The city of Smorgon is the center of the eponymous region of the Grodno region of Belorussia. It is located on the river called Oksna, which is the left tributary of the river called Vilia, as well as her tributary, the river called the Hervity.
It is located 110 kilometers from Minsk and 260 kilometers from Grono. About 37,000 people live on its territory. This number includes not only Belarusians, but also Poles, Russians, Ukrainians, as well as many other nationalities.
History Smorgon
The very first mention of the place called Smargon was in the documents of the Wielian Diocese. At that moment, the territory of the city was owned by Prince Zenovichi. In 1533, the first Calvinist Cathedral was founded in the city, and the first school, hospital and paper manufactory were built on 1590. What, find out here.
In the 17th century, the territory goes to the ownership of Radzirlova, who creates a school for the training of bears, which was called the "Smorgon Academy". In 1795, the city is part of the Russian Empire.
Through the territory modern City Napoleonic troops retreat in 1812. City status was assigned to Nikolai second in 1904. During the 1st World War, the city was completely destroyed, only in the period 1960-1980 in Smorgon was built a large number of largest industrial enterprises.
How best to get to Smorgon
Transportation of goods and passengers fully executes the branch of the "Car Park at number 17". From the bus station, located in Smorgon, 7 international routes are sent (Minsk, Komarovo, Baranovichi, Svir, Grodno, Molodechno), as well as 33 suburban. Also through the city runs the route from the post in Grodno. In addition, 12 routes work in Smorgon public transport: 3 express routes, as well as 9 regular messages.
Prices in Smorgon.
It is impossible to say that in the city Smorgon there is too much stores or shopping centers. Trading in this city is based on the same level as in all Belarus. In addition, it is impossible to say that prices here are noticeably different from other cities. In principle, we can safely say that in any of the Belarusian cities there are no prices very different from each other. In the whole country, prices are held at a single level.
The same can be said about the prices of rooms in numerous hotels and hotels. That is why you can safely choose any hotel or hotel, only on the basis of the location of them in the city center.
What interesting places can be found in Smorgon
On the territory of the modern city, Smorgon is a church named after St. Michael Archangel. This church was built even during the Renaissance era. In the thickness of the wall of the church hesitate from 1.8 to 3 meters. It was built back in 1552. And in 1866, the church became the church, and back to the church was turned into 1921. In 1947, the church was closed, and then he was turned first to the store, then showroomAnd after - in the museum. Only in 1990, the church returned to the ownership of believers.
By the church is located the dungeon, which since sincerversion is considered the tomb of the Zenovich family. Since the tomb was not yet investigated, legends live that there are a large number of strokes in the dungeon until Krieva and Vilnius. In 2003, cosmetic repairs were held above the church, thanks to which he acquired an attractive appearance. Despite the fact that the city has a long history, here very little preserved historical attractions.
Nature and climate
The bulk of the territory in the area is located on the Narachant-Wileska Nisina. And its southern part is located on the Oshmyan hill. The highest place in the area is the city called Millidavskaya, the height here is about 320 meters. There is a large number of minerals in the city: peat, sands for construction, sandy and gravel material, loam, and clay.
In January month average temperature It is about 6.2 degrees below zero, and July it is about 18 degrees above zero. During the year of the city, about 6 hundred millimeters of precipitation falls. In addition, the territory of the entire area takes place not only the river itself called Vilia, but also a large number of her tributaries.
About 38 percent of all territories of the city are occupied by forests. The city also created a biological reserve called Dubatovskoye, as well as local biological lakes blue.
Photo Smorgon.
For the first time, Smargon is mentioned in the acts of the XIV century as the place of the princes of Senovich, who served as a residence. But Special, the sad fame, Smorgon acquired during the First World War, which is also called the unknown today.
"Unknown War"
By 1914, more than 16 thousand people lived in Smorgon. But through the place was the line of the Russian-German front, and until 1917, the so-called positional war was carried out. In Smorgon district, 67 concrete dollars have been preserved. One of them is right at the road and indicated as a sightseeing object. Another, more solid, is in the village of Waloka.
