Брэст Брест Brest
Seal
Location of Brest, shown within the Brest Voblast
Coordinates: 52°08′N 23°40′E / 52.133, 23.667
Country Subdivision	Belarus Brest
Founded	1019
Government
- Mayor	Alexander Palishenko
Area
- Total	72. Brest Voblast (Province or Brest Oblast (Брэ́сцкая во́бласць Brestskaya voblasts; Бре́стская о́бласть Brestskaya Oblast Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This list of countries, arranged alphabetically At the top level of administration the Eastern European country of Belarus is divided into six voblasti ' (or voblastsi, meaning "provinces" Belarus ( Belarusian Беларусь / Biełaruś is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 9 km² (28. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 1 sq mi)
Elevation	280. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. 4 m (920 ft)
Population (2004)
- Total	290,000
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
- Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
License plate	1
Website: http://www.brest.gov.by

Brest (Belarusian: Брэст, IPA: [brɛst]; Lithuanian: Brestas (Earlier name : Lietuvos brąsta) , Polish: Brześć, Ukrainian: Брест, Брест-Литовський, Берестя, Yiddish: בּריסק; also known as Bieraście or Biareście (Belarusian: Бе́расьце and Бярэ́сьце respectively; and in the Chron. The Belarusian language, or Belorussian,(беларуская мова BGN/PCGN: byelaruskaya mova, Scientific: belaruskaja mova Lithuanian ( lietuvių kalba) is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognised as one of the official languages of the European Union. Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. Ukrainian (in Ukrainian украї́нська мо́ва ukrayins'ka mova,) is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. Yiddish (yi [[wiktייִדיש ייִדיש]] yidish or yi [[wiktאידיש אידיש]] idish, literally "Jewish" is a nonterritorial High The Belarusian language, or Belorussian,(беларуская мова BGN/PCGN: byelaruskaya mova, Scientific: belaruskaja mova Berestie and Berestov; see also alternative names), formerly Brześć Litewski, Brest-on-the-Bug and Brest-Litovsk, is a city (population 290,000 in 2004) in Belarus close to the Polish border where the Western Bug and Mukhavets Rivers meet. Many cities in Europe have different names in different languages Belarus ( Belarusian Беларусь / Biełaruś is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Mukhavets ( Belarusian: Мухаве́ц ( Muchaviec) muxa'vʲets Polish: Muchawiec) is a river in western Belarus It is the capital city of the Brest voblast. Brest Voblast (Province or Brest Oblast (Брэ́сцкая во́бласць Brestskaya voblasts; Бре́стская о́бласть Brestskaya Oblast

Being situated on the main Berlin–Moscow railway line and intercontinental highway, Brest became a principal border crossing since World War II in Soviet times. Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Today it links the European Union and the Commonwealth of Independent States. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in

Because of the break-of-gauge at Brest between the Russian broad-gauge system and the European standard gauge, all through rail passenger cars must have their bogies changed here, cargo in freight trains must be transshipped. With railways a break-of-gauge is where a line of one gauge meets a line of a different gauge Broad gauge Railways use a Rail gauge (distance between the rails greater than the Standard gauge of. The standard gauge (also named the Stephenson gauge after George Stephenson, or Normal gauge) is a widely-used Rail gauge. Transshipment or Transhipment is the Shipment of goods to an intermediate destination and then from there to yet another destination Some of the land in the Brest rail yards remains contaminated as a result of the transshipment of radioactive materials here since Soviet days. Radioactive decay is the process in which an unstable Atomic nucleus loses energy by emitting ionizing particles and Radiation.

