Welcome to Belarus!: Vileyka city of Minsk region Belarus.

Coat of arms
of the city of Vileika.

The city of Vileika, located in the Minsk region, is one of the small Belarusian towns with a long and difficult history and, despite its size, many interesting places that are attractive to an attentive tourist.

The city is located about 100 km northwest of Minsk on the banks of the Viliya River, a tributary of the Neman.

History

The first mentions of Vileika in the annals date back to the 15th century, but it is known that a settlement at this place existed even earlier. In particular, many mounds remained from the Slavic cultures of the 9th-12th centuries. In the X-XIII centuries, this area belonged to the Polotsk principality, in the XIV-XVII - to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. After the 2nd division of the Commonwealth, Vileika became part of the Russian Empire (1793).

In 1795. the city became the center of the Vileika district, in 1845 - the Vileika province. At the beginning of the 19th century, Vileyka suffered serious damage: in 1810. there was a severe fire, in 1812. the city suffered during the war. Following these events, an orderly urban development plan was drawn up and the city was rebuilt over the course of a century.

During the First World War and after it Vileyka changed hands several times: in 1915. the city was occupied by German troops, but was soon recaptured by the Russian army; in 1917. Soviet power came to Vileika, in 1918. the city was again occupied by German troops, in 1919 by Polish ones. From 1921 to 1939. Vileika belonged to Poland.

During the Great Patriotic War, the city, like the whole of Belarus, had to endure many difficult trials and tragedies. Vileika was occupied by German troops on June 25, 1941. In the Vileika district, the fascists killed more than 15 thousand people, burned five villages along with the inhabitants. In Vileika, Jewish ghettos were organized and mass executions of Jews took place on a regular basis - these events are known as the Vileika Holocaust. The city was liberated on July 2, 1944.

sights

In the city itself, on its central square, there are two churches nearby, the main attractions of the city. The Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is a Catholic church built in 1906-1913. in the neo-Gothic style, it is a three-aisled basilica with a high tower. The Church of the Venerable Mary of Egypt is an Orthodox church built in 1865 in the "Old Russian" style. It is noteworthy that this church has never been closed. The proximity of these two temples is interesting and gives the square and the whole city a personality.

In the local history museum of the city, you can get acquainted with the history and culture of the Vileika region from antiquity to the present day. There are many monuments, sculptures and memorials in the city.

The 43rd communications center of the Russian Navy "Vileika", which is also the radio station "Antey", which provides communication of the main headquarters of the Russian Navy with nuclear submarines, can be considered an original attraction located 7 km from the city. It is difficult to get close, but from a distance, it is quite possible to admire the 300-meter antennas.

One of the main advantages of the Vileika district is its nature. Near Vileika there is the Vileika reservoir - the largest man-made lake in Belarus, its length is 27 km, width - 3 km. The construction of the reservoir was started in 1968. to provide Minsk with sufficient water. Now the reservoir and the Viliya river are popular places for fishing, various sports, and recreation among locals and tourists.