Welcome to Vitebsk!

Each city has its own history and distinct features. Vitebsk is not the exception in this respect. A famous Russian artist Ilya Repin wrote in the 19th century: "… " there is no town which can compete with Vitebsk in the beauty of its location". And indeed the city’s extraordinary location on picturesque hills with swift waters of the Western Dvina flowing below encouraged many artists, writers and poets. And the churches, they are so high as if striving into the blue sky of our Belarus. All these architectural treasures are situated in the downtown. That is why it is worth to have a walking tour to see the most important sights. During the tour you may have a coffee break in one of the numerous “koffeynyas” (coffee shops) in the Old city. And of course, Mark Chagall. This is where the famous artist was born in 1887 and “this is where “he acquired the colors of his art”. Many come to Vitebsk only because of him.

Read about Vitebsk

It is a good idea to start the acquaintance with the city with a sightseeing tour "One Thousand Year Old Vitebsk”

The tour includes:

Drive along the Castle street, the shortest street in Vitebsk and most probably in the whole of Belarus to cross the Kirov bridge over the Western Dvina river to realize the city lies on hills. From the bridge you may have a wonderful view of the recently reconstructed Assumption Cathedral with its Golden Domes, the highest church, natural and architectural dominant of the city. Among the city’s main attractions are the 12th century Annunciation church, high and slender monument to the 100th anniversary of 1812 war with Napoleon built of red granite and crowned with a two-headed eagle, Governor’s House in a classical style & a number of other fascinating buildings & monuments. A monument to Mark Chagall depicting him captivated by his dreams and a tiny figure of a flying woman symbolizing his wife Bella whith whom it was so easy to be lying over the roofs of the native city will certainly encourage you to make a photograph. You will find a delight in spotting a building of the famous Vitebsk People’s Art School encouraged by Mark Chagall and his opponent, a world famous artist Kasmir Malevich. Some other monuments are to be discovered along the embankments of the Western Dvina.

Museums:

Vitebsk Regional Art Museum

Your special attention should be drawn to Yuriy Pen – an outstanding figure of “Jewish Renaissance” in the Belarusian art of the first half of the last century, graduate of the Petersburg Academy of Arts, merited Jewish artist., Marc Chagall's first teacher. Have a look at his paintings and see whether you have ever seen anything more realistic. … and Iliya Repin, a famous Russian artist. He had his country villa not far from Vitebsk. Here he used to find “extraordinary types” for his paintings.

Address: 32, Lenina Street, Vitebsk, Republic of Belarus
Tel: + 375 212 36 23 31
Website: http://ratusha-vit.by/

Art –Centre of Marc Chagall

corn flower Original works (colored lithographs, xylographs, etchings) with Chagall’s famous images: flying lovers, a fiddler on the roof, acrobats, animals will bring you into a bright and magic world of the artist. You will have a remarkable experience of the presence of Vitebsk during the whole tour because it is everywhere: either in a small corner or at the background of some famous sights. This is Chagall! Take a chance of standing next to the museum and finding yourself on a dramatically steep bank of the Western Dvina river. Haven’t you acquired a feeling of flight?

Address: 2, Putna Street. Vitebsk region, Republic of Belarus
Tel: + 375 212 36 03 87
Website: www.chagall.vitebsk.by (Common website of Vitebsk museums)

House-Museum of Marc Chagall

fiddle The interior of the house, which was recreated thanks to the artist's drawings alongside with the drawings representing his mother, father, closest relations and himself, will allow you to feel the spirit of both the family and of the time. Photographs of Marc Chagall with Pablo Picasso in Paris and others made in Germany, France and USA will certainly remind you that you heard about him long ago but never guessed he was from Belarus. Now you yourselves are in the house from which he started his incredible travel into the world of culture.

Address: 11, Pokrovskaya Street, Vitebsk, Republic of Belarus
Tel: + 375 212 36 34 68
Website: www.chagall.vitebsk.by

Vitebsk Regional Museum of Local Lore

Vitebsk Regional Museum of Local Lore - one of the oldest and richest museums of Belarus. Its origins go back to the history of the 19th century, when in 1868 the first museum in the city under the provincial statistical committee was opened. Since then, the museum has been accommodated in the Town Hall - the architectural monument of the 18th century, which is considered to be a symbol of the city of Vitebsk. The museum has permanent exhibitions: "Ancient Vitebsk of the 11^th-14th centuries” (coins, tools, weapons, items, chess pieces, fragments of ancient treasures, ancient ritual objects, monuments of epigraphy and others); "Nature of Vitebsk" (a collection of mollusks, insects, paleontological materials, 11 scenic dioramas are sketches of corners of nature); "Defenders of the Fatherland" (the Great Patriotic War of 1941 - 1945.);

Address: 36, Lenina Street, Vitebsk, Republic of Belarus.
Tel: + 375 212 36 47 12
Fax:+ 375 212 36 05 87
Website: http://ratusha-vit.by/

Museum – Country Estate of I.E. Repin "Zdravnevo"

Museum – Country Estate of I.E. Repin "Zdravnevo" was opened in 1988 and is located on the picturesque banks of the Western Dvina. "What a space, what a beauty," - said the Great Russian painter Ilya Repin, when he first appeared in these places. He used to come to live here in summer for ten years. Here he found outstanding landscapes and prototypes for his paintings. In a letter to his friend the artist wrote: "What amazing faces in Vitebsk are". It was in Zdravnevo that the artist created his famous works: a portrait "Belarusian"(exhibited in the Russian museum in St.Petrsburg), "Moonlight", "Duel", "Sun", etc. Among the most valuable pieces in the museum are: Repin's watercolors, drawings, icons, painted for the “Slobodskaya” local church, as well as original photographs, letters and books.

The museum is located 16 km north of Vitebsk and 2 km from the road "Minsk - St Petersburg."

Tel: +375 (212) 29-16-7
Website:http://ratusha-vit.by/ (Common website of Vitebsk museums)

Museum of the History of the Vitebsk Tram

Vitebsk is the only city in Belarus that has a museum of electric transport. Tram appeared on the streets of the city in 1898, 2 years earlier than in St. Petersburg and 9 years earlier than in Moscow. Museum of the History of the Vitebsk tram was established in 1966. The exposition is located in four halls with a total area of 110 square meters and has 2,000 exhibits. The museum presents an agreement between Vitebsk City Council and a French citizen Fernand Gillion of 1896. In the halls of the museum one can observe trams of different models from the first Belgian producers to modern, documents and photographs of the various stages of the development of transport in Vitebsk. There are tickets of different years, cash registers, elements of outfit of conductors of different years. Schemes of tram lines in all periods of operation are exhibited on the stands. There is the information about on workers' dynasties, the tram depot and about modern life of Vitebsk employees working in the system of tram operation and management.

Address: 5, Frunze Street, Vitebsk, Republic of Belarus
Tel: + 375 212 36 23 31