Stereotypes are strange and absurd thing. The majority of Belarusian people hasn’t ever met an American man, but strongly believes that the American citizens, to put it mildly, are not very clever. One cannot proof or disprove their belief, but the simplest comparison of the common weal of both countries will turn in favour of the “not very clever”. On the other hand it’s clear, that all stereotypes are justified. An example: hearing the name of a settlement ended in “-ichi” one naturally imagine a village or a small town. You are mistaken however if picture Baranavichy in this way. The author of this article heard not once that this city is smaller than Pinsk, Lida or Slutsk. Some are not even aware of the location of the town speaking about the region. So, Baranavichy is the 8th city in the Republic according the population and is situated in the Brest region almost at the border of the Minsk region. 100 citizens of Baranavichy are equal to 77 of Pinsk, 58 of Lida and 37 of Slutsk citizens. Furthermore, the area of the city is only 4.5 times less than the territory of the capital. Fancy that! The Baranavichy State University was established not long time ago; trolleybus route is intended to be placed in operation, some hypermarkets and an ice-palace. The city is rising gradually into a large regional center, that attracts the citizens from the small towns of the Brest and adjacent regions (Slonim, Nyasvizh, Navahrudak, Ivatsevichy, Hantsavichy and some others), that come here shopping in goods- and auto-markets, pavilions and shops. Some of them come in order to visit concerts, exhibitions and cinema-halls (the premieres in the one of them are held at the same day with Moscow!). Baranavichy even was the center of the region till the 1953. Certainly, Baranavichy cannot give its citizens the same conditions and means as Minsk and the regional centers do, however one can’t but notice the advantages of living in the town of an average size such as Baranavichy. The city with the developed industry, which is situated on the crossroad of the transport ways, has great prospects of further development. During some decades of its existence a small railway station turned into a large industry city and railway junction. A lot of Belarusian towns with the history lasted even for centuries are disolated and god-forsaken now. Baranavichy is a young Belarusian city; it will celebrate the 138 years anniversary in 2009.

The city of Baranavichy is situated on the plate of the same name (the difference of the altitudes doesn’t exceed 20 m — from 180 m to 200 m above sea level) in the interfluves of the Schara and it’s tributary the Myshanka, laying almost at the straight line connecting regional center Brest (193 km) and Minsk (139 km) the capital of the republic. This characterizes the geographical position of the city that is the huge junction of the major rail and motor-car roads, as very advantageous. The length of the city is 7 km from west to east and from north to south; and also the city is a bit elongated (for 8,5 km) from south-west (from Brestskaya str.) to north-east (to Fabrichnaya str.) and is compressed (6,3 km) from north (Savietski avenue) to south-east (Fraliankova str.).

Coordinates of the city — longitude 26°00' East and latitude 53°07' North. The north point of the city — the street to the north of the automated lines plant — latitude 53°10' North, the south — the Uznohi willage, latitude 53°06' North. The west point is situated in Badaka street area — longitude 25°57' East, the east point — in the area of intersection Jahorava and Kashtanavaya streets — longitude 26°04' East. The geometric center of the city — the Lenin square. There are almost 500 streets and alleys in the city in total. Currently the city of Baranavichy occupies the area a little less than 60 square kilometers with the density of population more than 6000 people per 1 square kilometer. The apartment block makes the half of the city area. The city from the northeast to southwest and from northwest to southeast is crossed by railway lines Minsk — Brest and Lida — Luninets. This makes four separated planning areas — the central, the eastern, the northern and the northeast. There are two overbridges (in Savyetskaya and Baranava streets) above the railway lines. Due to the fact, that the other main transport arteries of the city do not have overbridges, the direct communication between separate areas substantially involves difficulties.

The rectangular mesh with the little blocks of cottage development is individual for the historically formed planning structure of the central planning area. Along the big central streets Brestskaya, Savyetskaya, Kamsamolskaya and Lenina the capital development was formed. The residential communities were formed in the south part of the area along Savetskaya, Prytytskaga, 50 let VLKSM streets. The main objects of administrative, public and community purpose are placed in the center of the city along Lenina, Savyetskaya, Kamsamolskaya streets. The most important industrial enterprises of this planning area are the motor unit works, the plant of trading equipment construction, the milk plant, the bread-baking plant.

In the eastern part of the city the dominating cottage development doesn’t have the clear system of the streets. The main streets: Telmana and Kirava. The railway station Baranavichy-Palesskiya and the bus station are placed in the area. The capital development was formed near one of the enterprises forming a company town in the past — the cotton mills. Besides this enterprise in the area are placed the plant of concrete products, the experimental-mechanical plant, the the automated lines plant, the plant of sanitary and electrical half-finished products, the integrated works of reinforced concrete structures and haylage towers.

In the northern area of the city territorially dominates the cottage development. In connection with construction the micro district “Paunochny” the percentage of the capital development increased. The main streets of this area are Savyetski avenue, Nakanyechnikava, Vilchkouskaha, Pralyetarskaya streets. The railway station Baranavichy-Tsentralnyya is placed in this planning area. The most considerable enterprises are the machine-tool plant AO “Atlant”, the plant of machine-tool accessories, the plant of concrete parts of construction trust No. 25, the heat and power plant (heat station). In the western part of the area along the branch railway Baranavichy — Lida the industrial-warehouse zone “Barautsy” was formed.

