Minsk Region or Minsk Oblast or Minsk Voblasts ( be, Мі́нская во́бласць, ''Minskaja voblasć'' ; russian: Минская о́бласть, ''Minskaya oblast'') is one of the

regions of Belarus At the top level of administration, Belarus is divided into six ''oblasts'' (''voblasts'' or provinces). The city of Minsk, has a special status as the capital of Belarus. Minsk is also the capital of Minsk Region.administrative center An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located. In countries with French as administrative language (such as Belgium, L ...

Minsk Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative stat ...

, although it is a separate administrative territorial entity of Belarus. As of 2011, the region's population is 1,411,500.

Geography

Minsk Region covers a total of 39,900 km², about 19.44% of the national total area. Lake Narach, the largest lake in the country, is located in the northern part of the region. There are four other large lakes in this region: Svir (8th largest), Myadel (11th largest),

Syalyava Syalyava or Selyava ( be, Сялява, russian: Селява) is a lake in Minsk Voblast, Krupki District, Belarus. It is located 20 km from Krupki. Geography Ribbon lake Syalyava is located on a lowland, gently undulating terrain, among ...

(14th largest) and Myastro (15th largest). It is the only region of

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...

whose border is not part of the international border of Belarus.

History

Beginning the 10th century, the territory of the current Minsk Region was part of

Kievan Rus' Kievan Rusʹ, also known as Kyivan Rusʹ ( orv, , Rusĭ, or , , ; Old Norse: ''Garðaríki''), was a state in Eastern and Northern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.John Channon & Robert Hudson, ''Penguin Historical Atlas of ...

, the

Principality of Polotsk The Principality of Polotsk ( be, По́лацкае кня́ства, ''Polackaje kniastva''; la, Polocensis Ducatus), also known as the Duchy of Polotsk or Polotskian Rus', was a medieval principality of the Early East Slavs. The origin and ...

, and later it was included in the

Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state that existed from the 13th century to 1795, when the territory was partitioned among the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg Empire of Austria. The state was founded by Lit ...

. With the unification of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the

Kingdom of Poland The Kingdom of Poland ( pl, Królestwo Polskie; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a state in Central Europe. It may refer to: Historical political entities * Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom existing from 1025 to 1031 * Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom exi ...

, the territory became part of the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi- confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Poland and Lithuania ...

. In 1793, as a result of the second partition of Polish territory, the area was annexed by Russia as the Minsk Region. During the collapse of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the List of Russian monarchs, Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended th ...

due to the Civil War, the western part was annexed to Poland in 1921, while the east became Soviet Belarus. The Minsk region was established on 15 January, 1938, based on the amendment of the Constitutional Law of the USSR. As of 20 February, 1938, the area included 20 districts. Following the Soviet invasion of Poland on September 17, 1939, the former Eastern lands of the Second Polish Republic were annexed in accordance with the

Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact was a non-aggression pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union that enabled those powers to partition Poland between them. The pact was signed in Moscow on 23 August 1939 by German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ri ...

partitioning Poland and added to the Minsk Region. On 20 September 1944, by the decree of the

Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (russian: Президиум Верховного Совета, Prezidium Verkhovnogo Soveta) was a body of state power in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).Bobruisk Region. On 8 January, 1954, by the decree of the USSR Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, the Nesvizhski and Stolbtsovsky districts from the abolished

Baranovichi Region Baranavichy ( ; be, Бара́навічы, Łacinka: , ; russian: Бара́новичи; yi, באַראַנאָוויטש; pl, Baranowicze) is a city in the Brest Region of western Belarus, with a population (as of 2019) of 179,000. It is not ...

, as well as the Glusk, Gressky, Kopyl, Krasnoslobodski, Luban, Slutsky, Starobin, Starodorozhski districts and the city of Sluck from the abolished Bobruisk Region, were added to the Minsk Region. In 1960, following the abolition of Molodechno Region, its southern part became the northern part of the Minsk Region.

Tourism

The number of travel agencies in Minsk Region grew from twelve in 2000 to seventy in 2010. The most popular tourist destinations of the region are Zaslavskoye Lake, the Zhdanovichi area which has health resorts, Nesvizh Palace and its surroundings, as well as the alpine ski resorts of Logoysk and

Silichi Silichy or Silichi (russian: Силичи, be, Сілічы) is a ski resort situated in Lahojsk (or ''Logoysk''), Belarus, located 30 km (18.64 mi) away from Minsk Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest ...

Administrative subdivisions

The Minsk Region comprises 22

districts A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...

( raions), 307 selsovets, 22 cities, 8 city municipalities, and 20

urban-type settlement Urban-type settlementrussian: посёлок городско́го ти́па, translit=posyolok gorodskogo tipa, abbreviated: russian: п.г.т., translit=p.g.t.; ua, селище міського типу, translit=selyshche mis'koho typu, ab ...

Districts of Minsk Region

* Barysaw District * Byerazino District * Chervyen District * Dzyarzhynsk District *

Kapyl District Kapyl District is a second-level administrative subdivision ( raion) of Minsk Region, Belarus. The capital of the town is Kapyl. Notable events in history The district was the main theatre of military operations during the Slutsk uprising, ...

* Kletsk District *

Krupki District Krupki District is a second-level administrative subdivision (raion) of Minsk Region, Belarus. Its capital is the town of Krupki Krupki (, , , lt, Krupkos) is a small city in Krupki Raion, Minsk Region, Belarus. History History before 1914 ...

* Lahoysk District * Lyuban District * Maladzyechna District * Minsk District * Myadzyel District * Nesvizh District *

Puchavičy District Pukhavichy District (Pukhavichsky Rajon) is a second-level administrative subdivision ( raion) of Belarus in the east of Minsk Voblast. The capital of the town is Marjina Horka. Geography ;Main settlements * Marjina Horka (22,500) * Svislač ( ...

Salihorsk District Salihorsk District is a second-level administrative subdivision (raion) of Belarus in the Minsk Region Minsk Region or Minsk Oblast or Minsk Voblasts ( be, Мі́нская во́бласць, ''Minskaja voblasć'' ; russian: Минская о́ ...

* Slutsk District * Smalyavichy District *

Staryya Darohi District Staryya Darohi District is the second-level administrative subdivision (raion) of Belarus in the Minsk Region Minsk Region or Minsk Oblast or Minsk Voblasts ( be, Мі́нская во́бласць, ''Minskaja voblasć'' ; russian: Минска ...

Stowbtsy District Stowbtsy District ( be, Стаўбцоўскі раён; russian: Столбцовский район) is a second-level administrative subdivision (raion) of Belarus in the Minsk Region. Notable residents Jazep Losik Jazep Losik (also know ...

* Uzda District *

Valozhyn District Valozhyn District is a second-level administrative subdivision (raion) of Belarus in the Minsk Region. Notable residents Francišak Kušal (1895, Piaršai - 1969), Belarusian political and military leader Vileyka District Vileyka District is the second-level administrative subdivision (raion) of Belarus in the north-west of Minsk Region. The capital of the town is Vileyka. Notable residents * Janka Filistovič (1926, Paniacičy village - 1953), active partici ...

Cities and towns

Population of cities and towns in Minsk Region

Demographics

Belarusians in Minsk and Minskaja voblasć, Belarus (2009 census).png, Belarusians in the region Russians in Minsk and Minskaja voblasć, Belarus (2009 census).png, Russians in the region Poles in Minsk and Minskaja voblasć, Belarus (2009 census).png, Poles in the region

References

External links

* * {{coord, 53, 40, N, 27, 45, E, region:BY-MI_type:adm1st_source:kolossus-dewiki, display=title Regions of Belarus