City name

In 1019 Brest was first mentioned in chronicles as Berestye

There are several theories of the city name origin. The most common are as follows,

• the name of the city comes from the Slavic root beresta meaning birch bark,
• the name of the city comes from the Slavic root berest meaning elm,
• the name of the city comes from the Lithuanian word brasta meaning ford. Birch is the name of any Tree of the genus Betula ( Bé-tu-la) in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the Bark, also known as periderm is the outermost layer of stems and Roots of Woody plants such as Trees It overlays the Wood and consists Elms are Deciduous and Semi-deciduous Trees comprising the genus Ulmus, family Ulmaceae, found Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the A ford is a place in a Watercourse (most commonly a stream or River) that is shallow enough to be crossed by wading on Horseback or in a wheeled ^[1]

History

The city was founded by Slavs. As Berestye it was first mentioned in the Russian Primary Chronicle in 1019 as a town in Kievan Rus. The Primary Chronicle (ѣѣтъ Пóвесть временны́х лет Povest' vremennykh let; Пóвість врéм'яних літ Povist' vremjanykh It was subdued several times by Poland and by Lithuania, laid waste by the Mongols in 1241, and was not rebuilt till 1275,in 1390 received Magdeburg rights; its suburbs were burned by the Teutonic Knights in 1379; and in the end of the 15th century the whole town met a similar fate at the hands of the khan of the Crimea. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the It was renamed Brest-Litovsk in the 16th century, after it became part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1569. The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic In the reign of the Polish king Sigismund III diets were held there; and in 1594 and 1596 it was the meeting-place of two remarkable councils of the Catholic and Orthodox bishops of the region; the 1596 council establishing the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. History Before the Union of Brest See also History of Christianity in Ukraine The Ukrainian Catholic church did not exist as such until the In 1657, and again in 1706, the town was captured by the Swedes; in 1794 it was the scene of Suvorov's victory over the Polish general Sierakowski; Brest passed to Russia when Poland-Lithuania was partitioned for a third time in 1795. Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov (Алекса́ндр Васи́льевич Суво́ров (sometimes transliterated as Aleksandr, Aleksander and Suvarov Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending During Russian rule in the 19th century a large fortress was built in and around the city. Brest Fortress (Брэсцкая крэпасць ISO 9:; Брестская крепость ISO 9:) in Brest Belarus, formerly

It was captured by the German Empire in 1915, during World War I. The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from 1871 to 1918 when it was a semi- Constitutional monarchy: beginning with the Unification World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All In March 1918, in the Brest-Litovsk fortress on the western outskirts of Brest at the confluence of the Western Bug and Mukhavets Rivers, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed, ending the war between Russia and the Central Powers and transferring the city and its surrounding region to the sphere of influence of the German Empire. Brest Fortress (Брэсцкая крэпасць ISO 9:; Брестская крепость ISO 9:) in Brest Belarus, formerly Mukhavets ( Belarusian: Мухаве́ц ( Muchaviec) muxa'vʲets Polish: Muchawiec) is a river in western Belarus Not to be confused with the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (February 9 1918, a similar treaty involving Ukraine and the Central Powers. The Central Powers ( German: "Mittelmächte" Hungarian: "Központi hatalmak" Turkish: "İttifak This treaty was subsequently annulled by the treaties which ended the war.

The newly reconstituted Poland took control of Brest in 1919. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland The city changed hands twice during the Polish-Soviet War and eventually stayed inside Polish borders, a development that was formally recognised by the Treaty of Riga in 1921. The Peace of Riga, also known as the Treaty of Riga; (Ри́жский ми́рный договóр -- Romanisation Rízhsky Mírny dogovór --, Rīgas In the former Brest-Litovsk fortress, heavily damaged during World War I, Polish troops with the headquarters of the 9th Military District were stationed, and the city itself became a capital of Polesie Voivodship (województwo poleskie). Brest Fortress (Брэсцкая крэпасць ISO 9:; Брестская крепость ISO 9:) in Brest Belarus, formerly World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Population Its capital biggest and most important city was Brześć nad Bugiem (now Brest in Belarus) In 1930 Wincenty Witos and some other prominent Polish statesmen were detained here before the notorious trial in Warsaw. Wincenty Witos ( 22 January 1874 - 31 October 1945) was a prominent member of the Polish People's Party (PSL from 1895 and

