General information
Lida is a city in western Belarus and the administrative center of Lidskiy district. It is located in the central part of the Grodno region at the intersection of roads and railways (Minsk-Vilnius-Grodno- Slonim). It is located 120 kilometers from Poland, 100 Kilometers from Vilnius and 164km from Minsk.
In the 16th century it was one of the five largest cities in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The city has beautiful parks and alleys, cozy squares and streets and is known for its hospitable residents.
History of Lida
Lida was founded in 1323 by the Grand Duke Gediminas. The city developed rapidly and was one of the largest in Belarus in the 14th -16th centuries. The city’s name comes from the Baltic lyda which means ‘cultivated field on the site of the felled forests’. Lida was occupied by many different individuals at various points in time, thus contributing to its rich history. For centuries the city belonged to various magnates such as the Radziwill, Radiminskie, Stsipiodel Campo family and for a short period of time Duke Vytautas even gave Lida to former khan of the Golden Horde Tohtomysh.
In 1590, Lida received the Magdeburg Law and the emblem of the city. In later centuries, Lida became an administrative, judicial and market center of the county. People came to Lida to litigate, exchange products and meet for various balls and celebrations. From 1759 to 1834 there was a secondary school called the ‘Piarskiy Collegium’ and some of the students that graduated from this school have actually left their imprint in science and literature. In 1795, the city, which at the time had a predominant Jewish population, became a part of the Russian Empire. Since the second half of the 19th century, industry in the city started to rapidly develop due to the railroad construction. From 1921 to 1939 the city was a part of Poland and in 1939 Lida became a part of BSSR.
Lida reference information
| Belarusian (latin) | Lida |
| Belarusian (cyrillic) | Ліда |
| Russian (latin) | Lida |
| Russian (cyryllic) | Лида |
| Founded | 1323 |
| Population | 99, 086 |
| Region | Grodno region |
| Area (sq.km) | 50 km² |
| Phone code | +375 154 |
| Time zone | UTC+3 |
| Postal code | 231300 |
| License plate | 4 |
| Link | www.lida.by |
Sightseeing in Lida
The symbol of the city is undoubtedly the Lidskiy Castle. Erected by Duke Gediminas it is still considered a jewel in the whole of Belarus. A fascinating journey into the middle ages awaits those who decided to visit the famous ancient citadel with a feel of romance and knight valor at almost every step. The travelers will hear the legend of the ghost guarding the ancient walls and will be able to see examples of armor and learn about the difficulties of life of ancient warriors. There are also excursions in the form of staged performances of bygone centuries held in the castle. During the winter time, the courtyard of the castle is transformed into an ice rink attracting the attention of kids.
Farniy Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Lida built in 1770 is a vivid representation of ‘vilenskoe’ baroque. The interior of the church is decorated with murals. The image of the Holy Mother and Child brought to Belarus by first Franciscans in the 14th century is also stored in the church.
The international festival of medieval tradition and culture ‘Zamok Gedimina’ brings back the feel of the middle ages for a couple of days.
Also ‘Prazdnik Piva’ in Lida is among the most popular tourist excursions. Tourists will not just taste the beer but also listen to performances of the well-known Russian and Belarusian rock groups. There is a promising festival of kvass that may become a good tradition too. it is impossible to plan a trip to Belarus, without visiting Lida, a city with a wonderful combination of history and modernity.
Accommodation in Lida
The choice for tourist accommodation is diverse. There are hotels, country houses, a couple of farmsteads.
Economy
The industry of the area is represented by 33 enterprises of various branches such as chemical, food, machine-building, metal, wood processing and electro technical. The well-known enterprises of the area are a glass plant ‘Neman’ in Berëzovka, ‘Belteks Optik’ in Lida, ‘Lakokraska’, ‘Lidskoe pivo’, ‘Lidskaya Obuvnaya Fabrika’, ‘Lidskaya mebelnaya fabrika’ and ‘Lidselmash’. The agriculture specializes in meat and dairy farming, pig breeding and flax growing.
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