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Shklov

Сoat of Arms depicts  in the blue field a hand that holds silver scales. The main income of the city was the so-called "provision" tax, that is  the total tax of all imported and exported goods at the established rate. Thus, in the emblem of the city, depicting scales, the character of the main activity of citizens is quite clearly expressed. After all, the scales was an indispensable attribute in the production and the sale of goods.

Yusef Peshka, Drawing of Shklov, the beginning of the 19th century Yusef Peshka - Polish artist, born in1787)

The town of Shklov is located on the right bank of the Dnieper River. It was first mentioned in written sources in 1520. In the 16th century, being in the center of a densely populated region, on a brisk water trade route, Shklov was a privately owned city where there was no customs. This attracted foreign and local merchants, who were eager to do their business there, which brought profit to the town and its owner. The economy flourished at that time. Shklov ranked the seventh in size and number of residents after Vilno, Mogilev, Brest, Slutsk, Minsk and Polotsk. Until 1917, Shklov was owned by rich and influential subjects of both the Polish-Lithuania Commonwealth and the Russian Empire. The owners of the city in every way contributed to its development and prosperity. In 1773-1777 Shklov was transferred to private ownership of the Count Semyon Gavrilovich Zorin by Catherine the Great herself. He owned the town for 22 years and received the affectionate nickname from Catherine II «my Shklovsky landowner." At his time Shklov reached the highest in its history prosperity, both cultural and economic.  A shopping arcade, town hall, church, theater building, the palace were constructed. An important event in the history of Shklov was the creation of the school for children from poor gentry families, which later became known as the Shklov cadet corps. The school successfully competed with the St. Petersburg Cadet Corps in terms of the level of training of their pupils. Being in Shklov, Semyon Zorich glorified both the town and himself by creating a number of large serf manufactories. The silk-weaving manufactory produced products (silk taffeta, gold-embroidered camisoles, silk belts woven in gold, and other luxury items), for which raw materials were purchased even in Italy. In addition to this there were gold-making, rope, canvas, cloth, leather manufactories in the town. A special place in the town was occupied by the trade in bread and salt. On  May 23, 1780, Russian Empress Catherine II visited Shklov and spent the night in the town on her way to Mogilev and then one more night on May 30 on the way back from Mogilev, where during the week her significant meeting with the Austrian Emperor Joseph II took place. 

At the beginning of the 19 century. Shklov continued to remain an important economic center in Belarus. The city had a developed infrastructure: there were churches and cathedrals, synagogues and prayer houses, educational institutions belonging to various faiths, taverns and shops were opened, fairs were held regularly.

During the Great Patriotic War on July 12, 1941, Shklov was occupied by the German fascist invaders. During the war 24 villages were burned in the area, 17 of them were not restored. The Shklov anti-fascist underground functioned in the district. Shklov was liberated on June 27, 1944 by the troops of the 2nd Byelorussian Front during the Mogilev operation. For crossing the Dnieper in the district, 27 people were awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union. The liberators saw almost to the ground destroyed city, a bridge blown up across the Dnieper.

Today Shklov is one of the most beautiful and comfortable cities of the republic, in which 16 thousand people live. Shklov is decorated by architectural monuments: Shklov Town Hall is a unique monument built in conjunction with shopping malls in the second half of 18th century in  classicism, Transfiguration Church, a monument of eclectic architecture, built until 1905, building of the former synagogue, St. Peter and Paul Russian Orthodox church in the style of the ancient Slavic folk wooden architecture.

The first President  of  the Republic of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko spent his childhood in the Shklov district (village of Aleksandriya).  Here he went to school, worked and revealed his outstanding abilities to organize things.Our travel company offers an excursion to the village of Aleksandriya during which you can get acquainted with a new Belarusian village and on its example to learn how we make the quality of life in a village as good as in the urban area.Visit to a town of Shklov is included in our tour "New Belarus": 

At the annual fesrival "Shklov gather friends"

Interesting facts about Shklov:

• Shklov Town Hall with a living courtyard is listed in the Catalog of Monuments of World Architecture, published in the USA;
• At the time when the town was owned by the count Dmitriy Zorich it grew in importance in such a way that people used to say: "Mogilev, which is under Shklov;
• Every year in summer Shklov celebrates the Day of Cucumber;I
• In the city park grows a unique "Catherine's Poplar". It is believed to be over 300 years old.