Mazyr
Mazyr
Mozyr | |
|---|---|
    
| |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Mazyr | |
| Coordinates:52°03′N29°15′E/ 52.050°N 29.250°E | |
| Country | Belarus |
| Region | Gomel Region |
| District | Mazyr District |
| First mentioned | 1155 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 44.1381 km2(17.0418 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 160 m (520 ft) |
| Population (2024)[1] | |
| • Total | 105,152 |
| • Density | 2,400/km2(6,200/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+3(MSK) |
| Postal code | 247760 |
| Area code | +375 2363 |
| License plate | 3 |
MazyrorMozyr(Belarusian:Мазыр,IPA:[maˈzɨr];Russian:Мозырь,IPA:[ˈmozɨrʲ];Polish:Mozyrz;Yiddish:מאזיר) is a city inGomel Region,Belarus.It serves as the administrative center ofMazyr District.[1]It is situated on thePripyat Riverabout 210 kilometres (130 miles) east ofPinskand 100 kilometres (62 miles) northwest ofChernobylin Ukraine. As of 2024, it has a population of 105,152.[1]
Mazyr is known as a center of oil refining, salt extraction, machine building, and food processing in Belarus. It is home to one of the largestoil refineriesin Belarus, pumping out 18 million metric tons per year, and is served by a tram line. TheDruzhba pipelinecarries crude oil from Russia, splitting in two at Mazyr. One pipeline branch is directed intoPolandand the other one toUkraine.
History
[edit]The city was mentioned in 1155.[2]
It was a county seat in theMińsk Voivodeshipof thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealthuntil thePartitions of Poland.[3]In the 18th century,Baroquemonasteries and churches ofCistercianmonks and nuns were established.[4]At various times, the2ndand3rdLithuanian Vanguard Regiments were stationed there.[5]
During thePartitions of Poland,the city was annexed byRussia,within which it was administratively part of theMinsk Governorate.The city was subjected toRussificationpolicies. In the 19th century both Cistercian monasteries were closed down.[4]The women's convent was converted into an Orthodox monastery, while the men's monastery was planned to be demolished, but the plan was abandoned as it served as a shelter for Jews after a city fire.[4]Two annualfairswere held in the city in the late 19th century.[3]During thePolish–Soviet War,on March 4, 1920, the town was captured by the Poles,[6]but later on it fell to the Soviets.
DuringWorld War II,the German occupiers operated a Nazi prison in the town.[7]
The city has suffered radioactive fallout from theChernobyl disaster.
After thedissolution of the Soviet Union,Cistercian churches were restored to the Catholics.[4]
Climate
[edit]| Climate data for Mazyr (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 5.2 (41.4) |
7.5 (45.5) |
15.2 (59.4) |
23.6 (74.5) |
28.4 (83.1) |
31.4 (88.5) |
32.6 (90.7) |
32.3 (90.1) |
27.2 (81.0) |
21.9 (71.4) |
12.9 (55.2) |
7.0 (44.6) |
32.6 (90.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −1.6 (29.1) |
−0.1 (31.8) |
5.7 (42.3) |
14.4 (57.9) |
20.5 (68.9) |
23.9 (75.0) |
25.8 (78.4) |
24.9 (76.8) |
19.0 (66.2) |
11.8 (53.2) |
4.3 (39.7) |
−0.4 (31.3) |
12.3 (54.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −3.9 (25.0) |
−3.1 (26.4) |
1.5 (34.7) |
9.0 (48.2) |
14.7 (58.5) |
18.3 (64.9) |
20.1 (68.2) |
19.1 (66.4) |
13.7 (56.7) |
7.6 (45.7) |
1.8 (35.2) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
8.0 (46.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −6.0 (21.2) |
−5.7 (21.7) |
−1.8 (28.8) |
4.4 (39.9) |
9.7 (49.5) |
13.3 (55.9) |
15.2 (59.4) |
14.2 (57.6) |
9.6 (49.3) |
4.3 (39.7) |
0.0 (32.0) |
−4.5 (23.9) |
4.4 (39.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −18.6 (−1.5) |
−16.9 (1.6) |
−10.2 (13.6) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
2.1 (35.8) |
6.8 (44.2) |
10.0 (50.0) |
8.0 (46.4) |
2.3 (36.1) |
−3.8 (25.2) |
−9.1 (15.6) |
−15.3 (4.5) |
−18.6 (−1.5) |
| Averageprecipitationmm (inches) | 41.7 (1.64) |
40.6 (1.60) |
45.8 (1.80) |
40.5 (1.59) |
68.6 (2.70) |
69.5 (2.74) |
100.9 (3.97) |
59.1 (2.33) |
47.8 (1.88) |
55.6 (2.19) |
46.9 (1.85) |
47.1 (1.85) |
664.1 (26.15) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 10.0 | 9.8 | 9.7 | 7.5 | 9.9 | 9.5 | 10.3 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 8.4 | 8.9 | 10.5 | 109.7 |
| Source:NOAA[8] | |||||||||||||
Jewish community
[edit]Jews were first mentioned in chronicles in the second half of the 17th century. It is known that there were three synagogues in the city as of 1856. R. Kugel, a prominent Jewish community figure, had been the chief Rabbi of Mazyr since 1861. He was also the head of the local Jewish literacy school.
