Monuments and historical places of Smorgon. Sports and Tourism Sector

Smorgon - beautiful city located on the banks of the Oksna and Gervyatka rivers, 110 kilometers from Minsk, not far from the Lithuanian border. Excursions to Smorgon are included in many tours for those who have chosen rest in Belarus.

It is rather difficult to say exactly where the name of the city came from. Historians offer a version of the merger of the two words "morgue" (a unit of area measurement in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania) and "drive" (arable land) into the expression "drive from the morgue" - that is, a land plot the size of a morgue, which the peasants received from the princes-owners land. According to another version, in these places 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 Zenovichi, who founded their residence here. Later, the estate and land passed into the ownership of the Radziwills princes, to whom Smorgon owes much of the bright pages of its history.

The famous Smorgon Bear Academy was founded in the city. She became widely known under Karol Radziwill "Pan Kohanka", while 10 bears were trained at the academy. For this reason, wandering gypsies with a bear were often called "Smorgon teacher with a 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 "Trumpets" in its paws.

Due to its convenient location, Smorgon was often used by the conquerors as a headquarters or headquarters. The Moscow Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, and the Swedish king Karl 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 Pshezdetsky. However, for participation in the uprising, the land was taken from the count and transferred to the state.

During the First World War, the city was destroyed, and 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 collection by the owner of the city, Christoph Zenovich, the temple was given over to the Catholics after a while, in 1866 - to the Orthodox, then again to the Catholics. In Soviet times, there was a shop and a museum in the temple. In 1990 the church was given to the believers. Legends say that under the temple are the tomb of the Zenovich family and a system of underground passages leading to Vilna and Kreva.

Surprisingly, Smorgon is the birthplace of the bagels. It is believed that initially the steering wheels were intended for trained 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 in 1928 to the 10th anniversary of Poland's 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, which has the 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.

The city of Smorgon is the center of the eponymous district of the Grodno region of Belarus. It is located on a river called Oksna, which is a left tributary of a river called Viliya, as well as its tributary, a river called Gervyatka.

It is located 110 kilometers from Minsk and 260 kilometers from Grondo. 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 of Smorgon

The very first mention of a place called Smorgon was in the documents of the Vileika diocese. At that moment, the territory of the city was owned by the Zenovich princes. In 1533, the first Calvinist cathedral was founded in the city, and in 1590 the first school, hospital and paper mill were built. What, find out here.

In the 17th century, the territory became the property of Radzillov, who created here a school for training bears, which was called the "Smorgon Academy". In 1795 the city became part of the Russian Empire.

Through the territory modern city Napoleonic troops retreated in 1812. The city status was awarded by Nicholas II in 1904. During the 1st World War, the city was completely destroyed, only in the period 1960-1980 a large number of the largest industrial enterprises were built in Smorgon.

How best to get to Smorgon

The carriage of goods and passengers is fully carried out by the branch of "Car Park No. 17". From the bus station located in Smorgon there are 7 international routes (to Minsk, Komarovo, Baranovichi, Svir, Grodno, Molodechno), as well as 33 suburban routes. Also, a route from Pastava to Grodno runs through the city. In addition, there are 12 routes in Smorgon. public transport: 3 express routes and 9 regular connections.

Prices in Smorgon

This is not to say that there are too many shops in the city of Smorgon or shopping centers... Trade in this city is basically at the same level as in the whole of Belarus. In addition, it cannot be said that prices here differ markedly from other cities. In principle, we can safely say that in none of the Belarusian cities there are very different prices. Throughout the country, prices are kept at one, specific level.

The same can be said for room prices in numerous hotels and inns. That is why you can safely choose any hotel or hotel you like, only based on their location in the city center.

What interesting places can you see in Smorgon

The Church of St. Michael the Archangel is located on the territory of the modern city of Smorgon. This church was built during the Renaissance. The thickness of the walls of the church ranges from 1.8 to 3 meters. It was built back in 1552. And in 1866 the church became a church, and was turned back into a church in 1921. In 1947, the church was closed, and then it was turned first into a shop, then into an exhibition hall, and then into a museum. Only in 1990, the church was returned to the ownership of believers.

Under the church there is a dungeon, which since ancient times has been considered the tomb of the Zenovich family. Since the tomb has not yet been explored, there are legends that there are a large number of underground passages up to Krev and Vilnius. In 2003, the church was redecorated, thanks to which it acquired an attractive appearance... Despite the fact that the city has a long history, there are very few historical sites preserved here.

