Why is Braslav located in this place? Open left menu Braslav

Ancient city of Br A Slav is picturesquely located among lakes and forests. Perhaps it can be considered the historical capital of this quiet region, although the city is smaller or only about 10 thousand people live in it. The atmosphere of the city is enhanced by both its historical appearance and natural surroundings, thanks to which Braslav has become, in a way, the resort capital of Belarus. Despite its small size, I have enough material about this city for two stories.

Andrey and I spent a good half day in Braslav, arriving in the city in the morning from the village where we spent the night, and in the evening leaving Braslav in a north-easterly direction.

Map with localization of photographs by their numbers in this story:

2. Just ten kilometers, or 15 minutes by bus from Akhremovtsy, and we are in the city. The bus station in Braslav is new, and brand new - unlike the thoroughly Soviet bus stations in other regional centers visited on this trip. Having handed over our backpacks to the storage room, we set off for a walk around the city.

3. In Braslav you can immediately feel the proximity of the border. There are an unusually large number of cars with Latvian license plates driving along the streets, and buses routinely depart from the bus station to Daugavpils - it is only 45 kilometers away, and 15 kilometers from the border. By the way, the Braslav district also borders Lithuania.

Braslav is one of the oldest cities in Belarus. It was founded in 1065 (that is, two years earlier than the first mention of Minsk), and initially bore the name Bryachislavl - in honor of the Polotsk prince Bryachislav Izyaslavich, and over time this name was transformed to its current form. There was even a castle in Braslav (but we will examine its place in the second part), the city came to the Russian Empire in 1795 (according to the third partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth) and was part of the Kovno province (the center of which was present-day Kaunas), being a town within the Novoaleksandrovsky district (its center was the city of Novoaleksandrovsk - now Zarasai in Lithuania). And now, as already mentioned, it is an ordinary regional center and the “resort capital” of the country. By the way, Braslav is also one of the northernmost Belarusian cities (only Verhnedvinsk is further north).

4. Gagarin Street - the southern edge of the city and part of the highway to Daugavpils. The bus station goes straight to it. Railway in Braslav no (but this was not always the case, and we will learn about this in the second part).

5. Nearby is Lake Drivyaty (not to be confused with Drisvyaty, which is in the same area), near the shore of which the city is located. There is a sandy beach with a relaxation area, but the water was a little cloudy from the August bloom.

The Braslav region is famous for its lakes and clean air, and therefore is popular as a place for recreation and fishing - there are many recreation centers and sanatoriums in the vicinity. The local landscapes with pine forests, hills and many lakes reminded me of the southern part of the Pskov region, or the Valdai Upland in the Novgorod region. However, these landscapes have the same geological origin - thanks to the glacier.

6. Near the lake there is a small alley paved with cobblestones. The inscription "Braslav" is visible on the hillside.

7. And here there is a hypertrophied stool:

8. And the sculpture of the Golden Fish, donated to the city by college students in the village of Vidzy, Braslav region. And don't ask why it's not actually gold.

I was, however, more confused by the sign under the sculpture: it is not clear, firstly, why a gift for compatriots should be signed by English language, and secondly, why is Vidzy written with the letter W and not V.

9. From the bus station we head to the city streets. They are cozy and in some places surrounded by greenery, which maintains a resort atmosphere. Here I sometimes remembered St. Petersburg resort villages on the Gulf of Finland - for example, Repino and Komarovo.

10. The gymnasium is in the process of renovation. I regret that I didn’t take a closer look at the panel on the wall.

11. Mass grave of soldiers who died in the battles for Braslav during the Great Patriotic War. The city was under Nazi occupation from June 27, 1941, and was liberated on July 6, 1944 during the Siauliai offensive operation.

12. Nearby there is a reminder that this region was part of Poland in 1920-39. A small block of houses for officials (I saw a very similar one in), built in the 1920s according to the design of the architect Juliusz Klos. And yes, this is another shot from the “find the cat” series.

13. This house is especially decorated with thickets:

14. And this one looks more modest:

15. Another Polish house is now occupied by the police:

16. And this is the entrance to a Soviet two-story building in the same block:

17. A well with an unusual wooden canopy has also been preserved from Polish times:

18. Although gas is installed in the houses, some people still use stoves. Pay attention to the round woodpile - this is how firewood is typically stacked in these parts.

