Slonim

Slonim is a city located in the West of Belarus, a part of Grodno region. The distance to the regional center is no more than 140 kilometers, to Minsk is 195 kilometers. Slonim is located at the junction of the river Shchara and its right inflow Isa. The population of the city is about 50 thousand of people.

TRANSPORT LINKS

There is a railway station in Slonim that connects the locality with Vawkavysk and Baranavichy. Bus routes to Minsk, Grodno, Brest and other cities are also laid through Brest.

THE CITY’S EMBLEM

In 1591 Slonim got its emblem, where the image of a lion holding a silver arrow with two crossbars was depicted. This emblem is the evidence of the city’s generic assignment to the Sapieha.

In 1845 in the time of the Russian Empire, Slonim got another emblem. New symbol of the city was divided into two parts: in the upper part a bison was depicted, and in the lower one–crossed swords and the date 1275 - the year of seizure the city by the Halych.

In 1998 the earlier variant of the emblem with a lion was returned to Slonim.

THE HISTORY OF SLONIM

Slonim was firstly mentioned in 1252 in Hypatian Chronicle.

In 1410 the gonfalon from Slonim took part in the Battle of Grunwald - a crucial scramble with the Teutonic Knights. One more prominent event for the city was the obtaining of Magdeburg Rights in 1531. In 1586 the city passed into possession of the statesman of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Lew Sapieha. In the 70s of the 18th century a court theatre appeared in Slonim.

As a result of the third Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Slonim  became a part of the Russian Empire. And besides, it became the center of the Slonim province that had been existing for a year. Then it was attached to the Lithuanian province. In 1920-30s Slonim was a part of Poland, and in 1939 – in the borders of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic.

THE PLACES OF INTEREST OF SLONIM

Special place among the attractions of the city takes St. Andrew The Apostle Cathedral - an architectural monument of the 70s of the 18th century, built in the Baroque style.

One more architectural monument of religious significance is the Immaculate Conception of the Most Holy Virgin Mary Church, the building of which was accomplished in 1670.

The Trinity Cathedral is a preserved religious site in Slonim that was erected in the middle of the 17th century.

 Each of these temples was formerly a part of the monastery complex, which doesn’t function today.

 There is one more temple in the city – the Transfiguration Cathedral.

Although this church appeared in the city only in 2005, it can be truly considered to be an important architectural building of Slonim. Among monuments of the 18th century, that survived to the present day is a local synagogue, built in the Baroque style.

In the historical part of the city preserved the buildings of the 19th – early 20th centuries. So, here you can see chapels, dwelling houses, a fire station, bank buildings and other constructions of this period.

One more attraction, survived to the present day, which was earlier located outside the city, and nowadays is urbanized territory – the manor in Albertin Faubourg. Visiting this place, here you can see the manor house, an outbuilding and stables. Also the parts of the gate and fences, a park with ponds preserved nowadays.

Albertin Faubourg can make boast of architectural monuments of the 30s of the 20th century: the Cathedral of Virgin Mary and Athanasius of Brest-Litovsk Church.

10 kilometers from Slonim there is Zhyrovichy Monastery, which is an important center of Belarusian Orthodoxy, firstly mentioned in 1587.