During the Invasion of Poland in 1939 the city was defended by a small garrison of four infantry battalions under Gen. The Invasion of Poland (1939 precipitated World War II. It was carried out by Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small German-allied Konstanty Plisowski against the XIX Panzer Corps of Gen. Konstanty Plisowski (1890&ndash1940 was a Polish general and military commander Heinz Guderian. Heinz Wilhelm Guderian ( 17 June, 1888 – 14 May, 1954) was a military theorist and innovative General of the German After four days of heavy fighting the Polish forces withdrew southwards on September 17 (more in articles: Battle of Brześć Litewski). Events 1176 - The Battle of Myriokephalon is fought 1462 - The Battle of Świecino (or Battle of Żarnowiec Battle of Brześć Litewski (otherwise known as the Siege of Brześć, Battle of Brest-Litovsk or simply Battle of Brześć) was a World

Brest railway station during World War I, circa 1915

Boris Feldblyum Collection

The city was occupied by the Soviet Union in 1939 in accordance with the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact's Secret Protocol effectively partitioning Poland signed with Nazi Germany in August 1939. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Some Belarusians considered it a reunification of the Belarusian nation under one constituency (BSSR at that time). The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (abbreviated as Byelorussian SSR or BSSR) (Беларуская Савецкая Сацыялістычная Рэспубліка

On June 22, 1941 the fortress and the city was attacked by Nazi Germany at the beginning of the surprise war, codenamed Operation Barbarossa, but held out for six weeks. Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers Operation Barbarossa ( Unternehmen Barbarossa) was the Codename for Nazi Germany 's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II (more in articles: Hero-Fortress) Nearly all the defenders perished. Hero-Fortress ( Russian: крепость-герой krepost'-geroy) is the honorary title awarded to the Soviet Brest Fortress, now in Brest Belarus Brest's Jewish community was decimated under Nazi rule in 1942. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ The city was occupied once more by the Red Army on 28 July 1944. Events 1540 - Thomas Cromwell is executed at the order of Henry VIII of England on charges of Treason. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. An interesting fact was the large number of ethnic Chechens in the contingent of the fortress, which politically always contradicted the somewhat stereotypical view that Chechens were collaborators of Nazi Germany. Chechens ( Chechen: Hохчи / Noxçi) constitute the largest native Ethnic group originating in the North Caucasus region

According to the agreements of the Yalta Conference of February 1945, Brest's status as part of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic was officially recognised and the Poles, the majority of the inhabitants, were expelled. The Yalta Conference, sometimes called the Crimea Conference and Codenamed the Argonaut Conference, was the wartime meeting from 4 February It is now part of the independent country of Belarus.

Sights in Brest

Resurrection Church of Brest is the biggest one in Belarus, over 5000 people can attend service

A majestic Soviet style war memorial was constructed on the site of the 1941 battle, to commemorate the known and unknown defenders of the Hero-Fortress. Hero-Fortress ( Russian: крепость-герой krepost'-geroy) is the honorary title awarded to the Soviet Brest Fortress, now in Brest Belarus This war memorial is the largest tourist attraction of the city. In addition, an archeological museum of the old city Berestye is located on the southern island of the Hero-Fortress. Hero-Fortress ( Russian: крепость-герой krepost'-geroy) is the honorary title awarded to the Soviet Brest Fortress, now in Brest Belarus It offers objects and huts dated back to the 11th - 13th century, that were unearthed during excavations in the 1970s.

the biggest and the newest stadium in Brest

Brest also hosts the first Belarusian outdoor railway museum. The Brest Railway Museum is the first outdoor railway Museum in Belarus, located in Brest, opened in 2002

Brest contains a synagogue, which was regarded in the 16th century as the first in Europe. It is also the seat of an Armenian and of a Greek Catholic bishop; the former has authority over the Armenians throughout the whole country.

A Holocaust memorial commemorates the dead Jews of Brest ghetto. The Holocaust (from the Greek el ''ὁλόκαυστον'' (el-Latn holókauston holos, "completely" and kaustos, "burnt" also known as A ghetto is described as a "portion of a city in which members of a minority group live especially because of social legal or economic pressure

Brest City Park is 100 years old, but looks quite new after the recent reconstruction. Brest City Park is an urban public park in Brest Belarus. The Russian soldiers of Libava Regiment who were stationed in this part of Brest-Litovsk

Brest has several stadiums, indoor sport halls and many outdoor sport facilities.