Tourists coming to Smargon, talk about the heroic 810-day defense of this small town. In September 1915, the receding Russian parts of Smorgon was for the first time during the war, the opponent was able to stop. The civilian population was prescribed to leave the city for three hours. After the fierce fighting, Smargon almost ceased to exist. At the end of the war, only 154 people returned here.
One of the most tragic pages of military events in the local places was the use of poisonous gases. For the first time, gas attacks were tested by Kaiserovsky soldiers on June 19, 1916 not far from Vesa . Soldiers unfamiliar with this terrible weapon, gibbles thousands. In order to render wounded medical careThe mobile hospital, who headed the Countess Alexander Tolstaya, the daughter of Lion Tolstoy was unfolded on the railway tracks. But many could not help, so the day was buried to 1,200 soldiers. There were only six fraternal graves.
... Today, about 40 thousand inhabitants live in Smorgon. In this small cozy town, older and modernity are perfectly combined. To the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the First World War, a memorial was built here on the events of 1914-1917.
An excellent complement to the excursion is to visit the exhibition "Belarus during the First World War" in the Smorgon Historical Museum.
Dancing bears
During the excursion in Smorgon, guests are told by fascinating stories from the past. One of them is about the "Smorgon Academy" - the school training of bears. She received particularly broad fame under Carol Stanislav Radziwill on the nicknamed "Pan Kohank" (1734-1790). During the heyday in the Academy, up to 10 bears were trained. Their training lasted for about 6 years and was carried out in several stages. Initially, young cubs were taught to "dance", for which they were placed in a special cell, the metal bottom was heated.
After king them to stand on the hind legs and shift from one paw to another under the sounds of the tambourine and the horn, they moved to the next stage of training: they were taught to fight, bowed, etc.
In the spring guide, along with scientists, bears were sent to earnings in the Fair Fair Comparishment, Russia, Hungary, Germany. In the fall returned back to Smargon. Up to the 30s of the 20th century, in the territory of Belarus, the stray gypsies with a bear was called "Smargonskі checkels of coming." The fact of the existence of the "Smorgon Academy" lay down the basis of the urban coat of arms. It is an image on a silver field of the Spanish shield standing on a red lattice on the back paws of a black bear, in the front paws of which the emblem Radzivils "Pipes". Today in the center of the city you can see a monument to a dancing bears ...
Famous Baranci
Another story is connected with ... Barancas. Smorgon traditionally considered the birthday ram. For the first time, this fact mentions William Pokhlebkin in their culinary books: "... the birthplace of the Baranok is the city of Smorgon in Belarus, where narrow flavored tester began to make narrow flagellas and bake the ribs (products from a wellled dough" from them). It is assumed that the initially Baranki was used as a "soldering" for the pupils of the "Bear Academy" and their guides.
In the XIX century, Smorgon Baranki was widely known in Belarus and beyond. Adam Kirkor in his work "Picturesque Russia" wrote: "In Smorgon, Oshmyansky Tetage, the Vilen province, almost all the Meshchang people are engaged in baking small bagels, or strontaners who are greatly fame called Smorgon Obrailed. Each passage will definitely buy several ligaments of these bagels; In addition, they are delivered to wine and other cities. " Today the recipe of this delicacy is alas! - Lyard.
Sacral monuments
Despite the rich historical events of the past, in Smorgon, nevertheless, large architectural attractions are practically not preserved. The exception is a 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 church, in 1921 - again to the church. In 1947, he divided the fate of many sacred structures and was closed, after which it was used as a store, an exhibition hall and a museum. In 1990, he was transferred to believers.
Thus looked the temple during the First World War
Under the temple itself is a dungeon, which is the tomb of the Zenovich family. The tomb was still not fully investigated, but the legends that there are underground moves to Wilni (Vilnius) and Krevo, were not confirmed. In 2003, to the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the first mention of Smorgon in the historical chronicles, the Church of St. Michael was renovated.