19. From here it’s a stone’s throw to the small but main square of the city. On the left you can see the district executive committee - the building was also built “behind the Polish hour”, like the eldership of the Braslav povet (that is, in fact, the purpose has not changed). On the right you can see the silver Lenin.

21. And a children's library. It’s hard to say how old the building is - it’s been spoiled too much by modern materials.

22. Handwritten sign at the bus stop!

23. There are many pine trees in the Braslav landscape. Sometimes quite bizarre in shape.

24. This is Sovetskaya Street, which, cunningly bending, runs through the city from west to east. There is another Polish house in the frame.

26. And handwritten posters. Where would we be without them?

27. And in this wooden house there is a local history museum, which we also visited, but later.

28. Slow life, small houses. The main part of the city's development is a diverse private sector. And it must be said that it is difficult to single out any clearly defined center in Braslav. By the way, on the left you can see a house occupied by some kind of Protestant church.

29. Soon we came to the city cemetery:

30. Graves are found from different times. And the inscriptions on the slabs are in both Russian and Belarusian.

31. And this is the Muslim grave of the Lithuanian Tatars. There are also those - descendants of mercenaries from the Golden Horde who served in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. There was even one interesting thing, like Belarusian Arabic writing.

32. Also here, as in Glubokoe, there is a mass grave of Polish soldiers who died near Braslav in 1920.

33. Across the road there is another mass military grave. Now Russian soldiers who died here in the First World War.

34. However, there are Polish “civilian” graves here too:

35. And this, apparently, is the crypt of some famous people:

36. Behind the trees is another clearly Polish building, and another example of paving stones. Now it is a children's creativity house.

37. And again a handwritten poster. I'm afraid to think why in children's creativity wrench(which, by the way, cannot be the same on both sides, as in the picture).

And let's stop there for now. From this place you can get to the late Soviet five-story microdistrict, from which I will begin the second part. And from there we will head to the main historical place of the city - Castle Hill and the temples standing next to it.

The city of Braslav is one of the most ancient in Belarus. Travelers interested in history and the cultural heritage of their ancestors will find a huge number of interesting places here. The attractions of Braslav attract with their unique architecture, elegant beauty of monuments and the awe with which local residents treat everything around them.

The origin of the Castle Hill fort dates back to 1065. Prince of Polotsk Bryachislav Izyaslavovich erected a fortress on this site, which served as a guard during enemy attacks. Found on site ancient city fishing tackle, battle axes, spindle whorls, iron scoops, and powder flasks gave a vivid idea of ​​the life of people many centuries ago.

As part of the state program, the buildings and fragments of the castle are being reconstructed. The forest lake Drevyaty is located nearby.

If you don’t know what to see in Braslav, be sure to go on an excursion to Castle Hill, where the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary is located. Previously, there was a Catholic church on this site, which was destroyed during a strong fire. The church was reconstructed several times. The neo-Norman style, which was taken as the basis for the construction of the attraction, combined the mosaic technique of laying a stone facade, a three-tier bell tower and a gable roof. The interior is decorated with icons, among which the icon of the Mother of God of Braslav especially stands out.

At the church there is a monastic monastery, which is more than 60 years old. Since 2000, pilgrims from all over the country have been welcomed here.

An unusual building, shaped like an ark, can be found not far from the church. Every year in this place in August the coronation of the Mother of God takes place. At this time, the number of parishioners reaches more than a thousand people. A wide stone staircase leads to the ark. When darkness falls, the lighting of the crucifix is ​​turned on.

Braslav is a small town in the Vitebsk region of Belarus, the administrative center of the Braslav district. The main architectural landmark of the city of Braslav is the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, built here in 1824. Later in 1897, the church in the city of Braslav was expanded, very significantly rebuilt in the neo-Romanesque style and became what it can be seen today. It was the new building of this church that was consecrated in honor of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. In 1950, the church was closed by the Soviet authorities and converted into a granary, but already in 1953, believers were able to achieve the return of the church to the parish. However, services in the temple resumed only in 1967, after a thorough repair and restoration of the Braslav church. Since then, the temple has never been closed again and has gone through several more stages of restoration work. As a result, today the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in the city of Braslav is a functioning church that is in excellent condition.

The church in the city of Braslav is built of natural stone and unplastered brick. An interesting architectural feature of the temple is that the space between the large stones is filled not just with lime mortar, but is lined with small fragments of stones that form various patterns. Externally, the result resembles a mosaic. This element of church decor is now called “Braslav mosaic”. Moreover, this technique was implemented differently on those parts of the temple walls that were erected in 1824 and in 1897. Therefore, even in our time, the border between the old and the old is clearly visible. new parts Church in the city of Braslav.