Nature and climate

The main part of the territory in the region is located on the Narachansko-Vileika lowland. And its southern part is located on the Oshmyany Upland. The highest place in the region is the city called Milidavskaya, the height here is about 320 meters. The city has a large number of minerals: peat, sands for construction, sand and gravel material, loam, and clay.

In the month of January average temperature is about 6.2 degrees below zero, and in the month of July it is about 18 degrees above zero. During the year, about 6 hundred millimeters of precipitation falls on the territory of the city. In addition, not only the river Viliya itself flows through the territory of the entire region, but also a large number of its tributaries.

About 38 percent of all areas of the city are covered by forests. A biological reserve called Dubatovskoe has also been created in the city area, as well as biological lakes Golubye of local importance.

Smorgon Photos

REVIEW 1. List the common features of military-political alliances. 2. What are their differences? Military-political alliances on the eve of World War I Entente of 1907 England, France, Russia, and 30 other countries Triple Alliance 1882 Germany, Austria-Hungary Italy.

The 100th anniversary of the beginning of one of the bloodiest and largest armed conflicts in the history of mankind, the First World War, lies ahead. It is already known that the main events dedicated to this event will be held in Smorgon. And it is no coincidence. It was this corner of the Grodno land that was one of the epicenters of the past, it was here that the Great War (as it was called in the interwar period) left one of those traces that will never be erased from the people's memory. However, despite numerous losses, Smorgon survived, did not submit to the enemy ... LET'S LEARN ABOUT THE FEATS OF PEOPLE IN SMORGON. OUR TODAY'S LESSON IS DEDICATED TO THIS.

SMORGON: BACKGROUND In the First World War, the front line passed literally through Smorgon. Local chronicler of history Vladimir Nikolaevich Liguta says: “Smorgon was the only city on the front from the Baltic to the Black Seas, which was defended by the Russian army for so long and stubbornly 810 days in the First world war... "Yakov Matveevich Liguta (right)

The city of Smorgon is located in the north-west of Belarus within the Narochan-Vileika plain, two kilometers southwest river Viliya. From September 1915 to February 1918, the line of the Russian-German front passed through Smorgon. As a result of positional battles, the 16,000-strong city turned into ruins. After 810 days of defense, it practically ceased to exist. The newspapers of that time called it "the dead city". The first gas-cylinder attack of the Russian army was carried out in the Smorgon region on September 56, 1916. Composer Herman Blume wrote the Smorgon March in memory of the battles near Smorgon.

Formed in Russia in 1917, the Women's Death Battalions took part in hostilities only once, in July 1917, near the village of Krevo, near Smorgon, the "First Women's Military Command for the Death of Maria Bochkareva" staunchly repulsed the attacks of the Germans who had launched a counterattack. In the battles of Smorgon took part: the future Marshal Soviet Union and the Minister of Defense of the USSR, machine gunner of the 256th Elisavetgrad regiment Rodion Malinovsky, the future Marshal of the Soviet Union Boris Shaposhnikov and Alexandra Tolstaya (daughter of Leo Tolstoy), as well as the staff captain of the 16th Mingrelian grenadier regiment Mikhail Zoshchenko (world famous satirist). Tens of thousands of soldiers and officers gave their lives defending their homeland, hundreds of unknown and 847 by name heroes of Smorgon became the Knights of St. George in those battles. Several documentaries by domestic and foreign directors have been filmed about that terrible time.

THE MOST TRAGIC PAGES OF THE HISTORY OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR GAS ATTACKS. The first gas attack on the territory of Belarus was undertaken by them on the night of June 20, 1916 in the area of ​​the city of Smorgon on the front sector occupied by the 253rd Perekopsky and 254th Nikolaevsky infantry regiments of the 64th infantry division of the 26th army corps.

