Ivanovo

General information

Ivanovo is a town in the Brest region of Belarus and the administrative center of Ivanovo district. The town is located on one side of the railway station Yanov-Poleski on the route connecting Brest to Luninets. The clean, quiet and cozy town of Ivanovo, lost in the woods of Polesie is located 130 kilometers to the east of Brest. The towns’ population is circa 17,000 people.

History of Ivanovo

Ivanovo was first mentioned in written sources in the 14th century as a village called Porkhov. In 1423, the village was give to Bishop Jan Lasovich and subsequently in 1465 Lasovich named the village after himself. The Yanov otherwise known as Yanov-Poleski village became the second residence of the Lutsky bishops and as a result many of them were also buried there. The church leaders did everything possible for the development of Yanov which received the status of town in the 15th century.

The most tragic series of events in the history of the town occurred during the Russian-Polish war between the years 1654 to 1667. Cossacks’s squad invaded Yanov, detained and tortured the famous Catholic Church leader Andrew Bobola. Andrew Bobola used to be a passionate preacher who promoted the idea of a unified Brest in 1596, and he was often called ‘The Apostle of Pinsk’. In 1938, the martyr was canonised and is considered as one of the heavenly patrons of Belarus. The town was renamed Ivanovo after becoming a part of the Russian Empire in 1795, after the third partition of Poland.

Ivanovo reference information

Sightseeing in Ivanovo

The ancient church of the city is the Holy Cross church. The church which holds the relics of St. Andrew Bobol together with the chapel was built in 1848, in honour of this heavenly patron of Belarus. In terms of other historical and unique architectural places of interest there is also the Church of Intercession, built in 1901 in retrospective Russian style in the central square of the town. The interior within the church is adorned with icons of the 17th-19th century, which is particularly eye catching and intriguing for tourists. By the Church of Intercession, visitors will see that there is also a memorial plate established in 1918, in remembrance of the German Soldiers killed during World War I.

Residents of Ivanovo are extremely proud of their famous natives. In the exact place that St Andrew Bobol was captured and executed, crosses and memorials are placed. In 1997 a monument to Napoleon Orda was erected. Orda was a famous Belarusian artist, composer and writer born in a village near the town of Vorotsevichi not far from Ivanovo. The music festival known as the ‘Gasteunya of Napoleon Orda’ had become a tradition held annually in late October. The regional museum presents not only the exhibition of the history of Ivanovo, but also a large number of unusual exhibits and documents from the life of the famous native Napoleon Orda.

An excursion in Ivanovo may include a walk through the ancient paved streets where tourists will hear the ancient legends or alternatively visit many of the other attractions on offer.

Accommodation in Ivanovo

Tourists wishing to visit the festival can stay in the hotel known as ‘Under the linden trees’, which offers a comfortable place to rest and recuperate.

Economy

Various enterprises of food, woodworking and metalworking industries can be found in the region. The main industrial area was formed in the eastern and western parts of Ivanovo , there are also ventures for the production of oil, milk powder, malt and mineral water.

Farming area specializes in the production of milk, meat, cultivation of cereals, sugar beet, potatoes, vegetables and fodder crops.