a time, Zalesie was privately owned. The great-nephew of the head of the family once became the sole owner of the estate, but did not attach any special importance to it.
However, years later he took part in the failed Kosciuszko uprising, was captured, but was given an amnesty and decided to take refuge in the territory of the Russian Empire. This is where the land in Zalesye came in handy. He ordered the old estate to be demolished and built a new one, with a stone palace. This revolutionary’s name was Mikhail Oginsky, and he lived on the family estate for more than 8 years, and then lived periodically for another 13.
Historians believe that the famous polonaise was written and performed for the first time within these walls. The composer could almost have been inspired to create it by a huge park with picturesque relief near the river floodplain, cozy chapels, gazebos and a nice water mill.
The estate was restored this decade. A museum and cultural center will soon appear there.
Coffee plantations in Belarus
The winter garden at the local polytechnic lyceum is a place that is not so popular among tourists. It was left after the Smorgon boarding school for orphans. In the late 90s, for psychological relief, they organized a greenhouse. A decade and a half later, it turned into a huge garden covering an area of a thousand hectares! There are even more strange plants here – 2.5 thousand!
The most amazing thing is that this place is not only for beauty, but also for harvest. The lyceum employees boast that they collect coffee by the bucket, kilograms of bananas, and dozens of pomegranates. Lemon trees almost bear fruit all year round. Local residents have a tradition of coming here on their wedding day.
Official excursions in the winter garden are not so frequent, but guests here are treated quite friendly.
What else to see
Church of St. Michael the Archangel – oldest temple cities. It managed to be a monastery not only for Catholics, but also for Orthodox and even Calvinists. He was repeatedly seriously injured, but each time he carefully recovered. Built, according to various sources, between 1503 and 1612.
In the city itself there is a unique rock garden and a monument to the Bear Academy, and several other remarkable places are scattered around the area: a former pagan temple in Krevo (Yuryeva Gora), a monument to soldiers of the First World War in Danyushevo and the Trinity Church in the village of Voistom.
Veniamin Lykov
Project partner
Smorgon is a city of contrasts, where it seems that the Soviet past has left as many traces as the Polish and Lithuanian. Although the Soviet years, when Smorgon residents went to Vilnius just to drink coffee or buy sausages, are often remembered here. With the advent of the visa regime, not everyone can afford such joy for soul and body. Although, it would seem, it’s 87 kilometers to Vilnius from Smorgon, and 110 to Minsk. Feel the difference, as they say.
To understand what it’s like to live in such a provincial city, you need to look around, get used to the environment and communicate with the locals. But if you shorten your shopping time in Vilnius by a couple of hours and, on the way to Minsk, drive into this city and visit the surrounding area, then you can return home with impressions of a Belarus unknown to the capital’s residents.
Why do you need to go to Smorgon if there are ice palaces and Burger King in Minsk? Because all this is not here, but there is something else.
Reason one. Try Smorgon ice cream and see Neklyaev’s portrait in the museum
The Belarusian group “Breaking the Sir Boy” dedicated one of its songs to Smorgon. Specifically, the name of the city is mentioned in the following line: “You are in Smargon, there are fires there.” What exactly the author wanted to say with these words is not worth guessing for him, but I would like to hope that the song added recognition to the city, and thanks to it, there were more tourists in it.
Smorgon is a small city in western Belarus with a population of more than 37 thousand people. The railway and highways in the direction of Vilnius pass through it. A maximum of two hours by car from Minsk - and you are there.
Among the enterprises that operate here are giants: a branch of MTZ, an optical machine tool plant, a feed mill and a silicate concrete plant. Not all of them are experiencing the most promising times, so some Smorgon residents are looking for a better life at construction sites in the Moscow region and at enterprises in Minsk.
A place where, by local standards, it is considered prestigious to get a job is the Austrian company Kronospan, which produces particle boards in Smorgon and also supplies them to Russia.
Today in the center of the city there is a set familiar to the province: the district executive committee (which some call the “white house”), the Honor Board, Lenin, a church, a church, its own GUM and TSUM.
During the Patriotic War of 1812, Napoleon made his last stop before retreating in Smorgon. During the First World War, the city was almost completely destroyed. According to the 1921 census, 154 people lived here.
Residential development in the center of Smorgon, November 2015. According to the Peace of Riga of 1921, Smorgon went to Poland and was part of it until 1939.