Monument to Bogushevichu
In September 2009, the solemn opening of the monument to the founder of the new Belarusian literature Frantik Bogushevich (1840-1900) took place in Smorgon's City Park. The ceremony was timed to the XVI Day of Belarusian writing. The monument is a bronze irrigate poet with a height of 3.6 m, which relies on the block of light gray granite and the meter light gray granite pedestal. It contains a bronze plate with the call of Bogushevich to the people: "Do not Pakіdaitsa Mova, our Belarusian, not ўmurlі."
Smorgon - beautiful city, spreading on the shores of the rivers Oxny and Swimeth, 110 kilometers from Minsk, quite close to the Lithuanian border. Excursions to Smargon are included in many rounds for choosing holidays in Belarus.
To say exactly where the city name comes from is quite difficult. Historians offer a version of the merger of the two words "Morg" (a unit of measurement of the area in the Grand Duch of Lithuanian) and "Goni" (arable land) in the expression "with morgue" - that is, the land put on the size of the morgue, which received peasants from the princes-owners Earth. According to another version, in places of these these people lived, who challenged the Dellow -Smar, called them - "Smarogons", which gave the name of the settlement.
For the first time, the city is mentioned in the 15th century as the place of Zenovich, who founded their residence here. Later, the estate and land passed to the property of the princes of Radziwilles, which Smorgon is largely owned by the bright pages of its history.
The city was founded by the famous "Smorgon Medvezhya Academy". She received wide fame with Carol Radziwill "Pan Kohank", while 10 bears were trained at the Academy. For this reason, the stray gypsies with a bear was often called "Smorgon Teacher with a Student". It is no coincidence on the coat of arms of the city, a black bear with Radziwilovsky coat of arms "Pipe" in the paws is depicted on the back paws.
Thanks to its convenient location, Smorgon was often used by conquerors as a headquarters or bet. Moskovsky stopped here king Alexey Mikhailovich, and Swedish King Karl 12, and Napoleon, and Kutuzov.
During the liberation uprising of the 1830-1831, Smorgon became one of the centers of struggle. Here were formed by the rebel shelves under the leadership of the owner of Smorgon's Count Pszedatsky. However, for participation in the uprising land, the count was selected and transferred to the state.
During World War I, the city was destroyed, his restoration was stretched by year.
Business card of the city - Church of St. Michael Archangel in Smorgon. Built in the 16th century as the Calvinist collection of the city owner Christoph Senovich, the temple was given to Catholics after a while, in 1866 - Orthodox, then again Catholics. In Soviet times, there was a shop and museum in the temple. In 1990, the church was given to believers. Legends say that under the temple is the tomb of the Zenovich family and the system underground strokesleading to Wilna and Kreva.
No matter how surprisingly, but Smorgon is the birthplace of the ram. It is believed that initially the Baranki was intended for trainee bears, but over time they spread throughout Belarus and beyond.
In addition to the traditional monument, Lenin can see the monument to F. Bogushevich, a famous Belarusian writer. The monument was set by the day of writing. Quite unusual monument In 1928, the Day of the 10th anniversary of Poland's independence in Smorgon was able to reach this day. It will also be interesting to look at the monument set to the 500th anniversary of the city, on which the image of the coat of arms is.
A visit to Smorgon will be remembered for a tourist who prefers excursions in Belarus - many stories and legends, attractions and old monuments will not leave anyone indifferent.
Make a photo with a bear, to nourish ice cream and climb on the military memorial. We tell why Smargon was called " dead city"And why should you come there at least once.
1. Visit the Renaissance Monument, rarity for Belarus
The monuments of the Renaissance era in Belarus can be counted on the fingers. And the church of St. Michael Archangel in Smorgon is the most famous among them.
After the reformation came to the Belarusian lands in the XVI century, the new temples were practically cut: most often, more ancient Catholic churches were reworked under Protestant fees. But the church of St. Michael in Smorgon is an exception. He was originally built precisely as a Calvinian fee (Calvinism was the most common reform flow in ON). Donator Temple - Kristof Zenovich, prominent State Worker of his time.
But the Protestants of the Temple served not long. The Catholic Church in the middle of the XVII century finally returned to the lost positions and the collection in Smorgon became a church. The church and today Catholic - he belongs to the monastic order of the Salesians. And about his Protestant past reminds only a discreet decor of interiors.
