Mogilev (Магілёў), Belarus

Mogilev (Belarusian: Магілёў, Russian: Могилёв) is a city in central eastern Belarus. With a population of 370,000 people (2011 estimate), it is the main city in Bryansk Oblast, and the third largest city in Belarus.

Mogilev Railway Station, Belarus
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mogiljov_railway_station2-BY.jpg
Author: Paju


Mogilev, which is also spelled Mahilyow, was founded in 1267. As with most of the cities in Belarus, it came under the rule of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 14th century, and later on, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

In 1772, the First Partition of Poland brought Mogilev under the rule of the Russian Empire. It was occupied by German forces during the First World War. After the Russian Revolution, it was captured by Bolshevic troops and added into Byelorussian SSR. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, it became part of the independent Belarus.

Monastery of St Nicholas in Mogilev
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sviato-Nikolskij_monastir_v_Mogileve._Obshij_vid.jpg
Author: Moland2006


Today Mogilev is one of the major economic and industrial centers of Belarus. It is a manufacturing base for heavy equipment, from cranes to tractors, and it also has a chemical manufacturing facility.

Mogilev suffered devastation from the Great Northern War (1700-21) and Great Patriotic War (as the Second World War was known in this region). However, it has since rebuilt its historic buildings, many of which are now well preserved. Among them include the Cathedral of the Monastery of St Nicholas, which is a candidate for inscription as a World Heritage Site.

The City Hall of Mogilev
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:City_Hall_of_M%D0%B0hilo%C5%AD.JPG
Author: Kazimier Lachnović

Visiting Mogilev

You can reach Mogilev by train from Minsk, Gomel, Moscow and Vilnus.

Sights & Attractions in Mogilev

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