The city's coat of arms depicts a brown, clubfooted bear. It’s also on the packaging of local dairy products. Therefore, in almost every grocery store in the area you will see a bear - a symbol of the former glory of Smorgon. But if it seems that at this point the clubfooted people will stop pursuing you, you are mistaken. In this city they are at almost every step, and this is not deja vu: wooden, copper, they stand in courtyards, parks and the regional museum.
The city has been known since 1503 as the possession of the Zenoviches, Radziwills and Przezdeckis. During the time of the Radziwills, there was a bear academy here, where animals were taught to dance. Bears for training were brought from local forests.
The academy was located on the site of the district hospital. There were deep pits with brushwood on which stood cages with copper bottoms. When the brushwood was set on fire, the bottom heated up, and the bears began to dance from the heat that hit their paws. At this time, the trainers were banging on the tambourine. After a few months, the bears were taken out of their cages, and it was enough for them to hear the sound of a tambourine to begin shifting from paw to paw.
District library, November 2015. From spring to early November, bears were taken to fairs in Western Europe and earned money, then returned with them to Smorgon.
Another interesting fact from the history of the city is the local bagels, which once captivated the souls of more than one tourist. Interestingly, it is Smorgon that is considered their homeland. There is a version that the bagels were originally used as a treat for the bears from the academy. In the newspaper "Culture" an article is devoted to bagels from Smorgon. It contains a quote from the work of a historian and ethnographer Adam Kirkor:
— In Smargony, Ashmyanskaya pavet, Vilna province, not all Myashchanskaya villages are busy baking small bagels, or krendzyalkoi, which is a mercenary farmer called Smargonskih abvaranka ў. Skin travel abavyazkova merchant several bundles of these bagels; acres of this, they are transported to Vilnius and other cities.
In the Smorgon Museum of History and Local Lore, November 2015. Despite the fact that in the 30s of the 20th century there were about 60 bagel bakers in Smorgon, today there is a hole left in the city from the bagel image. Because if it weren’t for Wikipedia or the stories of historians, local historians, tour guides and simply caring citizens, who would have known about these steering wheels?
Although the grandmother of the author of this material, who lived in Smorgon, a few years ago on Christmas Eve baked bagels, then soaked them in a syrup of grated poppy seeds, water and a little sugar. The poppy seeds first had to be ground with a masher in cast iron for at least half an hour. The most patient family member was chosen for this task. After kutia and Lenten dishes were eaten, the infused “abaranka” was considered the most long-awaited delicacy.
This dish is still prepared in some families in Smorgon. Of course, bagels are no longer baked, but bought in the store. But it seems that if someone decided to revive the original Smorgon dish, it could again become a symbol of the city and delight tourists.
Unlike the mythical bagels, Smorgon ice cream is gaining unprecedented popularity. Vanilla or chocolate ice cream in a package with a bear already familiar to readers.
Ice cream can be purchased at almost every grocery store. Visitors buy several packs, and some Minsk residents even take the ice cream to their relatives in the capital in cooler bags to try.
Church of the Transfiguration in Smorgon. Those who want to take a break from the bustle of the capital will like the calm and measured life of Smorgon. It’s good to walk past low-rise buildings, look into the park, where you can sometimes find quite modern and not always clear-cut architectural forms (for example, a sculpture with several stone faces), visit a church and an Orthodox temple, which are located about 200 meters from each other .
Sculpture in the park. By the way, the Church of St. Michael the Archangel, a former Calvin congregation, is considered a monument of the 16th-17th centuries. There is a legend that there was once a direct route from the church tombs to Vilnius and Krevo.
Church of St. Michael the Archangel. Curious guests of the city can go to the local history museum, where, with the help of an exhibition, they can consolidate their knowledge about the bear academy, and about the bagels, and about the Radziwills. The museum also includes a portrait of the honorary citizen of the region, poet and former presidential candidate in the 2010 elections, Vladimir Neklyaev.
Portrait of honorary citizen of the city Vladimir Neklyaev in the city museum. The cinema called “Cosmos” in Smorgon was closed several years ago. In its place appeared the Space Cinema Club, where film screenings and discos take place. But film premieres here, unlike in Minsk, are shown late, if at all. Therefore, local youth go to watch them, including at the Rodina cinema in the neighboring town of Molodechno, which is 40 kilometers away from Smorgon.
There are about ten cafes and restaurants in the city. But entertainment and sports facilities local residents lacks. Many young people who have a car go to Molodechno and Minsk for recreation and entertainment.