The local airport (code BQT), is operating flights to the capital city Minsk and to Moscow and Novgorod in Russia on a weekly basis. Minsk (Мінск mʲinsk Минск mʲinsk is the Capital and largest city in Belarus, situated on the Svislach and Niamiha rivers Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Veliky Novgorod (Вели́кий Но́вгород is the foremost historic city of North-Western Russia and the administrative center of Novgorod Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending It is currently closed.

Sights around Brest

Central Square of Brest

Belavezhskaya Pushcha National Park, 70 km north of Brest, is a biosphere reserve of world distinction and can be reached by car or bus. Białowieża Primaeval Forest, known as Belaveskaya Pushcha (Белавеская пушча or Belovezhskaya Pushcha in Belarus This medieval forest is home to rare European bison (wisent). The wisent (ˈviːzənt or European bison ( Bison bonasus) is a Bison Species and the heaviest surviving land animal in Europe There is a museum and a zoo, available for tourists in the forest, animals can be seen in enclosures all the year round. 2 hotels and some restaurants and bars are there. Excursions can also be taken by horse and cart into the interior of the forest. As a new tourist attraction, the forest features the residence of Grandfather Frost, known as Ded Moroz, the Eastern Slavic Santa Claus, that works all the year round. In the culture of the Eastern Slavs the traditional character Ded Moroz (Дед Мороз plays a role similar to that of Santa Claus. Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, or simply " Santa " is the

Rush Hour in Masherov Avenue, Brest

Brest also hosts the first Belarusian outdoor railway museum. Brest City Park is old, but looks new after the recent reconstruction. Brest City Park is an urban public park in Brest Belarus. The Russian soldiers of Libava Regiment who were stationed in this part of Brest-Litovsk

Kamyanets, Belarus, that lies on the way to the National park from Brest, features an outstanding landmark, the 13th-century tower of Kamyanets. Kamianiec (also spelled Kamenets) (Камяне́ц kamʲa'nʲets Ка́менец Kamieniec is a town in the Brest Voblast of Belarus and the The Tower of Kamianiec, often called by the misnomer the White Tower ( Belarusian: Белая вежа transliteration Bielaya Vieža or Belaya Vezha

The village of Kosova, where Tadeusz Kosciuszko was born, is also in the Brest region and features a 19th-century palace and a nice Roman Catholic church. Kosava (Косава Коссово also known as Kossów and Kossów Poleski is a small town in the Ivasevichy Raion in the Brest Province of Belarus Andrzej Tadeusz Bonawentura Kościuszko (; 1746 &ndash 1817 was a Polish and American national hero and general Brest can easily be reached from Warsaw (Poland) by taking the daily sleeper train to Brest Centralnaya (Brest Central) from the central train station in Warsaw, although visas must be sorted out for EU passport holders before travelling. There are a few hotels in Brest, including "INTOURIST" on Praspekt Masherava (Masherova Prospect).

Honors

A minor planet 3232 Brest discovered by Soviet astronomer Lyudmila Ivanovna Chernykh in 1974 is named after the city. Minor planet is a term used since the 19th century to describe objects such as Asteroids that are in Orbit around the Sun but are not Planets 3232 Brest (1974 SL is a Main-belt Asteroid discovered on September 19, 1974 by Chernykh L The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 ^[2]

People

• Menachem Begin, former prime minister of Israel
• David Dubinsky, former head of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America
• Louis Gruenberg, composer
• Nikolay Karpol, Russian women's volleyball coach
• David B. Steinman
• The Soloveitchik Rabbinical family associated with the Brisk yeshivas, and descendant Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik
• Jaroslaw Dabrowski, Polish revolutionary and general
• Yulia Nesterenko, women's Olympic 100 m champion

See also

• Battle of Brześć Litewski
• Brest Fortress
• Brisk
• Brisk yeshivas
• Hero-Fortress
• Names of European cities in different languages: B

Notes

External links

• http://www.brestonline.com
• Entry in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine
• http://www.brest-bel.narod.ru
• Jewish Brest-Litovsk (Brisk)- Your Virtual Shtetl (Town)
• Streets of Brest
• Weather of Brest, 6 days - brest.the.by

Images

• Historic images of Brest
• Photos on Radzima.org
• Webcam