In the church in the city of Braslav there is a functioning organ, which is considered one of the best in the entire region. This organ was created at the beginning of the 20th century in Krakow. The sound of the organ and the acoustics of the temple itself leave an unforgettable impression, and local residents are rightfully proud of this musical instrument. However, the main feature of the church in Braslav is that the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Braslav, widely revered by Christians of various denominations, is kept here.

The Mother of God of Braslav is also considered the patroness of the famous Braslav lakes and the entire Braslav region, and for this reason the miraculous image is also known as the “Icon of the Mother of God Queen of Lakes”. Another name for this icon, which is least common, is “Icon of the Mother of God of the Monastery.” This name is connected with the fact that until the beginning of the 19th century this icon was kept in a Uniate monastery located on an island formed on one of the local lakes. However, in 1832 there was a fire in the monastery. All the monastery buildings were completely burned down, only the icon survived. After this, the icon of the Mother of God was transferred to the church in the city of Braslav. Nowadays, the icon is located in a central place in the main wooden altar of the temple. By the way, this altar was created in 1974.

The church and icon in Braslav have been attracting many travelers and pilgrims to these places for several centuries. However, at the beginning of the 21st century, on the basis of the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in the city of Braslav, a regional sanctuary was additionally formed. In addition, in 2009, the icon of the Mother of God of Braslav was crowned with papal crowns. The Braslav icon became the first crowned icon in the Vitebsk region and the seventh in Belarus. These events emphasized the special status of the church and icon for Belarusian Catholics and provoked an additional flow of tourists and pilgrims from different countries to the city of Braslav. Thus, the church in the city of Braslav is undoubtedly a valuable architectural, historical and cultural monument of the 19th century, as well as an important landmark of Belarus. Well, the icon of the Mother of God Queen of the Lakes is an important historical and cultural value and a religious relic.

There are many other attractions in the city of Braslav. First of all, let us note the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This temple was built in 1897 and is an architectural monument of the retrospective Russian style of the late 19th century. The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the city of Braslav was not closed during Soviet times. Currently, the church continues to function and is in good condition. The church houses several unique icons from the 18th and 19th centuries. Presumably they were painted by local artists, and these icons were transferred to the Braslav temple from a church in the village of Druya, which was closed during Soviet times. Another decoration of the church in the city of Braslav is a wooden carved three-tiered iconostasis, created in the 1980s.

The church in Braslav is located very close to the church. The small square between these temples was once the central (market) square of the entire city. There is now parking at this site. Together, the Braslav churches form a very interesting, beautiful, and most importantly typical for Belarus (but unique for other regions) architectural ensemble of the historical center small town. Of course, the church in the city of Braslav is a historical and cultural value and an interesting landmark of Belarus.

The next attraction worthy of the attention of tourists, travelers and pilgrims is the St. Panteleimon Convent, which was founded in the city of Braslav in 2006 as a structural subdivision of the Polotsk Spaso-Euphrosinievsky Convent. This monastery is located in the building of the former zemstvo hospital, which was built in 1906.

In the city of Braslav there are also quite a lot of other buildings that can be classified as historical urban buildings. Most of these buildings date back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Many of these buildings are made in the so-called Zakopane style, which makes them unique and valuable. All these small attractions perfectly complement the very good tourist atmosphere of the city of Braslav; you can happily spend a lot of time here.

Another very important cultural, historical and archaeological monument of the city of Braslav is Castle Hill, or, in other words, a fortified settlement. This fort dates back to the 9th century. Castle Hill is located in the historical center of Braslav, directly opposite the church and church, which in turn are located at the foot of this mountain. The castle hill in Braslav is a flat hill of impressive size with steep slopes, and is one of the largest castles in Belarus.

It is the Castle Hill, towering above the entire settlement, and the two temples, which also stand out against the background of the low-rise buildings of the city, that form the panorama of the entire Braslav. The last fragments of any historical buildings previously located on Castle Hill were completely lost during the fire of 1859, when the settlement acquired close to modern look. Nowadays, several modern monuments, thematic sculptures and gazebos have been installed on the mountain. However, a visit to Castle Hill is included in the mandatory tourist program of all travelers arriving in the city of Braslav, because it is from here that the the best views to stunning surrounding landscapes filled with blue lakes.

