Rossony

Belarusian land has brought up, raised and influenced the formation of many creative individuals. Each province in our vast homeland can be proud of its famous residents, including the urban settlement in Vitebsk region, Rossony. Here, Peter Mironovich Masherov, a famous Belarusian state and party figure, the hero of the Soviet Union and a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party was born and grew up. Today many streets and avenues throughout the Republic are named after Masherov. In addition, the biography of Peter Masherov was the basis of many Soviet films.

The history of Rossony town.

Unfortunately, during all the time of its existence this urban settlement had both positive and bright pages of its history and the events that will be forever etched in memory. In the beginning of the Great Patriotic War the Jewish ghetto used to be located in Rossony. That was the place where all the locals and nearby residents were drawn by force. By the way, one could escape from Rossony ghetto, but this act was punished by execution of his family. Only the solitary could afford to run. But not all of them managed to survive even after a successful escape as very many Jewish fugitives were given away to fascists by so-called "well-wishers". Of course, the end wasn't good for them.  Therefore, the town of Rossony is known not only as the birthplace of Peter Masherov, but it is also famous for the strongest echo of the Second World War.

If we look a few centuries earlier, we’ll see that the first archaeological artifacts found in Rossony belong to the 10-12th centuries. First the name of the town was met in "Polotsk audit" in the middle of the 16th century. Then the town of Rossony was included into Polotsk Province and was a part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In 1772, Rossony belonged to the Russian Empire, and from January 1, 1919, included into the BSSR. Now Rossony has the status of an urban settlement with the population of almost 5,000 people.

Rasony in the context of modernity.

This small town is fascinating and attracts tourists not only with its rich history and natural beauty, but also with architectural structures that have been preserved until today.

One of the favorite travel destinations is the 19th-century manor house with all the outbuildings and a park surrounding it. The main facade of the mansion greets visitors with an artificial pond. The architecture differs from many other Belarusian old estates: the arrangement is asymmetric; there is only one floor in the southern part of the estate while the center has a two-storeyed building. Unfortunately, the unique three-storey tower with an unusual hipped roof, located in the center has been lost. The facade of the building is decorated with stepped panels, arched belts and window openings with carved architraves.

Together with other architectural monuments of the town, the Museum of Military Community is quite interesting and worth seeing. Not only Jewish ghetto was here in the wartime, but also a guerrilla front with Belarusian, Latvian, Lithuanian and Russian soldiers. It is the town of Rossony that became a center of Brotherly partisan land, which still has a great historical significance. So, the exposition of the Museum shows visitors all documentary and other evidence of the Soviet soldiers’ feats.

Orthodox believers can't ignore the Ascension Church, which was constructed in the second half of the 19th century. Small in size, this church has absorbed the events of almost two centuries, so will not leave indifferent even the most skeptical atheist.

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