Gomel is the second largest city in Belarus and is the administrative center of the Gomel region. The town is known back to 1142, when it was mentioned in the Hypatius Chronicle. Throughout the 12th and 13th centuries, Gomel was connected to other cities by trade routes, and the crafts grew in the city. In 1335, Gomel became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and it was under alternating rulers until the late 15th century, when Gomel was transferred to the Grand Duchy of Moscow. In the years 1500-1503, Lithuania tried to recapture Gomel, but they failed the attempt.

However, the city became Lithuanian from 1535, and in the following centuries Gomel was the subject of many conquests, and the city changed rule several times. Gomel became part of Russia in 1772, and it came into the ownership of the Rumyantsev family in 1775. This led to growth in the city, and a lot was built under Nicholas Rumyantsev at the beginning of the 19th century. This included the Peter and Paul Cathedral, a gymnasium, several factories and a bridge over the river Sozh. Later in the century, the Rumyantsev family became indebted to the city, which was taken over by the Russian Tsar when the debt could not be paid.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Gomel had become an industrial city with more than 100,000 inhabitants. The city was occupied by German troops during World War I, and after the founding of the Soviet Union, Gomel became part of Russia until 1926, when it was passed to the Byelorussian Soviet Republic. In 1941, Gomel was again occupied by Germany, before the city was liberated by the Red Army in 1943. Most of the city was destroyed after the war, and the population had fallen from 144,000 in 1940 to less than 15,000. Gomel was rebuilt with wide streets and in period architecture from the Stalin era. Since then, the city’s population has grown to over 500,000.

Today you can explore a cozy city center along the banks of the Sozh. Lenin Square forms the center of Gomel, and the city’s main street starts from here. This is also where you can see the city’s drama theater and a statue of Lenin. From the square there is access to Gomel Park, where the city’s most famous sights are located. You can see Gomel’s castle, which was built in neoclassicism in the years 1777-1796, and which today is open as a museum. Nearby, you can visit Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral, which was consecrated in 1824, and the mausoleum of the Paskevich family, who for a period resided in the town’s castle.