The rout: Minsk – Maladziečna - Brusy – Kabylnik – Pronki – Dugouts of partisans - Minsk.

Length: 350 km.

Duration: 11 hours.

This tour is dedicated to two world wars of the ХХ century. Why particularly in Naračansky region? Because we often talk about the war using to general phrases. We name the numbers, statistics; remind ideological mottos of those wars. But to understand what the war was, what it meant for Belarus in ХХ century, to realize all its horrors we should narrow the borders of the overview to a one particular region. During 3 years of World War I the battle line was crossing the Narochansky region. During World War II this region came to be in a rear and became the center of large guerrilla movement. There are reminders about these two horrible periods of ХХ century almost in every village. But here these reminders are not just general numbers and mottos; they are specific destinies of particular people.

The road to the Myadel region where village Naroch is situated goes through town Maladziechna. Here in 1996 was built the monument dedicated to Stalag № 342, it was one of the largest concentration camps in Belarus where 30 thousand people were killed. Our excursion begins here.

Village Brusy, which is not fare from Naroch has its own tragedy. During the time of World War II the village was burnt. There are many villages like this all over the Belarus, but each of them has its own history.

In the center of village Naroch (former Kobylnik) stays beautiful Catholic Church of St. Andrew built in gothic revival style. During the war this cathedral was used like transit point for people that were sent to Germany. On the local cemetery stays a high monument with an eagle on the top. This is the place where German soldiers of World War I. And ironically there is a small memorial that marks the place of shooting the Jews of Naroch in 1942 in a hundred meters.

Near the Lake Narach we will visit a little village called Pronky, where another cemetery of World War I has remained. Burried soldiers of German and Austrian armies that fell in 1915 – 1918 lie here. In 1942 this cemetery saved Pronky from total annihilation. But it is better to tell this story in the village.

Two big monuments remind us about the guerrilla movement of World War II in Miadel region. The first one is the stele between Miadzel and Kabylnik on the bank of the Narach. The second are restored guerrillas’ dugouts in the forest near Prońky. There will be more than a two-kilometer walk to the second one. Particularly here from 1943 was situated the headquarters of guerrillas’regiments of Narachansky region. The dugouts are restored now and they can tell us about everyday life of guerrillas during the war