Capital life and the mass instinct of consumption came to Smorgon along with the Euroopt and Mart Inn supermarket chains. Today, Smorgon residents discuss bargain prices for some goods among themselves and pass on information about discount promotions by word of mouth.
Tourists in Smorgon can stay at a hotel in the city center. It has more than 70 rooms.
The city has seven schools, one gymnasium and a boarding school, also known as . The first plants were planted here in November 1997. The greenhouse contains exhibits of the flora of Africa and America, green inhabitants of the tropics and subtropics, as well as plants of the native temperate zone.
View of GUM. Of course, when you talk about Smorgon, the thought often arises that all the most interesting things in the tourist sense are in the past. Today no one will show dancing bears to city guests, they are unlikely to treat them to “abaranka”, and not every city resident knows about many people who were born or lived in Smorgon. And even if someone knows, they may not want to tell for ideological reasons.
For example, if you walk along one of the central streets of the city called Sovetskaya and ask people who Rostislav Lapitsky Most likely, no one will answer for sure. And this man was a member of the anti-Soviet underground in the Smorgon and Myadel regions in 1948-1949.
Rostislav Lapitsky was shot for his activities, and Smorgon schoolchildren who participated in his anti-Soviet organization were given 25 years in prison.
Before World War II, a significant part of the population of Smorgon were Jews. Among the Smorgon Jews there were several people who glorified their hometown. For example, a poet Abram Sutskever, teacher and writer Aba Gordin, writer and poet Moses Kulbak, Soviet children's writer Yakov Taits, actor Shmuel Rodensky, military leader Benny Marshak.
Reason two. Take a selfie against the background of the ruins of the Krevsky Castle
In the Smorgon region there is the agricultural town of Krevo, where the famous Krevo Castle is located. Interestingly, the village is mentioned in documents in the 13th century, earlier than Smorgon. Today more than 600 people live here.
Ruins of Krevsky Castle, November 2015. Krevsky Castle was built in the 14th century during the time of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. This was the first stone castle in the principality. It was here that the Union of Krevo between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Poland was signed in August 1385. The castle was destroyed several times during sieges and the First World War.
Today all that remains of the castle are ruins. Although conservation of the object began back in 1929 and was periodically returned to it.
As part of the state program “Castles of Belarus,” they also planned to carry out conservation, but the project encountered financial difficulties. Head of the Department for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture Igor Chernyavsky at a press conference on August 13, 2015, that during the formation of the state program it was assumed that events within its framework would take place “a little differently.” But during complex research of objects, nuances appear.
For example, just for the conservation of the former princely tower of the Krevsky Castle, a “significant amount” needs to be spent. Therefore, the funds allocated by the republican budget for this year will be used to complete the project documentation. Most of the work within the first phase will be included in the next year’s budget.
Nevertheless, tourists still have a chance to see the castle ruins before their condition gets worse, and at least take a selfie in front of them.
In addition to the castle, in Krevo there is the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord and the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky.
Reason three. See the ruins of the Holy Transfiguration Church before they disappear
On the road from Smorgon to Krevo there is the village of Novospassk. Here once upon a time Mr. Bukaty, Chairman of the Polish Sejm in Warsaw, founded the Uniate Church. According to various estimates, the temple was built during the time of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 18th century or in 1808.
There is a legend that the master placed a cache in one of the walls for major repairs of the temple in the future.
The temple remained Orthodox until the beginning of the 20th century. During the First World War, the village went to Poland, and the temple was made Catholic. During the fighting, the church was destroyed. After the war, they wanted to restore the temple, but some of the village residents wanted it to be Orthodox, and some - Catholic. As a result, they did not restore it. But today a new Orthodox church has been built next to it.
Reason four. Find out in which interiors Francis Bogushevich himself created
Belarusian poet Francis Bogushevich lived in the village of Kushlyany, Smorgon region. Now his house-museum is located there.
Although the poet was born in the Svirana farm of today's Ostrovets district, Grodno region.
Bogushevich is known for his collections of poems “Belarusian pipe” and “Belarusian tune”.
The estate in Kushlyany was once bought by Bogushevich’s great-great-grandfather, and in 1841 his family moved here for permanent residence.
The region is proud of the fact that the famous poet was involved in the history of Smorgon. In the city park there is also a monument to Bogushevich, and on the wall of one of the houses in the city center there is a quote from him: “Don’t pakidaytse our Belarusian language...”.