2. Find out the military history of the "Dead City"
The first world city was desperately defended from the German army. For those who held here in 1915, the fierce fights Smorgon are often compared with Stalingrad. The hell was here then: among the soldiers, she even went to the saying - "who under Smargon did not see, did not see the war." After 810-day defense, the city was empty. The newspapers of that time were painted by his "dead city".
Here, on the eastern front of the First World War, Future writers Mikhail Zoshchenko and Valentin Kataev fought. And in the lodge, under Smargon, the youngest daughter of Lion Tolstoy - Alexander Tolstaya was keen.
History " dead city»Empocheted in the memorial complex of memory of the heroes and the victims of the First World War, is open here in 2014.
3. Make a photo with a bear in the "Bear Academy"
"Medvezhya Academy" compactly settled in the city park Yes, yes, you did not hear. There was such an educational institution in Smorgon in the XVII - XIX centuries. "Medvezhya" in this case is not allegory, at the Academy "studied" bears. The most real. Bears in Smorgon were trained for various fun. Quadallic students could do the most complex tricks - to bow, dance, march, look in the mirror.
A special heyday academy in Smorgon reached in the XVIII century, with Karol Stanislav Radziwill Pan Kohank. The very thing is that in Nesvizh in the summer rode. On roads from salt. That is still merry and balagen. The pupils of the Smorgon "Academy" were known far beyond incl. The trained smorgon bears could be found at Prussia fairs, Schlesvail, Bavaria and Alsace.
True, the methods of training and learning in the institution would not approve Greenpeace. But Academician Pavlov, perhaps would appreciate. In the place of the current district hospital, deep pits were tied with a twiety, on which there were cells with a copper bed. When the twig was fired in the pits, the bottom was heated, and the bears from the heat began to dance. Trains at this time were knocked in a tambourine. After a few months, the "training" of the bears from the cells produced. After such training, the animals have always started shutting up from the paws on the paw, barely having saunas the sound of the tambourine.
Great photo It turns out if you try to climb straight into the paws in a cast-iron Mishke. For this you need to be hung, but it is worth it. On the picture: Alfred Micus
Today, bears in Smorgon, of course, do not train: the school finally ceased to exist in 1870. But in the stone, the academy melted relatively recently - in 2013.
4. Try Smorgon Saw
The Bear Academy in Smorgon is no longer there, and the bearish glory remained. In addition to sculptures in the park, the installation with the bear is in the local local history museum, the bear is banging on the coat of arms of the city and ... on a package with local ice cream.
Photo: Evgenia Chaykina But if Smorgon's swomber is packed at least in a gray unbelled container, he would surely use no less popular. So it is delicious and natural. The good old Soviet GOST guarantees the lack of chemical additives and attack of nostalgia in those who were born until the 1990s.
Ice cream can be bought in almost any grocery store in Smorgon and back in several nearby cities. In Minsk and other areas, this divine delicacy is not found. So coming to the right Or grab a pack-other in a refrigerator bag.
Today, Smorgon is famous for the crew, and in the XVII-XIX centuries, the culinary "chip" of the city was the Baranki. By the way, initially these delicacies were intended for bears - sweet tooths. And they were not rings, and sticks. And only after time, the recipe adapted for people. Baranki "rounded" and in the dough began to add poppy, honey and koror. In sources you can meet different name Smorgon delicacy: Abwaranki, Smargonki, and (our favorite name) - Abarzhanki.
5. Walking in the garden of stones
Stone faces in Smorgon are not about the hospitality of Smorgonians, no. We are talking about a stone slab with bas-reliefs in the form of female faces.
This and other advanced sculptures appeared in central Park Cities not so long ago, on time of the player of young sculptors. Artists for a month were opened outdoors to cope with such a complex natural material as a stone. The result is impressive. And let some sculpture are abstract and conditional, the result of creative gusts is unusually organically fits into the urban environment.
