Smarhoń


Smarhoń or Smorgoń is a city in the Grodno Region of Belarus. It was the site of Smarhoń air base, now mostly abandoned. Smarhoń is located 107 km from the capital, Minsk.

History

Within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Smarhon’ was part of Vilnius Voivodeship. In 1795, the town was acquired by the Russian Empire in the course of the Third Partition of Poland. Until the mid 19th century, Smarhon’ was a private property of the Radziwiłł family with most of its population being Jewish.
From 1921 until 1939, Smarhon’ was part of the Second Polish Republic. In September 1939, the town was occupied by the Red Army and, on 14 November 1939, incorporated into the Byelorussian SSR.
From 25 June 1941 until 4 July 1944, Smarhon’ was occupied by Nazi Germany and administered as a part of the Generalbezirk Litauen of Reichskommissariat Ostland.
Smorgon is known as the place where a school of bear training, the so-called "Bear Academy", was founded.

Smarhon' baranki

Up until World War II, Smarhon' was widely known for its baranki, traditional Eastern European ring-shaped bread rolls, similar to bagels and bubliki. Russian food historian William Pokhlyobkin considered Smarhon' to be the brithplace of baranki. Baranki were supposedly used to feed bears in the Bear Academy. Written accounts of Smarhon' baranki appeared in the 19th century. Polish-Lithuanian journalist Adam Kirkor wrote in the encyclopedia Picturesque Russia: "In Smorgon', Oshmyany district, Vilna province, almost all the petty bourgeois population is busy baking small bubliki, or kringles, which are widely known as Smorgon' obvaranki. Each traveller would definitely buy several bundles of these bubliki; besides, they are transported to Vilna and other cities." Władysław Syrokomla mentioned Smarhon' as "the capital of obwarzanki famous in all Lithuania". Smarhon' obwarzanki were a traditional treat at Saint Casimir's Fair in Vilnius.

Twin towns – sister cities

Smarhon’ is twinned with: