Berazino

Berazino ( _be. Беразіно́), or Berezino ( _ru. Березино́), also known as Biarezan (Бярэзань), is a town on the River Berezina in the Minsk Province of Belarus. The population is 13,300 (1998 census).

History

Although there are no documented points to determine the original founding date of the settelement on the territory of the present Berazino, it is believed that it originated as a trading post on the River Berezina which was part of the historic route "from Varyags to Greeks" of the Kievan Rus. The first chronicles of a settlement date to 1501 which is believed to be the present date of its founding.

During the middle of the 16th century, the city belonged to one of the mightiest dynasties of the Great Duchy of Lithuania - the Sapieha Family, who controlled many other territories in Central Belarus. In 1641 the Duke Kazimierz Leon Sapieha built a wooden Catholic Church which became one of the central attractions of the town. In the course of the Russo-Polish War (1654–1667) the city was captured by Russian-Cossack forces in 1655, but was taken off them and in 1661 became part of the Minsk Voivodeship.

During the Northern War in 1708 upon Charles XII's attempt to storm into the Rzecz Pospolita, releasing the Russian/Rzecz Pospolita blockade in neighbouring Barysaw the Swedish king used Berazino to cross the Berezina River instead, however the conquest ended with the Battle of Poltava further south.

In 1793 the town was annexed by Imperial Russia as part of the Second Partition of Poland. There are different versions of who owned the town after Sapieha Family. The most logical version by berezino.net is that Sapieha owned the town until partition took place in 1793 and Berezino was granted by emperess Ekaterina II to Ludwik Tyszkiewicz. From him Berezino estate went to his daughter Anna Tyszkiewicz (married 1st time Potocka, 2nd time Wasowicz.) Anna Tyszkiewicz-Potocka-Wasowicz should be remembered in Berezino particularry well since she rejuiced the Roman-Catholic Church in 1803 and built the Palace well before 1850. She tried to enterprise Berezino region by starting a carpet factory in Horenichi village, but the investment didn't survive for long. The town was under French/Polish command in 1812 during Napoleon's Eastern Campaign where his failed advance on Moscow was defeated fully by the forces of General Barclay de Tolly in early 1813. The town was in Potocki family possession well until 1917, when Bolshevik revolution took place.

During the later half of the 19th century the town profited from its geographical position and in 1897 was noted to have 4871 residents, from which 3377 were Jews. By the start of the First World War it became a large river port which loaded goods (mostly salt and timber) and shipped down the rivert to the Baltic Ports. Also the liquor and alcohol industry began to be developed including the Pototsky wine fabric. It is considered the brilliant investment by Potocki family - this is the most profitable enterprise in town to our days, which fills much of the town budget and tax revenues.

In aftermath of the Russian Revolution of 1917 the town changed hands several times including German and Polish armies during the Russian Civil War and the Polish-Bolshevik War. Finally on June 7, 1920 Berazino becomes part of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. From June 17 1924 as a separate raion centre in the Barysaw District and in June 1927 - Minsk District. Finally the town grows and on 15 February 1938 becomes part of the Mogilev Province. During the time mass industrialisation took place and the position of the river port allowed a development of shipbuilding, wheel, textile and spirit factories as well as smaller workshops on automobiles and wood fabrics. The population also rose from 2,968 in 1930 to 4,800 in 1939.

During World War II the city was occupied by Nazi Germany, who changed the town appearance completely by killing all Jews, and was liberated by the 2nd Byelorussian Front on 3rd of July 1944 during operation "Bagration". In September of that year the town becomes part of the Berazino raion of Minsk Province, and on July 7th, 1968 became a city. Presentely the town occupies an area of 1.9 thousand square kilometres and its population is 13.3 thousand people (1998).

Modern Berazino

Industry

All of the Berazino's products are sold abroad and in Belarus the most notable production plants are:
*"Crystal" raw alcohol and wine materials
*"Madikor" construction material fabric
* Timber production plant "Berezinsky leskhoz"
* Dairy plant "Berezinsky Syrodelny Zavod" with famous cheeses and bifidum bacteria drinks
* Textile fabric "Berzka"In addition there a few more fabrics including mineral water bottling, several bakeries and smaller local fabrics.

Education and culture

The city has three schools one of which has a speciality on future pegagogical training. In addition there is what is known as a Centre of intellectual development, formally a school with speciality on Physics and Mathematics, the centre specialises on raising youth talent and helps to point the youth to correct future higher education in main urban centres of Belarus.

The central house of culture is the main point which also groups 22 rural points. There are in total 32 libraries, arts and music schools

In the town were born personalities as the physicist Alexandr Borisovich and the Israeli Hebrew actress Hanna Rovina .

Health and welfare

The city has a central hostpital with additional 4 local clinics and 26 rural health centres. Presentely there are 55 doctors and 243 nurses employed. Leisurewise the city has 22 sports halls, 10 football grounds, two stadiums, three archeries and one pool. Many famous sportsmen are native of Berazino including Georgy Zhukovsky Belarusian champion and part of the nation team for waterpolo, Nikolay Khokol world champion for rowing, and Valentina Sakhonchik multiple champion of the USSR for velosports.

Attractions

In total there are 110 memorials compromising of sculptures, monuments and plaques. 68 buildings are deemed as architectural heritage including the famous House of Duke Pototsky, which is very much neglected by the government. A few decades more and without restoration services the building will surelly collapse. The original wooden Roman-Catholic Church founded by L. Sapieha in 1641, and upgraded by countess Anna Potocka-Wasowicz in 1802 burnt down in a huge town fire in 1914.Berazino region have got huge hunting and fishing resources.

External links

* [http://berezino.net Unofficial page of Berezino Town - full source of the city (pics, religions, history, culture)]
* [http://berezino.by.com/index.html City Portal]
* [http://www.radzima.org/pub/miesta.php?lang=en&miesta_id1=mebibiar Photos on Radzima.org]
*Shtetls of Belarus. [http://www.jewishgen.org/belarus/shtetls/shtetl_detail.php?filename=sberezinobm Berezino, Borisov uyezd, Minsk gubernia. Also known as Berezin]