Zalese

Zalesie is urban village in Smorgon district of the Grodno region, located on a small river Draia. The Minsk-Vilnius railway line passes through the village (Railway station Zalesie). Distance to the district center - Smorgon city is 12 km, to Minsk city - 90 km.

The first mention of the settlement dates back to the XVI century, after which the settlement was repeatedly renamed. The urban village is rarely found in historical chronicles, and is mentioned mainly along with the name of a famous composer and political figure - Mikhail Kleofas Oginsky, who has been living on the territory of Zalesie since the 18th century. The estate acquired a completely new look with him: the composer built a manor and a picturesque park. He lived in the estate for twenty years, wrote his famous musical works: polonaises, waltzes, mazurki. It was here that the famous Polonaise «Farewell to the Motherland» sounded for the first time.

Urban village Zalesie are often compared with «Yasnaya Polyana» of Tolstoy or «Mihaylovskoe» of Pushkin, and its main attraction is the Palace and Park Ensemble in Zalesie - Oginsky manor. It is an important architectural monument of the XIX century, one of the most significant sights of Belarus. The palace and park ensemble in Zalesie is a museum dedicated to the great Belarusian composer who lived and worked in these places. This is a favorite place for tourists from Belarus and other countries.