The Central Park opens a great view of the Savior Transfiguration Church Here, in the Central Park, a monument to Frantiseku Bogushevich is a poet, one of the founders of the new Belarusian literature. If you have time, visit the manor Bogushevichi in Kushlans - I spent the poet last years Life. It is restored and perfectly transfers the atmosphere of the end of the XIX century. And in Smorgon district, Krevo village is located, with the ruins of an old castle. It was here that in 1385, Vitovt and Yagailo signed Krevian Ulya. The one that served as the beginning of the unification of Belarusian lands with Poland.
To get acquainted with Smargon, as well as look into the estate of Oginsky, and see the 5 unique chokes of Grodneschina, within the framework of the excursion route "Ostrovetskaya Armenia", contacting one of Belarus's travel companies.
Editorial Site Thanks the National Tourism Agency for the opportunity to get acquainted with Monuments of Smorgon.
The city of Smorgon Grodno region is by no means bear corner on the map of Belarus. In the district center lives more than 37 thousand people. But the history of the city is tightly connected with bears ...
Slava "Smorgon Academy"
In the XVII-XVIII centuries, the famous "Medvezhya Academy" was worked in Smorgon - a school for the training of bears. Kosolapi pupils from Smorgon sweat the people not only at the fairs on, but also in Europe. Found a bear school Radziwilli, who owned the city. And the bear brought from the surrounding forests.
There is a version that successful bears fed the rams that were baked in the city for two centuries. Moreover, Smargon call birthday ram.
The training school of bears was closed in the 1870s, but I managed to bring Smorgon's fame. The "Smorgon Academy" squeezed in the poem of the Belarusian classic classic Rygor Borodulin, and the townspeople in 2014 established a sculptural composition in honor of the bearish school.
The black bear occupies a central place on the coat of arms of Smorgon, established in 2004. The bear stands on the hind legs and keeps the coat of arms of Radziwilles in his paws.
On the origin of the city name
There is a lot of interpretations of toponym "Smorgon". According to one of them, the name of the city happened from the combination "with the morgue of the drive." In the distant past, "Morgami" measured land areas (1 morgue - 0.7 hectares), and "Gon" called arable land. There is information that Zenovichi, who owned the place, highlighted the village of the Earth no more than 1 morgue. Hence the combination.
According to another version, among the first settlers there were those who, after clearing the site, the stumps and drove the Skipidar - "Smar" after clearing. Such called "Smarogons".
7 milestones in the history of Smorgon
This West Belorussian city standing on the rivers of Oxna and Hervity, rich and rich history, but not always sparing him from wars and devastation. So, during the I world, the Russian troops applied a gas-ballon attack for the first time in history. In 1921, Smorgon numbered only 154 inhabitants.
1503 - the first mention (about the construction of Saint-Church of St. Nicholas Archangel).
1590 - In Smorgon, founded a paper factory.
1762-1790 - Smorgon owned Karol Stanislav Radzivill (Pan Kohank), who founded the "Bear Academy".
1812 (December 5) - Napoleon transfers to Smorgon Management of the army Murata and leaves for Paris. The French are retreating. After a couple of days, the Kutuzov rate was located here.
1972 - 1976 - In Smorgon, the plants of optical machine-tooling, dry milk and flanery were commissioned.
2003 - Smorgon celebrated the 500th anniversary.
Earth of Oginsky and Bogushevich
Smorgon earth has become a birthplace and a pier for many wonderful people. So, under Smargon (village lodge), a composer lived in his family nest and a diplomat Michal Cleafas Ohinsky, who wrote the famous polonais "Farewell to the Motherland". Oginsky Manor ("Northern Athens") - Mandatory item tourist routes in Smorgon.
And in the Kushlans, not far from the district center, there is a manor Frantka Bogushevich, the Rodonarchist of Belarusian literature. In 2009, a monument to the writer was established in Smorgon - the only one in Belarus.
Smorgon - native city For the famous Belorussian poet and Prosaika Vladimir Neklyaeva.
To feel and understand this city, it is necessary to touch the walls of the defensive church of Nikolai Archangel, visit the garden of stones and a greenhouse "Winter Garden", to taste local rams and not forget about bears ...
