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Byaroza | |
|---|---|
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 Flag | |
  Byaroza Location in Belarus | |
| Coordinates:52°33′N24°58′E / 52.550°N 24.967°E /52.550; 24.967 | |
| Country | Belarus |
| Region | Brest Region |
| District | Byaroza District |
| Founded | 1477 |
| Area | |
• Total | 150 km2 (58 sq mi) |
| Population (2025)[1] | |
• Total | 28,192 |
| • Density | 190/km2 (490/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (MSK) |
| Postal code | 225210 |
| Area code | +375 1643 |
| License plate | 1 |
| Website | Official website(in Russian) |
Byaroza (Belarusian:Бяроза,romanized: Biaroza;Russian:Берёза,romanized: Beryoza; also spelledBereza),[2] formerlyByaroza-Kartuzskaya,[a] is a town inBrest Region,Belarus. It serves as the administrative center ofByaroza District.[1] As of 2025, it has a population of 28,192.[1]
The village of Biaroza (meaningbirch) was first mentioned in 1477 as part of theSlonimpaviet. In the 15th century, the village probably received thetown charter. Between 1538 and 1600 it was an important centre ofCalvinism. Later the town became the private property of theRadziwiłł family.
In the 17th century, the village belonged toSapieha family, who founded a fortified monastery and a palace here. In 1648, the monastery was presented to theCarthusianmonks. They came from the Italian town ofTreviso and settled here. In gratitude for this deed,PopeAlexander VII granted the title of a prince toLew Sapieha. The monastery was also expanded and became one of the biggestcharterhouses (Carthusian monasteries) in thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Carthusian order gave its name to the second part of the town's name in the form in which it has been used till late 1940s:Biaroza-Kartuzskaya (Polish: Bereza Kartuska).
During theGreat Northern War, the monastery housed a conference held by KingAugustus II of Poland andPeter I of Russia. In 1706, the fortified monastery was put under siege and then taken by assault and looted by the forces ofCharles XII of Sweden. Two years later, the Swedish forces looted the area again, which resulted in almost total depopulation of the town. It was also damaged by the armies ofAlexander Suvorov in 1772, during thePartitions of Poland.
After the partitions, the town and the monastery were annexed byRussia in 1795. After theNovember Uprising of 1831 the town was captured by the Russian armies and then looted. The monastery was closed by tsarist authorities and in 1866, after theJanuary Uprising, the whole complex was partially demolished, and the bricks were used for construction of a Russian prison and barracks nearby. The baroque church was destroyed in 1868. After the uprising, the town became a part of the so-calledPale of settlement and was repopulated with Jews expelled from other areas of theRussian Empire. By the 20th century, they constituted more than 70% of the city's inhabitants. In 1842, a new road was opened betweenMoscow andWarsaw and passed through the town, which started a period of economic prosperity. In 1871, aWarsaw-Moscow railroad was laid only 20 miles (32 kilometres) from the town, connecting the town with the nearby major cities ofBrest andMinsk. In 1878, the town had a marketplace, 7 streets and approximately 200 houses. Both the town and the adjoining area had approximately 5,000 inhabitants. Apart from the Catholic and Uniate Churches, there was also a synagogue, Jewish baths and a market just outside the city limits.
In 1915, during the First World War, the town was occupied by theImperial Germany and in 1918 claimed by the short-livedBelarusian People's Republic. The town was captured by theRed Army on January 19, 1919, during theSoviet westward offensive of 1918–19 (Target-Vistula). Within one month, thePolish Army reclaimed the area, and recaptured the town on February 14, 1919. During thePolish-Bolshevik War the town became a notable location of two major battles includingthe war's very first and the secondBattle of Bereza Kartuska (1920). At the end of the Polish–Soviet War the town was ceded toPoland in thePeace of Riga signed by Soviet Russia (acting also on behalf of Soviet Belarus). The peace treaty remained in force until theSoviet invasion of Poland in 1939.[3]
A Polish political prison camp was created in Bereza Kartuska in 1934. The former Russian barracks and prison were turned into aninternment camp for both Polish right-wing extremists from theONR, Ukrainian separatists from theOrganization of Ukrainian Nationalists and members of theCommunist Party of Poland and theCommunist Party of Western Ukraine, and later also for members of opposition parties, journalists critical of the government and people suspected of common crimes. Inmates were sent there for up to three months without the involvement of the courts, based solely on the administrative decision of the police or thevoivode. In this way, many Belarusians who resistedPolonization found themselves in the Bereza Kartuska camp.[4]
The legal basis for the camp opening was openly questioned and its existence was often criticized by opponents of theSanacja movement, which from its inception called it a "concentration camp". The camp was closed in September 1939, during theinvasion of Poland.
In 1939 the town was captured by the Red Army and incorporated into theByelorussian SSR. After the outbreak of theGerman-Soviet War, the town was captured by theGerman Army on 23 June 1941. The German occupation lasted until 15 July 1944. During this time, Byaroza was administered as a part of Generalbezirk Wolhynien und Podolien ofReichskommissariat Ukraine.
DuringWorld War II, aghetto was created in the town for Jews who fled there from the surrounding areas. Under the Nazi German occupying administration — which had merged Byaroza, along with most of westernPolesia, into theReichskommissariat Ukraine — more than 8,000 people were killed in mass executions or were starved to death. Numerous pro-Soviet and pro-Ukrainian partisan units were active in the area around Byaroza before Red Army troops finally liberated the town on 15 July 1944. Repopulated with Belarusian and Russian peasants, the town was rebuilt after the destruction of World War II. After a minor building materials factory was opened in the town, another period of fast growth followed.
During the postwar period a SovietFrontal Aviation base,Osovcy was close to Biaroza.
In 1958-1967 a hydroelectric power station was built in the Biaroza Raion.
In 1991, after the dissolution of theUSSR, the town became part of the independentRepublic of Belarus.
Although the 17th-century monastery was mostly destroyed in the 19th century, there are some ruins remaining. Among them are:
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