The city of Braslav is very popular among tourists. But it should be noted that it owes this not to architectural landmarks, but to the surrounding nature. The fact is that near the city of Braslav there are a lot of lakes, some of them very large. It's about about the famous Braslav lakes. There are so many of these lakes, and they are located so densely that sometimes it seems as if the city of Braslav itself is located almost on an island, although in reality this is not the case. Among the lakes near Braslav there are a wide variety.

For example, the largest local lake, along the shore of which the city of Braslav is located, is called Drivyaty and has very, very flat banks and warms up well in the summer. This lake also has several sandy beaches, so Lake Drivyaty is popular among tourists as a place for a beach holiday. By the way, the proper infrastructure has been created on this lake, there are cafes and bars, boat and catamaran rentals and much more. Also, this and other lakes near the city of Braslav give tourists and travelers the opportunity to have very good fishing. In the city of Braslav itself, of course, there is all the necessary tourist infrastructure, for example: shops, banks, hotels, farmsteads and much more. It is precisely because of the opportunity to have a good swim, great fishing and just a great rest among the beautiful landscapes of the lake region that most tourists come to the city of Braslav.

Hello friends! Over the weekend we went to the Braslav Lakes in Belarus. Last night I returned from the dense forests and feel almost like a caveman after several days spent in the complete absence of civilization.

If you are thinking about where to relax in Belarus, then the lakes in the north of the country are perfect place for relax. However, it must be said that holidays in Belarus on the lakes have some features, which will be discussed in this article.

We went to the north of Belarus to the Braslav Lakes (finally got there, damn it). I was there with friends and their friends. In total there are about 25 or 30 people of different ages from Belarus and Russia. 4 days and 4 nights.

I slept in a tent, ate sandwiches with sausage made in Belarus, drank Zhiguli beer and Primorskoye wine (17.5 revolutions, please note:)), looked at the sunsets, held fishing rods in my hands and ate smoked fish, contemplating the stars. Listen, there are so many stars in the sky! And the Milky Way can be viewed if you do not do it within the Moscow Ring Road. I wanted to go to the Braslav Lakes for a very long time, but somehow I couldn’t get around to it, and then my friends – Nastya and Pasha – invited me along. Indeed, it was time to look at one of the main attractions of Belarus. In the photo are Nastya and Pasha, thanks to whom I got to Braslav:

Braslav lakes

View on a larger map

Braslav Lakes are a group of lakes in the Vitebsk region in the north-west of Belarus, 250 km from Minsk near the border with Latvia and Lithuania. About 60 lakes with a total area of ​​130 km² are part of the Braslav Lakes National Park, created 18 years ago, the territory of which occupies about 70 thousand hectares.

The Braslav Lakes National Park is home to wild boars, elk, foxes, roe deer, lynxes, brown bears, badgers and other rare animals, many of which are listed in the Red Book of Belarus. About 200 species of birds live in the reserve. In the lakes you can catch bream, roach, eel, pike, and pike perch. Please note that catching and selling eels is officially prohibited in Belarus.

Braslav Lakes are one of the main tourist attractions in Belarus. There are several recreation centers, estates, cottages for rent, there are campsites, as well as both paid and free parking for a tent camp. In recent years, holidays in Belarus on the Braslav Lakes have been popular among Russians, who have been booking places since winter.

The tourism infrastructure in Belarus is poorly developed. Even on such a popular route, there are not road signs everywhere; shops and cafes are located a bit far away. On the road to Braslav you pass incredibly cute villages without fences, picturesque fields and meadows.

Mount “Mayak” is the main attraction of the Braslav Lakes on the territory of the national park, which offers views of most bodies of water:

Road to Mount Mayak

The city of Braslav, next to which there are lakes, is itself a darkness. Nastya says that she vacationed there about 15 years ago, nothing has changed since then. The streets are deserted, the market is already closed at 5 pm. It’s good at least in Braslav there is a Euroopt supermarket, where you can buy groceries until 23.00.

How to get to Braslav Lakes

1. By car from Minsk.
This is the best way to get to the Braslav Lakes, because public transport runs only to the city of Braslav; minibuses and buses do not go through the lakes; you will have to get to the parking lot from Braslav by taxi. Many recreation centers meet their guests at railway stations and train stations by prior arrangement.