The first general layout of the city’s development was worked out in 1950. According to it the postwar construction was realized. Lately the second general layout of the city was worked out by the “Byelgosproyekt” institute in 1964—1966 and was approved by the Decree of the Council of Ministers of BSSR No. 36 from February, 16 1967. The correction of the general layout was made in 1975—1978 by the “ByelNIIPgradostroityelstva” institute, and it was approved by the Decree of the Council of Ministers of BSSR No. 270 from September, 7 1978. In 1982 the “The scheme of placement and development of urban and village settlements of Byelorussian SSR till 2000” was worked out, in which the parameters of development of small and middle towns of BSSR (including Baranavichy) with forming the uniform system of settlement of Byelorussian SSR were given. This work gave the common general parameters of development without detailing. The change of socio-economic conditions of life in the beginning of the 90-th in the country and in the city radically changed the urban conception ant the structure of the construction engineering. The city practically exceeded the parameters of development, which were described by the general layout of 1978, it exhausted the territory resources and the general layout went out of date in all positions. In May, 1996 the contract between Baranavichy city executive commitee and “ByelNIIPgradostroityelstva” was set up concerning making a correction of general layout of 1978. In 1999 the correction of general layout was examined by the Board of the Ministry of Architecture and Construction of Belarus. Currently the general layout of development of the city of Baranavichy is in force. It was approved by the Decree of the Council of Ministers of Belarus from December, 08 2004 No. 1557.

Baranavichy is clean and snug city, but, despite this fact, some officials say that it’s a vivid example of how the town can’t be built. Unfortunately there is truth in their words. Baranavichy is one of the biggest industrial centers of the Republic, but there is a subject for pity, almost all enterprises (near 40) are located inside the city. They are situated in neighborhood of living districts — houses, educational establishments, etc. For example, many years ago, there was an effort to move the meat-packing plant away, but it was just before the USSR had been destroyed, and after this the government couldn’t find money to continue the project. So still there is a close cohabitation between the plant and the Foreign Languages Faculty of the University.

It seems that Baranovichy enlarging in the way mushrooms appear after the rain. Firstly, all enterprises are built outside and further the city develops and surrounds those enterprises. In fact only machine-tool plant is far from living area, it’s hardly even seen from old Kobryn-Staubtsy road, which is the north border of the city. The relatively clean area is east one which includes only the Bus and Automobile Parks.

The step to the solution of the ecological problem in our town may be at least two trolleybus lines. It was planned as far back as 1978, but, as it has been said earlier, after they destroyed the USSR, there was a hole in the budget and lack of money even for more essential spheres. At the beginning of the 21st century the republic’s government signed the program of organizing the trolleybus route system in the cities, the population of which is over 100000. Baranavichy is the largest one of those, which still doesn’t have such system.

Until the Baranavichy State University in 2005 was established, there were only few branches of Minsk high educational establishments and Baranavichy State Higher Pedagogic College. The creation of University was caused by plan of development the academic sphere and scientific potential in the region.

Near Baranavichy one can find a lot of attractive historical monuments and amazing places. They are castles in Mir and Nyasvizh and ruins of one more in Navahrudak, lake Svitsyaz and Mickiewicz museum Zavosse. Many monuments and outstanding places are in the city itself: the monument to Mother’s Sorrow and memorial Urochyshcha Haj at the place where 3000 citizens of Chechoslovakia were shot by germans during the World War II, the monument with everlasting fire dedicated to Liberators. And also St.-Pakrousky Cathedral where you can see very beautiful frescos, which were created for Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Warsaw at the beginning of 20th century and then brought to Baranavichy before the Cathedral was blowed up. Here also a monument dedicated to 2000 anniversary of Christianity, a new monument to a sparrow, some buildings date back to 19th — the beginning of 20th century.

     Baranavichy…

...is a large industrial and cultural center on the west of the country;

...is inhabited by 169,000 citizens, the 8th place among Belarusian cities according this factor;

...is the birthplace of such famous people as Adam Mickiewicz, Yan Chachot, Valyantsin Taulay, Paulyuk Baghrym, twice Hero of the Soviet Union S. I. Hrytsaviets, Heroes of the Soviet Union I. K. Kabushkin, G. N. Khalastsyakou and some other outstanding figures;

...covers 54.9 sq. km. territory and 10.3 sq. km. of it is covered by plants, 0.7 sq. km. by water;

...is a large railway junction, the ways go up to Minsk, Brest, Hrodna, Slutsk, Lida, Luninets;

...has about 40 industrial enterprises;
     • “Atlant” machine-tool plant
     • The plant of the aircraft repair
     • The plant of household chemical goods
     • Baranavichy cotton mills “Blakit”
     • The motor unit works
     • The plant of trading equipment construction
     • The plant of machine-tool accesories
     • The plant of automated lines;

...has 14 twined-cities, they are:
     • Heynola — Finland; september, 7 1979
     • Shtockerau — Austria; august, 17 1989
     • Vasilyeostrovsky district of St. Petersburg — Russia; may, 12 1998
     • Gdynia — Poland; february, 6 1993
     • Chiby — China; october, 29 1997
     • Ferrara — Italy; march, 25 1998
     • Karlovo — Bulgaria; may, 29 1999
     • Mytischy district, Moscow region — Russia; november, 3 2000
     • Biala Podlaska — Poland; may, 16 2001
     • Shaulyay — Lithuania; may, 27 2001
     • Kineshma, Ivanovo region — Russia; june 2002
     • Novovolynsk — Ukraine; may, 25 2003
     • Elgava — Latvia; june, 6 2003
     • Naka — Sweden, october, 15 2005;

...has 7 large transport enterprises, one of them is Baranavichy’s Department of Belarusian Railways;

...has the 1st in Belarus and one of the largest in Europe railway museum under the sky;

...has 48 preschool establishments, 24 comprehensive schools, 5 gymnasiums, 1 lyceum, 5 art schools, a University, 8 libraries;

...has 11 sport schools, 4 of them are the schools of Olympic reserve;

...has 6 tennis fields;

...has over 100 buses daily serve citizens.

Baranavichy develops from year to year: the new buildings, shops, bus routes appear. The city is amazing in every season of the year.