Mahilyow Region

The Mogilev Region in eastern Belarus lies on both banks of the Dnieper and is a quiet, agricultural region with forests and old trading towns. A trip to Mogilev would lead you to a reconstructed town hall, churches, and memorial sites. At present, however, travel to Belarus is not advised.

Land on the Dnieper

The region borders Russia to the east. The Dnieper flows through it from north to south, and the Sozh and Berezina rivers also shape the area. Broad fields, meadows, and mixed forests define the landscape. Around 950,000 people live here, roughly 350,000 of them in Mogilev, an old trading city that was among the largest cities of the Polish-Lithuanian state in the 17th and 18th centuries. Babruysk on the Berezina is the second major city, known for its 19th-century fortress.

Sights in the Mogilev Region

In Mogilev, the 17th-century town hall, which was blown up in 1957, was rebuilt in the early 2000s and is now the city's landmark. The Baroque Church of St. Stanislaus and the Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas with its iconostasis are among the most beautiful houses of worship in the country. On the outskirts of the city, the Buynichy Field commemorates the defense of the city in July 1941 and the writer Konstantin Simonov, whose ashes were scattered here. In Babruysk, you can visit the walls and bastions of the fortress, which was among the largest of its kind in the Russian Empire. The Dnieper riverside promenade in Mogilev is a popular spot for walks, especially on summer evenings when families sit by the water. In the south of the region, large forests stretch along the Berezina, where mushroom pickers head out in the fall, and small towns such as Shklow and Bykhaw preserve remains of old synagogues, monasteries, and castle complexes from the time of the Polish-Lithuanian state.

Cuisine and Advice

The cuisine follows Belarusian tradition, with draniki (potato pancakes), potato babka, sauerkraut soup, and mushrooms. Because of the proximity to Russia and the political situation, travel to the region is currently possible only to a limited extent, and you should heed the advice of the authorities.