Sights of Belarus, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America

Sights of Belarus, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America

"To travel is to live," said the classic of children's literature, Hans Christian Andersen. And we agree with him: new impressions, unforgettable emotions, cool photos - it’s easy to dilute a series of gray everyday life with bright colors, the main thing is not to put it off until later.

We have prepared for you a small list of places of interest in Belarus, the United Kingdom and the United States, which are definitely worth a visit.

Belarus is a country with an ancient history and rich traditions; with magnificent nature and amazing architecture, which combines the heritage of Western European and Eastern Slavic traditions of architecture. Belarus is famous for its forests and lakes – it is not without reason that it is called the “lungs of Europe”. Belarus is wide bright avenues and narrow cobbled streets, Catholic churches and Orthodox cathedrals, majestic castles and wooden huts in the villages, hearty and delicious national cuisine.

The National Library

The National Library is a visiting card of Belarus. Today it is not only the richest collection of books, but also a huge multifunctional center, where high technologies, cutting-edge design and unusual architecture are combined.

The main library of the country was founded in 1922 at the Belarusian State University and was named the Belarusian State and University Library.

The shape of a faceted diamond symbolizes the value of knowledge and the infinity of the cognizable world.

The collection of the "diamond of knowledge" is about 9 million copies on various media. These are printed publications, manuscripts, microcopies of documents, electronic and other materials created in Belarus and other countries of the world in more than 80 languages.

The library offers a variety of educational excursions.

The total area of the building is 113,669 sq. m, which is a quarter of the area of the Vatican. The weight of the building is 140 thousand tons, which is about 14 times more than the Eiffel Tower (with books and equipment - about 270 thousand tons).

The new automated library system and software provides users with many convenient options for example automated system for delivering books from the depository using telelifts (the highest speed for delivering books in the world is 20 minutes).

Trinity Suburb

Trinity Suburb is a picturesque old quarter on the banks of the Svisloch River in the center of Minsk. Its cozy streets and houses painted in delicate colors with tiled roofs have become a kind of symbol of Minsk, imprinted on souvenirs and sweets.

The Troitskaya mountain settlement arose in the 12th-13th centuries on a hill near the Svisloch River. According to various versions, the name comes from the ancient Trinity Church, founded by the Grand Duke Jagiello.

In ancient times, the suburb was a trading center where the roads from Vilna, Polotsk, Smolensk, Mogilev crossed, and since the end of the 16th century, the largest trading platform of the city, the Trinity Market, was located here.

Today, many houses of the Trinity Suburb are house museums, antique and souvenir shops, coffee houses and restaurants, and art galleries.

Trinity Suburb is a tourist "pearl" of the city, where you can see what old Minsk looked like, get acquainted with the cultural heritage.

In the Trinity Suburb you will see interesting sculptures dedicated to famous personalities, for example, the artist Yazep Drozdovich, the poet Maxim Bogdanovich.

Belovezhskaya Pushcha

Belovezhskaya Pushcha is one of the most important sights of Belarus. These are the remains of a primeval forest that once stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Bug River and from the Oder to the Dnieper.

The first written mention of Belovezhskaya Pushcha dates back to 983.

At the end of the 14th century, the Grand Duke of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Jagiello, declared the forest a protected area and imposed a ban on hunting here. In 1588, the Forest Charter was issued, which also prohibited logging here.

In the protected forests of this park, 900 species of plants grow and 250 species of animals and birds live, including rare species.

Braslav Lakes

Hundreds of picturesque lakes, pristine nature and unusual relief of the Ice Age made the Braslav region one of the most beautiful parts of Belarus.

In 1995, the Braslav Lakes National Park was created on the unique natural territory of the Belarusian Poozerie.

The largest lake region of Belarus - the Braslav Poozerie - is famous for the landscapes and relief that the ancient glacier left here.

The main wealth is about 300 lakes and reservoirs - different in shape, area, depth, composition and transparency of water, diversity of flora and fauna. For their extraordinary beauty, they are called the "blue necklace" of Belarus.

Relic invertebrates live in the Braslav lakes, which testify to the purity of the water. More than 30 species of fish are found here. About 35% of birds nesting in Belarus are concentrated on the territory of the Braslav region.

The Nesvizh palace

The Nesvizh palace and park complex with diverse architecture and the largest landscape park is the most beautiful place in Belarus and one of the most popular sights of the country.

Probably every resident of Nesvizh knows this legend: what kind of castle is without a ghost. Radziwills - the surname in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and in Poland was far from the last. They had castles and possessions in nine countries. And, of course, men of this kind dreamed of a royal crown. But only a woman could put it on: Barbara Radziwill. She secretly married the Grand Duke of Lithuania Sigismund August, and for both it was the second marriage. And soon Sigismund also became the ruler of Poland. But the monarch could only recognize his Basenka as queen only two years later. This was especially opposed by his mother, the Italian Bona Sforza, who saw herself as the co-ruler of her son. Barbara was still crowned, but she stayed in this capacity for exactly a year, after which she died suddenly. They say the mother-in-law poisoned her. The frustrated Sigismund wanted to return his dead wife in every possible way.

And then the legend begins, which, most likely, has nothing to do with real history. There were alchemists who promised the king to call the spirit of Barbara with the help of a mirror. There was one condition - the monarch should not touch the ghost. The seance, according to legend, began successfully, but at the decisive moment Sigismund could not restrain himself. He ran up to Basenka and wanted to hug her. The spell was broken, and since then the ghost of a lady in black, mourning clothes has been wandering around the Nesvizh castle. It is said that even the Germans feared ghosts during the war. And the Black Lady comes for a reason: she warns of danger. She was last seen in 2002, just before the fire in the castle.