So, if you are driving your own car, then you need to follow the M3 and P3 highways from Minsk. From Vitebsk – highway P20. The distance from Minsk to Braslav is 235 km, but do not delude yourself and think that you will overcome it in a couple of hours. The highway is narrow, with one lane in one direction and the other, in some places it passes through populated areas, and in many sections the speed limit is set at 70 km/h, so the road from the Minsk ring road to Braslav takes from 3 to 3 and a half hours.

2. By bus:
There are regular flights from the central bus stations Minsk-Braslav, Polotsk-Braslav, Vitebsk-Braslav.

3. By train.
There is no railway station in Braslav itself. Nearest stations: Polotsk, Sharkovshchina, Druya. If you travel from Moscow, you can safely buy a ticket for the Moscow-Polotsk train, and from Polotsk take a taxi to Braslav or take a regular bus.

Lake Strusto and the Yubileiny parking lot

If you are interested in relaxing on the lakes of Belarus with tents, then there are many parking lots and places for a tent camp on the Braslav lakes. Some of them are freely available. You can just come and set up tents, but there are also those that need to be booked in advance.

Our parking lot was called “Yubileinaya”. It is located on Lake Strusto, the depth of which in some places reaches 23 m. You can come and camp there only with prior agreement with the tourism department of the National Park.

Of course, I forgot about civilization and its complete absence. “Yubileinaya” is one of the most civilized in Braslav. Hidden behind hills covered with pine forest. There are three gazebos with tables and benches, several places for a fire, a large closed area where you can put up tents, play volleyball, badminton, etc., your own descent to the lake, a toilet in the form of a wooden house.

Prices for holidays in Belarus on the Braslav Lakes at the Yubileinaya parking lot for one day in 2015
For groups of up to 15 people – 850,000 BYN ( 3000 RUB / 59$ / 54€)
For groups over 15 people – 1,085,000 Belarusian rubles ( 3900 RUB / 75$ / 70€)

The water is crystal clear. As much as I shy away from various bodies of water, I swam in Lake Strusto with pleasure, and also boldly drank coffee and ate porridge prepared with lake water. The deliciousness is indescribable.

In general, holidays on lakes in Belarus can be very interesting! For me, these few days were very productive. I learned how to cook okroshka, ate zucchini stew cooked over a fire in a cauldron, understood why a portrait lens was needed, and became convinced that I needed to go to China and finish reading Castaneda.

In the evenings Pasha sang. To the point of goosebumps, to lumps in the throat and trembling throughout the body. On the first night, to the sounds of a guitar, words about Indians and Kindzmarauli, drops of “Black Doctor” and the glare of a burning fire playing on my cheeks, I cried all my tears, which turned out to be few, because there was nothing to cry about. Well, if only because the day before the trip I poured boiling water on both legs and lay face down in unconscious delirium with extensive red burns of the nth degree, but this is not a reason for sadness.

A person shows up in the little things. When someone, at the risk of being late for the airport, changes their plans after a short SMS sent at 11 pm and goes to pick up the pink rug that I forgot in a huge foreign city two years ago, it says something. And all because Mila got ready to go camping without a tent, sleeping bag, or rug. Fortunately, I have a Hawle lantern, a caring family and people who care about what my mortal body will rest on in the dark green forest. This is very touching and SO important. Perhaps this is generally the most important thing.

A couple of hours after returning to Minsk from the wild conditions, I was already sitting in Vika’s kitchen and devouring manna with blueberries prepared by Kvadratik. Square taught us how to say in English a gear, a brush made of badger hair and a bearing, after which he turned into a Circle, and I turned into a beautifully trimmed beauty from a shaggy monster with dirty heels. In the meantime, we'll be on the road again soon. All that remains is to take out the blue biker jacket in spruce branches from the backpack and fill it with light summer dresses, because in two days I will be inhaling the smell of the sea.

Initially, the idea was to set up a tent camp on the Black Sea coast somewhere in the south of Ukraine, but I got my share of tent holidays on the Braslav Lakes, so I already booked us half a house near Odessa with a terrace, Wi-Fi, shower and sea view . I'll work from there. I really enjoyed being on the lakes, but still, I am not a hiking type of person. It’s fun to live in a tent for a couple of nights, but on the third day you want a soft bed, a warm shower and no insects. There are few photos in the article; almost all of them were left with Nastya, who is now somewhere on her way to Rome.

Clean lakes and good friends to you! Sincerely,

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