READ THE MEMORIES OF OBSERVERS ABOUT GAS ATTACKS AND THINK: WHAT IS DANGEROUS THIS MEANS OF WAR? From the memoirs of Leo Tolstoy's daughter Alexandra (she was in charge of the front-line hospital in Zalesye): “We came to a deep low dugout along the narrow communication routes. It was possible to enter it only by bending over. The general was sitting at a table covered with papers. He informed me in confidence that our army was preparing for an offensive before dawn. Asked me about the medical staff, the number of ambulances, the hospital. We waited tensely. At two o'clock in the morning, we noticed that, bursting, German shells were releasing yellow smoke. It was spread across the ravine, and the smell of chlorine emanated from it. Masks! Put on your masks! Half an hour passed. The shells, filled with gas, continued to explode in a thick yellowish fog. Something smelled like cherries, brothers! Potassium cyanide! Again this terrible animal fear! Jaws trembled, teeth chattered ... "

Local historian Vladimir Liguta, the events of July 1916: “... - On July 2, at 3:15 am, German artillery opened hurricane fire on the trenches of the first and second lines, along the communication routes, on the artillery positions of the 64th brigade and along the entire rear, including chemical projectiles. A few minutes later the Germans released the first cloud of bluish gases. Gases escaped from the cylinders with a strong hiss. As soon as the cloud was noticed, the signalmen played a prearranged signal on the horns, the soldiers rushed to their places, put on masks and prepared for battle. Immediately after the first, a second wave of gases, more dense, with a height of 6-8 meters, was already approaching the forward trenches. Behind the gas cloud there was a smoke screen, and behind it four lines of German infantry appeared ... In 1.5 hours of attack, the gas penetrated to a depth of 19 km and inflicted great damage on the troops of the 26th corps. 40 officers and 2,076 soldiers were poisoned. The carts carried away the blackened bodies of the dead, the ambulances were overflowing with the poisoned. The fallen were buried in mass graves in the villages of Belaya and Zalesye ... Almost to Molodechno, the forest and fields beyond Smorgon stretched like lifeless yellow strips ... "

READ AN EXTRACT INTERVIEW WITH LOCAL HISTORIAN VLADIMIR LIGUTA AND ANSWER QUESTIONS Smorgon in the First World War is sometimes compared to Stalingrad during the Great Patriotic War. What unites these cities and should they be placed side by side? Smorgon is similar to Stalingrad in the degree of destruction and fury of the autumn battles of 1915. But as for the duration of the confrontation, here Smorgon is better to correlate with the besieged Leningrad during the Great Patriotic War. On Smorgon land, the Russian army stubbornly resisted the enemy for 810 days! Here is what I read in the memoirs of the German officers who were captured: “How so? The Russians surrendered Brest, Grodno, Vilnius, and in this small town they are fighting to death ... " to this day. It turns out that really "whoever was not near Smorgon did not see the war"? This saying is a tragic soldier's folklore. So it was said about other terrifying places of that war. However, there is certainly a reason in these words. The battles for Smorgon were very terrible. Our military received the order: “Fight to the death! No step back! Russia is behind us. " On one day alone, September 25, 1915, 5.5 thousand Germans and 3.5 thousand Russian soldiers of the guards regiments were killed. In violation of all orders, an armistice was concluded to collect the dead and wounded from the battlefield near the river Viliya. Smorgon will then be called “ dead city": It will be completely destroyed and burned. After the war, out of 16 thousand inhabitants, only 130 people will return here ... And who are the heroes of Smorgon? I adhere to the point of view that the heroes are those who fought the enemy in Smorgon. And the enemy was the Germans. The Russian imperial army, faithful to the oath and military duty, stood to death on the Belarusian soil, holding the front until 1917, thinking about Victory. Already known are the names of 838 soldiers, non-commissioned officers, officers and generals of the Russian army, St. George's cavaliers, awarded for their exploits in battles near Lake Vishnevo, Smorgon and Krevo in years.

FEMALE DEATH BATTALIONS The Provisional Government formed the first women's death battalion on June 19, 1917. No other army in the world has ever known such a female military formation. The initiator of their creation was the serviceman Maria Bochkareva. June 21, 1917 on the square near St. Isaac's Cathedral took place solemn ceremony presentation of a new military unit of the banner with the inscription "The first female military command of the death of Maria Bochkareva." The Military Council on June 29 approved the regulation "On the formation of military units from women volunteers." The main goal was considered to have a patriotic influence on male soldiers through the direct participation of women in hostilities. As M. Bochkareva herself wrote, “the soldiers in this great war tired and they need help ... morally. " In the women's battalions, strict discipline was established: getting up at five in the morning, classes until ten in the evening, and a simple soldier's food. The women were shaved bald. Black shoulder straps with a red stripe and an emblem in the form of a skull and two crossed bones symbolized "unwillingness to live if Russia dies"

