Location on the map:Smorgon city

Smorgon is a city completely destroyed after the First World War and revived anew, where bears were once taught to dance and where the famous bagels appeared, which were included in historical chronicles. The city is known as a private town of Zenovichi, Radziwill, Przezdecki.

Nearby are the ruins of Kreva Castle. The ruins of Kreva Castle are one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Belarus, thanks to a variety of legends – from stories about secret tunnels to stories about immured princesses.

Along the perimeter there are surviving walls, some parts of the towers have been preserved. What’s also impressive is the foundation of the structure, which goes deep for 4 meters! Since 2017, work has been underway to restore the Kreva Castle. Guided tours, master classes, and photo zones are held on weekends.

In the city itself, from the point of view of architecture, for well-known reasons, there is no abundance. However, the local authorities solved this problem in a very original way. In 2013, in honor of the 510th anniversary of the city, they organized a sculpture plein-air. Stones for the composition were found on the territory of the district at the site of construction works. It's all natural granite. The largest boulder weighed 9 tons! As a result, the city received nine modern sculptural compositions.

The city's coat of arms depicts a brown club-footed bear-a symbol of Smorgon's former glory. Bears can be seen here almost at every step: wooden, copper, they stand in courtyards, parks and the district museum. On one of the central alleys of the park there is a sculptural composition dedicated to the "Bear Academy". It was invented by the Radzwills in the 17th century. During the academy's heyday, up to 10 bears were trained here at the same time. With noisy success, the performances of club-footed Smorgon artists were held in cities and villages, at fairs and in palaces.

Smorgon was not just famous for bears. Baked here in the past such delicious fragrant bagels - "smorgonki" that stories about them are still full of historical chronicles. There is a version that they were originally used as a treat for four-legged students of the academy.

Here you can see the only monument to the poet Frantishk Bogushevich in Belarus. One of the founders of national fiction, author of "Dudka Belaruskaya" and "Smyk Belaruskiy". The monument is about three and a half meters high. On the pedestal, there is a sign with the most famous quote of Bogushevich: " Don't leave our Belarusian language, lest we die".

A small village near Smorgon would remain one of the many villages lost on the map. However, the town of Zalesye was destined to go down in history, because now it is associated with the big name of Mikhail Kleofas Oginsky and his estate! On the territory there was a windmill connected to two greenhouses. During his lifetime, Oginsky was crazy about flowers, so after every trip abroad, he fell in love with some strange plant that instantly appeared on the Belarusian land. There was also a small chapel and its own brewery.

The 20th century was devastating for the estate. However, the neglected estate was transferred under the patronage of Belarus. The Oginsky Literary Museum is located in the palace, where a cozy cafe functions for numerous visitors, and the furniture is identical to the one that the family of the famous composer and politician could use. Once upon a time, the Oginskys' possessions boomed throughout the entire district: they often hosted dinner parties, gala receptions and luxurious balls! Fortunately, the estate is now open to visitors – here you can connect with history.  

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