During this period Jews were mostly engaged in craftsmanship and trading. Part of Mazyr's industry, the match factory and the wood sawing factory were owned by Jews.
There were eight active synagogues, ayeshiva,Jewish school and Talmud-Torah school in the wake of the 20th century. All of the facilities had been closed down by 1939.
Thousands of Jews wereexecuted by German troopsin the localghettoduring World War II.[9]After the mass execution, almost no Jews remained in the city, whereas before the war 30% of the population within the city was Jewish. On August 31, 1941, hundreds of Jews gathered inside a house at Malo-Pushkin street. They poured kerosene on the building walls and set it alight, while the people huddled inside. The mass suicide was an attempt to escape execution by the Germans.[10]The incident is known as the "Belarusian Masada".
After the war some Jews returned to Mazyr. Although they refused to take back the partially-destroyed synagogue building, an official Jewish community was registered in 1946. A few years later, authorities denied the organization's right to exist. The community organization was re-established officially in 1989, when a revival began in the city. A synagogue and a Jewish culture club were opened.
Sights
[edit]- BaroqueCathedral in the name of Archangel Michaeland formerBernardinemonastery
- BaroqueCistercianmonks church and monastery
- Baroque Cistercian nuns church and monastery
- The Mazyr Castle, dating back to 16th century
- A monument for Jews at the place of a mass grave
- A monument composed of black polished granite, commemorating the aforementioned "Belarusian Masada"
- A monument placed at the point of mass executions
- The Pkhov river port, the biggest port of Belarus
Population
[edit]| Year | Total Population | Jewish population | % Jewish | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1897 | 8076 | 5631 | 69.73% | Russian Census of 1897 |
| 1927 | 14300 | ~6000 | 42% | Soviet Census of 1927[11][failed verification] |
| 1939 | 17500 | 6307 | 36.04% | Jewish population just beforeWorld War II[12] |
| 1970 | 48000 | 4300 | 8.96% | Soviet Census of 1970. The Jewish population fell due toHolocaustand migration to bigger cities asMinsk,MoscowandLeningradafter World War II[13][failed verification] |
| 1979 | 105882 | 3600 | 3.40% | Soviet Census of 1979. The Jewish population fell due to the emigration of Soviet Jews to Israel and the United States[13] |
| 1989 | 128000 | 3200 | 2.50% | Soviet Census of 1989. The Jewish population fell due to the emigration of Soviet Jews to Israel and the United States[13] |
| 1999 | 114000 | 565 | 0.50% | The Jewish population fell due to the emigration of Soviet Jews to Israel and United States[13] |
| 2004 | 111500 | <500 | 0.45% | [citation needed] |
Transport
[edit]
Mazyr has a tram service, which commenced operation on 1 August 1988. The line starts at the tram depot and terminates at the oil refinery, with four turning loops located along the route. It is designed to server Mazyr Oil Refinery (MNPZ) and is owned by the refinery. Services on the tram line are coordinated with shifts at the refinery; service throughout the day is every 25-95 minutes while during the peaks it is 3-12 minutes, though those services pass suburban stops without stopping. Most passengers are workers, though it also serves residents living near the line. The total length of the line is 20.3 km, with a full trip time of 40 minutes. The line has a high-speed layout, with radius of minimum 400 meters. There were plans for a second tram line, but this has not come to fruition.[14]The rolling stock is mainly71-605and its derivative vehicles.[15]VD Bolshoi Bokov airfield is located 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Mazyr and was used by Russian military aircraft during the2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[16]
Educational Centers
[edit]- Mozyr State Pedagogical University
- State Politehnikum (Technical College)
- Medical College[17]
- Music College
- Art School
- State Lycee
- Gomel State School of Olympic Reserve
Twin towns – sister cities
[edit]
Chojnice,Poland
Severodvinsk,Russia
Notable residents
[edit]- Siarhiej Dubaviec(b. 1959) – Belarusian journalist and writer[20]
- George de Mohrenschildt – geologist and friend ofLee Harvey Oswald
- Isaac Don Levinewas born there
- Zbigniew Morsztyn – PolishnoblemanofLeliwa coat of arms,poetof theBaroqueera, soldier, member of thePolish Brethren,Miecznikof Mazyr. Cousin and co-worker ofJan Andrzej Morsztyn.