FEMALE DEATH BATTALIONS On June 27, 1917, a 200-man "death battalion" arrived in the active army. And he was sent to the rear units of the 1st Siberian Army Corps of the 10th Army of the Western Front. The women's battalion, commanded by M. Bochkareva, was stationed in the area of ​​the town of Molodechno, near Smorgon. In the offensive battles near Smorgon, the battalion suffered serious losses in killed and wounded. M. Bochkareva herself was severely shell-shocked. Perhaps, given the sad fate of this battalion, a special commission for the reduction of staff in the army expressed in August 1917 to the chief of staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief its negative attitude towards female formations.
The reports said that "Bochkareva's detachment behaved heroically in battle," it became clear that female military units could not become an effective combat force. After the battle, 200 women soldiers remained in the ranks. The losses were 30 killed and 70 wounded. M. Bochkareva was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant, and later to lieutenant. In January 1918, the women's battalions were formally disbanded, but many of their members continued to serve in parts of the White Guard armies. Maria Bochkareva herself took an active part in the White movement. On behalf of General Kornilov, she went to the United States to ask for help in the fight against the Bolsheviks. On her return to Russia on November 10, 1919, M. Bochkareva met with Admiral Kolchak. And on his behalf, she formed a female sanitary detachment of 200 people. In November 1919, after the capture of Omsk by the Red Army, she was arrested and shot.

FORGOTTEN WAR ... FORGOTTEN HEROES ... Hundreds of thousands of documents from this terrible First World War are gathering dust in the archives. More than 35 states were involved in this war, the war was fought in Europe and Asia. On the oceans and seas, ships were sunk, including peaceful ones, on which there were no military. The terrible war claimed many millions of human lives. Smorgon stood to death, as there was an order “Not a step back! Fight to the death! Russia is behind us! " This order was received by 582 officers, 24 thousand guardsmen and 1100 cavalrymen. Add to this 90 machine gun crews, 145 artillery pieces and 5 airplanes. These forces were deployed to stop the advance of the German war machine. And the Russian army coped with its task. The enemy did not pass. Smorgon defended for 810 days. It was the "Stalingrad" of the First World War!

1. Ludendorff, E. My military memories of the war of 1914–1918: in 2 volumes / E. Ludendorff. - T. 1. - M., Soviet military encyclopedia: in 8 volumes [Ch. ed. A.A. Grechko]. - T. 2. –M., Military Publishing, Ludendorff, E. My memories of the war of 1914-1918. / E. Ludendorff. - M .; Minsk, Russian State Military Historical Archive (RGVIA). - Fund - Op. 1. - D RGVIA. - Fund - Op. 1. - D RGVIA. - Fund - Op. 1. - D RGVIA. - Fund - Op. 1. - D Liguta, V.N. At Smorgon, under the sign of St. George / V.N. Liguta. - Minsk: V. Khursik Publishing House, De-Lazari, A.N. Chemical weapons on the fronts of the world war 1914-1918 / A.N. De Lazari. - M., Kersnovsky, A. History of the Russian army: 1881-1916. / A. Kersnovsky. - Smolensk, Rusich, 2004.

Take a photo with a bear, eat ice cream, and shut up at the war memorial. We will tell you why Smorgon was called “the dead city” and why it is worth coming there at least once.

1. Visit the Renaissance monument, a rarity for Belarus

The monuments of the Renaissance era in Belarus can be counted on one hand. And the Church of St. Michael the Archangel in Smorgon is the most famous among them.

After the reformation came to the Belarusian lands in the 16th century, new churches were practically not built: more often, more ancient Catholic churches were converted for Protestant fees. But the Church of St. Michael in Smorgon is an exception. It was originally built exactly as a Calvinist collection (Calvinism was the most widespread reformational trend in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania). The donor of the church, Krishtof Zenovich, a prominent statesman of his time, was also a Calvinist.

But the temple did not serve the Protestants for long. Catholic Church in the middle of the 17th century, it finally regained its lost positions and the gathering in Smorgon became a church. The temple is still Catholic today - it belongs to the Salesian monastic order. And only the restrained decor of the interiors reminds of its Protestant past.

2. Learn the military history of the "dead city"

In World War I, the city fiercely defended itself from the German army. For the fierce battles that took place here in 1915, Smorgon is often compared to Stalingrad. There was also heat here: among the soldiers of those years there was even a saying - "Whoever has not been near Smorgon has not seen the war." After 810 days of defense, the city was deserted. The newspapers of the time dubbed it "the dead city".

