When planning a trip to Belarus, pay attention to an old but very lovely town Oshmyany, known since 1340. The Jewish people settled down in Belarus in the XIV century. The Jews came to Oshmyany in the XVII century. In 1880, they composed 50% of the total population of Oshmyany. In peacetime, the Jews built houses with peculiar architecture, opened yeshivas, heders, synagogues and other Jewish institutions and communities. However, during World War II, the synagogue and surrounding streets turned into a Jewish ghetto. More than 2 million Jewish inhabitants were killed. Monuments were erected in memory of these terrible events in Oshmyany. The Oshmyany district has 48 historical monuments, one of which is a synagogue – a house of prayer and worship for the Jewish people.

The synagogue has preserved to present days in its original form despite the fact that during the war it was a center of Holocaust. The synagogue was built of red brick in the Belarusian style with elements of traditional Jewish architecture in 1912. A three-tiered roof and small round rose window are distinctive features of the worship house in Oshmyany.

Nowadays, the synagogue is closed to visitors, the building stores exhibits of a local history museum. But if you manage to get inside the synagogue, you will be amazed by the unusual blue ceiling that simulates a starry sky, and twelve frescoes – a zodiac sign is depicted on each.

Oshmyany synagogue is one of the ten oldest houses of worship. It is recommended to visit for those who are interested in the history and culture of Belarus and the Jewish people in particular. It is also recommended to visit a synagogue in Bykhov – a magnificent building of defensive type.

The main synagogue harmoniously blended into the historic Slonim center. The exterior of the synagogue has been well preserved to the present days, but the shrine requires restoration.

In Ruzhany, you will find a synagogue yard and the ruins of the old multi-tiered bimah – a holy place of reading the Torah.

In Oshmyany, you may find other religious monuments, such as snow-white Holy Resurrection Church, the first Catholic church of St. Mikhail the Archangel, and the ruins of the Franciscan Church, built in 1505.

It is recommended to visit the Museum of F. K. Bogushevich in Oshmyany. The local history museum offers several exhibitions. “The world of nature” is an exhibition on a regular basis, dedicated to the Belarusian flora and fauna. The exhibition “Oshmyany from ancient to modern times” is considered one of the best in Belarus. You will learn a lot about local attractions here. Of course, several rooms are dedicated to the biography and work of F. K. Bogushevich. The museum also offers offsite excursions in remarkable places of the town.