Monument to Francis Bogushevich in Smorgon, November 2015. Reason five. See where Mikhail Kleofas Oginsky worked
In the agricultural town of Zalesye, Smorgon region, there is a museum-estate of a diplomat and composer Mikhail Kleofas Oginsky. After restoration it was opened in 2014.
According to one version, it was here that Oginsky wrote the famous polonaise “Farewell to the Motherland.”
Video: Polonaise "Farewell to the Motherland". Piano performance
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But this assumption is erroneous, since the composer wrote the polonaise in 1794, before he moved to Zalesye.
The composer lived in this estate for 20 years, and he inherited it from his uncle Francis Xavier, Lithuanian cook.
Oginsky rebuilt the estate and laid out an English park near it.
At the end of the 30s of the 20th century, the manor and park were purchased by a resident of Warsaw Maria Zhabrovskaya. The estate turned into a summer boarding house.
In 1939-1941 there was a holiday home for Minsk residents. In 1961, a nursing home was organized in the estate. In 1977, it was transferred to the balance of the local enterprise Smorgonsilicate concrete. They wanted to build a sanatorium here. But in the early 90s, the estate became a branch of the Museum of Theater and Musical Culture.
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Smorgon was first mentioned in acts of the 14th century as a town of the Zenovich princes, which served as their residence. But Smorgon gained special, sad fame during the First World War, which today is called still unknown.
"Unknown War"
By 1914, more than 16 thousand people lived in Smorgon. But the Russian-German front line passed through the town, and until 1917 the so-called positional war was waged. In the Smorgon region, 67 concrete pillboxes have been preserved. One of them is located right next to the road and is designated as an excursion site. Another, more thorough one, is in the village of Khodoki.
Tourists coming to Smorgon are told about the heroic 810-day defense of this small town. In September 1915, the retreating Russian units At Smorgon, for the first time during the war, it was possible to stop the enemy. The civilian population was ordered to leave the city within three hours. After fierce battles, Smorgon practically ceased to exist. At the end of the war, only 154 people returned here.
One of the most tragic pages of military events in these places was the use of poisonous gases. Gas attacks were first tested by the Kaiser's soldiers on June 19, 1916, near Zalesye. Soldiers unfamiliar with these terrible weapons died in the thousands. In order to provide medical care to the wounded, a mobile hospital was deployed on the railway tracks near Zalesye, headed by Countess Alexandra Tolstoy, daughter of Leo Tolstoy. But many could not be helped, so up to 1,200 soldiers were buried a day. There were six mass graves in total.
...Today about 40 thousand residents live in Smorgon. This small cozy town perfectly combines antiquity and modernity. On the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War, a memorial dedicated to the events of 1914–1917 was built here.
An excellent addition to the excursion is a visit to the exhibition “Belarus during the First World War” at the Smorgon Museum of History and Local Lore.
Dancing bears
During a tour of Smorgon, guests are told fascinating stories from the past. One of them is about the Smorgon Academy, a bear training school. It became especially widely known under Karol Stanisław Radziwill, nicknamed “Pané Kohanku” (1734–1790). During its heyday, up to 10 bears were trained at the “academy”. Their training lasted about 6 years and was carried out in several stages. At first, young bear cubs were taught to “dance”, for which they were placed in a special cage, the metal bottom of which was heated.
Having taught them to stand on their hind legs and shift from one paw to the other to the sounds of a tambourine and horn, they moved on to the next stage of training: they taught them to fight, bow, etc.
In the spring, the guides, together with the scientific bears, went to work at fairs in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Russia, Hungary, and Germany. In the fall we returned back to Smorgon. Until the 30s of the 20th century, on the territory of Belarus, wandering gypsies with a bear were called “Smargonski vuchytsel z vuchnem.” The fact of the existence of the “Smorgon Academy” formed the basis of the city coat of arms. It is an image on a silver field of a Spanish shield standing on a red lattice on the hind legs of a black bear, in the front paws of which is the Radziwill coat of arms “Trumpets”. Today in the city center you can see a monument to dancing bears...
Famous bagels
Another story is connected with... steering wheels. Smorgon is traditionally considered the birthplace of bagels. This fact was first mentioned by William Pokhlebkin in his cookbooks: “...The homeland of bagels is the city of Smorgon in Belarus, where narrow flagella were first made from choux (boiled) dough and baked from them into scalded dough products.” It is assumed that the bagels were initially used as a “ration” for the students of the Bear Academy and their guides.