Here, on the Eastern Front of the First World War, the future writers Mikhail Zoshchenko and Valentin Kataev fought. And in Zalesye, near Smorgon, Leo Tolstoy's youngest daughter, Alexandra Tolstaya, was nursing the wounded.

The history of the "dead city" is immortalized in the Memorial Complex in memory of the heroes and victims of the First World War, opened here in 2014.

3. Take a photo with a bear at the bear academy

Yes, you heard right. There was such an educational institution in Smorgon in the XVII - XIX centuries... "Bearish" in this case is not an allegory, bears "studied" at the academy. The most that neither is real. Smorgon bears were trained for various fun. Four-legged students could perform the most difficult tricks - bowing, dancing, marching, looking in the mirror.

The academy in Smorgon reached a special flourishing in the 18th century, under Karol Stanislav Radziwill Pan Kohanku. The same one that in Nesvizh in the summer rode a sleigh. On roads made of salt. He was still a merry fellow and a joker. The pupils of the Smorgon "academy" were known far beyond the boundaries of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Trained Smorgon bears could be found at fairs in Prussia, Schleswig, Bavaria and Alsace.

True, the methods of training and education in the institution would not be approved by Greenpeace. But Academician Pavlov would probably appreciate it. On the site of the current regional hospital, deep pits with brushwood were dug, on which cages with a copper bottom stood. When brushwood was set on fire in the pits, the bottom heated up, and the bears began to dance from the heat. Trainers at this time knocked on a tambourine. After several months of "training", the bears were released from their cages. After such training, the animals always began to shift from paw to paw, as soon as they heard the sound of a tambourine.

Today, of course, bears are not trained in Smorgon: the educational institution finally ceased to exist back in 1870. But the academy was glorified in stone relatively recently - in 2013.

4. Try Smorgon ice cream

The bear academy in Smorgon no longer exists, but the bearish glory remains. In addition to the sculpture in the park, there is an installation with a bear in the local museum of local lore, the bear flaunts on the city's coat of arms and ... on packaging with local ice cream.

But had the Smorgon ice cream been packaged even in a gray nondescript container, it would certainly have enjoyed no less popularity. It is so delicious and natural. The good old Soviet GOST guarantees the absence of chemical additives and a fit of nostalgia for those born before the 1990s.

Ice cream can be bought at almost any grocery store in Smorgon and in several other nearby towns. This divine delicacy cannot be found in Minsk and other regions. So eat up for good. Or grab a pack or two in your cooler bag.

Today Smorgon is famous for its ice-cream, and in the 17th-19th centuries the bagels were the culinary specialty of the city. By the way, initially these delicacies were intended for bears with a sweet tooth. And they were not rings, but sticks. And only after a lapse of time, the recipe was adapted for people. The bagels were "rounded" and poppy, honey and Cahors were added to the dough. The sources can be found different name Smorgon delicacies: abvaranki, smargonki, and (our favorite name) - abarzhankі.

5. Take a walk in the rock garden

Stone faces in Smorgon are not about the hospitality of the people of Smorgon, no. We are talking about a stone slab with bas-reliefs in the form of women's faces.

This and other amusing sculptures appeared in central park the city not so long ago, at the time of the plein air of young sculptors. For a month, artists worked in the open air to cope with such a complex natural material as stone. The bottom line is impressive. And even though some of the statues are abstract and conventional, the result of creative impulses fits unusually organically into the urban environment.

Here, in the central park, there is a monument to Frantisek Bogushevich - the poet, one of the founders of the new Belarusian literature. If you have time, visit the Bogushevichs' Estate in Kushlyany - here the poet spent last years life. It has been restored and perfectly conveys the atmosphere of the late 19th century. And also in the Smorgon region is the village of Krevo, with the ruins of an ancient castle. It was here in 1385 that Vitovt and Jagailo signed the Kreva Union. The one that served as the beginning of the unification of the Belarusian lands with Poland.

You can get acquainted with Smorgon, as well as look into the Oginsky estate in Zalesye and see 5 unique churches in Grodno region within excursion route"Ostrovets Around the World" by contacting one of the travel companies in Belarus.

The editors of the site are grateful to the National Agency for Tourism for the opportunity to get acquainted with the monuments of Smorgon.

