Ostrovets

 

Introduction

Ostrovets is located close to the border between Belarus and Lithuania. Many foreign tourists start to explore Belarus from this very town.

Geographic information

Ostrovets is situated on the bank of River Losha 173 km away from Minsk, 227 km away from Grodno and 3 km away from Gudogai railway station (Minsk-Vilnius railway line).

History

Ostrovets was first mentioned in chronicles in 1468 when governor of Kyiv Martin Gashtold founded here a cathedral and a Dominican monastery.

In 1542 Ostrovets became royal property, and in 1546 King Zhigimont August presented it to Jeronim Karitski. In various periods of history the town used to belong to the noble families of Korsak, Kostrovitski, Sytyanki, Zhilinski. A public school opened in Ostrovets in 1867.

Ostrovets was occupied by German troops from 1915 till 1918. From 1918 to 1939 it belonged to Poland, and in 1939 Ostrovets became part of the Soviet Republic of Belarus. On April 25 1958 Ostrovets officially received the status of a town.

Famous people

Joseph Goshkevich (1814―1875), a diplomat who occupied the post of Russia’ Consul General in Japan from 1859 to 1865.

Attractions

There are two cathedrals in Ostrovets. The Cathedral of St Kuzma and Demyan (Komsomolskaya St.) was built in 1785―1787 and restored in the early 19^th century (post-classicism). The Cathedral of the Search for Holy Cross (7, Leninskaya St.) was built in 1910―1911.

Landmark

A monument to the first consul of the Russian Empire in Japan Joseph Goshkevich was erected in Ostrovets in 1994.

“The fair-haired consul”, as the Japanese used to call him, was the founder of the first Orthodox Christian Church in Japan. He also opened a hospital and a school for Japanese children and compiled the first Japanese-Russian dictionary.

Goshkevich was one of the first foreigners to be allowed to Japan’s inland and invited to the royal palace.

The Japanese town of Hakodate that used to host Russian consulate also installed a monument to Goshkevich.

Events

Ostrovets annually marks all national holidays. Many festivities are organized here on the Border Guard Day, which is quite understandable, taking into account the geographic position of the town.

Tourist infrastructure

Excursions, rural tourism. Target group — families, school students.

Tours

Ostrovets is the main destination of an excursion organized by Viapol travel agency (Kushlyany, Soly, Ostrovets, Gervyaty, Vornyany, Mikhalishki; 12 hours).

The same agency offers another travel route also featuring Ostrovets (Ostrovets, Krevo, Zalesya, Smorgon, Soly, Gervyaty, Voronyany; 10 hours).

• Accomodation
  • Hotels
• Rural tourism
• Food