In the 19th century, Smorgon bagels became widely known in Belarus and abroad. Adam Kirkor in his work “Picturesque Russia” wrote: “In Smorgon, Oshmyany povet, Vilna province, almost the entire bourgeois population is busy baking small bagels, or pretzels, which are very famous under the name Smorgon boiled eggs. Every passerby will definitely buy several bundles of these bagels; in addition, they are delivered to Vilna and other cities.” Today is the recipe for this delicacy - alas! – lost.
Sacred monuments
Despite its rich past in historical events, Smorgon nevertheless has virtually no major architectural landmarks preserved. The exception is the defensive church in the name of St. Michael, built in the Renaissance style. The walls of the structure are very powerful - from 1.8 to 3 meters in thickness. In 1866 the church turned into a church, in 1921 - again into a church. In 1947, it shared the fate of many sacred buildings and was closed, after which it was used as a store, showroom and a museum. In 1990 it was handed over to believers.
This is what the temple looked like during the First World War
Under the temple itself there is a dungeon, which is the tomb of the Zenovich family. The tomb has not yet been fully explored, but the legends that there are underground passages from it to Vilnius (Vilnius) and Krevo have not been confirmed. In 2003, to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the first mention of Smorgon in historical chronicles, the Church of St. Michael was renovated.
Monument to Bogushevich
In September 2009, the grand opening of a monument to the founder of new Belarusian literature, Frantishk Bogushevich (1840–1900), took place in the Smorgon city park. The ceremony was timed to coincide with the XVI Day of Belarusian Literature. The monument is a 3.6 m high bronze statue of the poet, which rests on a block of light gray granite and a meter-long light gray granite pedestal. There is a bronze plaque on it with Bogushevich’s call to the people: “Don’t give up on our Belarusian language, lest they die.”
Smorgon - beautiful city, located on the banks of the Oksna and Gervyatka rivers, 110 kilometers from Minsk, very close to the Lithuanian border. Excursions to Smorgon are included in many tours for those who choose to holiday in Belarus.
It is quite difficult to say exactly where the name of the city came from. Historians propose a version of the merger of two words “morgue” (a unit of area measurement in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania) and “goni” (arable land) into the expression “with morgue goni” - that is, a land plot the size of a morgue, which peasants received from the prince-owners land. According to another version, in these places there lived people who drove tar -smar, called them “smarogons”, which gave the name to the settlement.
The city was first mentioned in the 15th century as the town of Zenovich, who founded their residence here. Later, the estate and land became the property of the Radziwill princes, to whom Smorgon owes much of the bright pages of its history.
The famous “Smorgon Bear Academy” was founded in the city. She gained wide fame under Karol Radziwill “Pan Kohanku”, at that time 10 bears were trained at the academy. For this reason, wandering gypsies with a bear were often called “Smorgon teacher and student.” It is no coincidence that the city’s coat of arms depicts a black bear standing on its hind legs with the Radziwill coat of arms “Pipes” in its paws.
Due to its convenient location, Smorgon was often used by conquerors as a headquarters or headquarters. Moscow also stayed here Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, and the Swedish king Charles 12, and Napoleon, and Kutuzov.
During the liberation uprising of 1830-1831, Smorgon became one of the centers of the struggle. Here rebel regiments were formed under the leadership of the owner of Smorgon, Count Przezdetsky. However, for participation in the uprising, the land was taken away from the count and transferred to the state.
During the First World War, the city was destroyed, its restoration took years.
The visiting card of the city is the Church of St. Michael the Archangel in Smorgon. Built in the 16th century as a Calvinist gathering by the city owner Christoph Zenovich, the temple after some time was given to Catholics, in 1866 to Orthodox, then again to Catholics. During Soviet times, there was a store and a museum in the temple. In 1990, the church was given to believers. Legends say that under the temple there is a tomb of the Zenovich family and a system underground passages, leading to Vilna and Kreva.
Surprisingly, Smorgon is the birthplace of bagels. It is believed that bagels were originally intended for training bears, but over time they spread throughout Belarus and beyond.
In addition to the traditional monument to Lenin, you can see the monument to F. Bogushevich, the famous Belarusian writer. The monument was erected for the Day of Writing. A very unusual monument from 1928 to the 10th anniversary of Polish independence in Smorgon has survived to this day. It will also be interesting to look at the monument erected for the 500th anniversary of the city, on which there is an image of the coat of arms.
A visit to Smorgon will be remembered for a long time by a tourist who prefers excursions around Belarus - many stories and legends, sights and old monuments will not leave anyone indifferent.
