Brest

Location: Situated in Brest region.

Brest is an administrative center of Brest region, situated by the South-Western border of Belarus and is traditionally famous as . Today Brest population is 295,5 thousands of people and is really a cultural and industrial center of the Western Belarusian region.

The first mentioning about Berestje (the old Brest name) as about a trade and crafts center is referred to 1019 AD. In 1390 Berestje became the first city at the territory of contemporary Belarus that gained self-governing at the basis of Magdeburg right. In 1596 in the course of the church council Brest Union was concluded (a union of the Catholic and Orthodox churches at the Belarusian lands).. In 1917 Brest-Litovsk (Lithuanian Brest) was a place where an epoch-making peace treaty of the Soviet Russia with Germany was signed during the First World war.

Brest became mournfully famous during the Second World war, when the Brest fortress was the first to struggle against the German troops on June 22nd, 1941, what was the beginning of the Great Patriotic war. Orthodox Saint-Nikolay cathedral has been reconstructed and now functions at the territory of the fortress, also the archaeological museum “Berestje” is organised at the territory of the fortress.

At present Brest is not large but clean, this city welcomes everyone who comes to Belarus with its hospitality. Distinctive traits of Brest inhabitants’ character are calmness, tolerance and benevolence.

They opened the Museum of , where a unique exposition of icons and jewelry from the values meant for illegal export from Belarus and confiscated at the Brest border is presented.