City in South-Western Belarus, capital of Brest Voblasc', at the confluence of the Bug and Mukhavyets rivers. A major rail junction and trade center, the city has industries manufacturing food products, textiles, and metal goods. Founded in the early 11th century, Brest became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1319, and in 1569 it became the capital of the Commonwealth state of Poland and Lithuania - Rzhech Pospolita. It has become part of Russian Empire in 1795. The WWI Peace Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed here in 1918 between the new Soviet government and the Central Powers. In 1921 the city became part of Poland, and in 1939 returned to Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (part of the USSR). From 1941-1944, during World War II, Germany occupied Brest; from 1944 to 1991 the city was part of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) and it is in Belarus now. Population (1996 estimate) 293,086
Links:
Brestonline.com
- excellent resource that grew out of our own page about Brest by Siarhej
Sonchyk.
Brest
Fortress - our own page about this Russian Empire fortification built in
Brest in XIX c.
Brest
Voblasc' official government site
Brest
Region Map
Virtual
Brest - a website of Brest state telecommunications center (in Russian).
Jewish
History of Brest
Brest,
BY 2003 - Private travel diary on Brest and surroundings
Virtual
Brest - Brest city portal (in Russian)
Brest.by
- official city guide from Brest phone company (in Russian)
Brest
Regional Business portal again in Russian :)))
Transborder
cooperation site between Brest, Belarus and Biala Podlaska, Poland.
Heraldry
site covering towns in Brest Voblas'
Brest
region business site - sort of Chamber of Commerce
Brest
- private city guide by Reskov. Very slow to download.
A bit of Jewish
history of Brest, Belarus