- Ksenia Sitnik – singer and winner of theJunior Eurovision Song Contest 2005
- Dzyanis Laptsew – footballer
- Hesya Helfman – member ofNarodnaya Volya,who was implicated in theassassination of Tsar Alexander II
References
[edit]- ^abc"Численность населения на 1 января 2024 г. и среднегодовая численность населения за 2023 год по Республике Беларусь в разрезе областей, районов, городов, поселков городского типа".belsat.gov.by.Archived fromthe originalon 2 April 2024.Retrieved9 April2024.
- ^Tikhomirov, Mikhail Nikolaevich (1959).The Towns of Ancient Rus.Foreign Languages Publishing House. p. 37.
- ^abSłownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom VI(in Polish). Warszawa. 1885. p. 754.
{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^abcdWęglicka, Katarzyna (2005).Kresowym szlakiem. Gawędy o miejscach, ludziach i zdarzeniach(in Polish). Warszawa: Książka i Wiedza. pp. 319–320.ISBN83-05-13390-7.
- ^Gembarzewski, Bronisław (1925).Rodowody pułków polskich i oddziałów równorzędnych od r. 1717 do r. 1831(in Polish). Warszawa: Towarzystwo Wiedzy Wojskowej. p. 14.
- ^Ryłko, Władysław (1929).Zarys historji wojennej 7-go pułku artylerii polowej(in Polish). Warszawa. p. 12.
{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^"Gefängnis Mazyr".Bundesarchiv.de(in German).Retrieved10 December2023.
- ^"World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020 — Mazyr".National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.RetrievedJanuary 12,2024.
- ^"YV360".
- ^"Excavation Causes Controversy in Belarus".Associated Press.
- ^Belarys.by site about Mozyr[1]
- ^Jewishgen.org Ghettos of Gomel district[2]
- ^abcdJewish Heritage Research Group in Belarus.[3]
- ^"Mazyr".transphoto.org.Retrieved2021-05-31.
- ^"Mazyr, Tramway — Roster".transphoto.org.Retrieved2021-05-31.
- ^AirForces Monthly.Stamford,Lincolnshire,England:Key Publishing Ltd.December 2022. p. 28.
- ^"Mazyr | Belarus | Britannica".
- ^"Miasta Partnerskie Chojnic".miastochojnice.pl(in Polish). Chojnice.Retrieved2020-02-11.
- ^"Межрегиональные и шефские связи".severodvinsk.info(in Russian). Severodvinsk.Retrieved2020-02-11.
- ^Дубавец Сяргей Іванавіч
External links
[edit]
- Satellite photo of Mazyr(from Google Maps). Ravines can be seen very clearly.
- Mazyr town at Radzima.org
- FC Slavia-Mozyr Official Site - slaviya.info
- FC Slavia - slavia-mozyr
- Сайт горада Мазыр
- Cities of Belarus:Mozyr
- International Festival 'Hey, Rocknem!'
- The murder of the Jews of MazyrduringWorld War II,atYad Vashemwebsite
- Mazyr, BelarusatJewishGen
| Districts (raions) |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Cities and towns | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