What is Smorgon? Regional center in Belarus. You may have heard of it if you were interested in the history of wars.
In the harsh 1812, Napoleon, retreating from Moscow, still pretended to be the commander of the army, temporarily failing. After spending the night in Smorgon, he spat on the remnants of his army, shook its ashes from his feet and with a small escort rushed to Paris with all the speed that his carriage was capable of.
In the no less severe 1915 Smorgon became the center of hostilities of the 1st World War. All of its residents were ordered to leave the city within 3 hours, and for three years it became a frontline.
I was in Smorgon for the first time and was pleasantly surprised to find there a lot of interesting things to see and not only. By "not only" I mean delicious Smorgon ice cream. If you happen to come through this town, be sure to go to the store proudly calling itself GUM and buy a nondescript plastic cup of vanilla ice cream. The taste is like in the days of the USSR. No margarine or palm oil flavors, pure cow cream and a little sugar. An incomparable delicacy!

Why is Smorgon family? And because at the entrance to the center of the Belarusian town of Smorgon, you are greeted by the registry office with painted doves:

Like, did you fly, doves? Please sign the document!
At the same time, all conditions have been created for lovers. Here's a kissing bench for you, pzhalsta:

Above the bench there are a couple of doves cooing about love:


If it's incomprehensible in a pigeon's way, here's a translation carved in stone:

Immediately behind the bench is an openwork bridge, especially for those who want to hang a lock (that's really some idiot invented!). The bridge is adorable:

And only after all the procedures, you can proceed to what the waiting lady hints at, again carved in stone. Like, she managed to turn to stone, but you still don’t go!

Although if you go to reverse direction, you get the reverse sequence of actions. But still you will not pass the registry office!
Rovnenko opposite the registry office is a church. Although a remake, but very beautiful:

Do you want to get married? You don't have to go far, everything is at the service of the spouses.
Ah, are you Catholics? Sure, sir, there is a church across the river. Archangel Michael.


But before we approach the church, pay attention to the summer amphitheater. How interestingly it is built: a stage on one side of the river, and seats for spectators on the other. Artists can perform boldly. Even if the audience wants to beat them, they will not dash across the river!

Now the church is closer. It is very old, built in 1606-1612.


From the outside, the temple has corners, but from the inside it seems round. There are no supporting pillars in it, therefore the impression of space and light. The depth of the windows shows how thick the walls are.


For what I love Catholic churches - there are always beautiful flower gardens near them:


The most elegant man in Smorgon is Christ, standing near the church:

The church is dedicated to the Archangel Michael, who is here also standing side by side, dressed in a luxurious skirt, sparkling with bare knees and trampling on the unfortunate little devil. Strangely enough, he holds the sword behind his head, as if he is going to demolish half his head.

Okay, that's his tough choice.

A memorable feature of Smorgon is the abundance of stones. On main square stone with the coat of arms of the city:


There are several pieces near the bridge:

It was kind of like a shell. But on the next stone, we disagreed: either a cactus, or a hedgehog, or a turtle:

The rest did not even try to guess:

There are a lot of similar boulders with images in the city park across the river:

Poet Francishak Bogushevich is also worth leaning against a huge stone. Stands with a stern frown. Probably, he is unhappy that the schoolchildren are walking in the park, instead of cramming his poems from the collections "Dudka Belarusian" and "Smyk Belarusian".

The memorial sign of the bear academy is also carved in stone:


Nearby is a cute sculptural group depicting an academy pet:


It would be funny if you do not know with what harsh methods the bears were taught to dance in the once famous Smorgon "bear academy". They dug a hole, kindled a fire, put a copper sheet on top and drove a bear onto it. The bear began to raise his legs one by one to save the heels from the heat. The owners were beating a tambourine at this time. After a couple of such sessions, the bear developed a reflex. Hearing a tambourine, he immediately began to shift and jump, as if dancing. The owners took him to the bazaars, showing bear dances for money.

When I saw this beast, at first it seemed that a new bear was being taken to the academy for training:


Here is such a pretty town Smorgon in Belarus.
The main street is decorated with pre-revolutionary houses, where shops were usually located:


On the main square, of course, there is a monument to the soldiers of the Patriotic War:

Vladimir Ilyich leaned forward on a tall pedestal, looking at how the people live there without his precepts.

Yes, somehow he is doing well.
So don't forget to try the local ice cream!