Zhodzina (also known as Zhodino) is a city of regional subordination
located in the Minsk Region of the Republic of Belarus. It officially
gained city status in 1963, having previously been known as the town of
Zhodin.
As of the most recent data in 2025, the city's population
stands at approximately 63,354 people, reflecting a slight decline in
recent years from earlier figures (for comparison, it was around 64,559
in 2018 and peaked near 65,451 in 2021). Zhodzina lies about 50–54 km
northeast of the capital, Minsk, conveniently positioned along the major
Moscow–Brest railway line. Its strategic location places it roughly
equidistant—around 650 km—from three major cities: Moscow to the east,
Kyiv (Kiev) to the south, and Warsaw to the west.
The city spans an
area of approximately 19–23.21 km² (sources vary slightly on the exact
figure) and is situated on the banks of the Plisa and Zhodinka rivers,
which contribute to its scenic and natural appeal.
Zhodzina boasts several cultural and historical landmarks that
highlight its heritage and industrial significance:
The State
Cultural Institution "Zhodzina Museum of Local Lore," which preserves
the region's history and traditions.
The House-Museum dedicated to A.
F. Kupriyanov, honoring a notable local figure.
The City Exhibition
Hall complex, featuring the Large and Small Exhibition Halls along with
a dedicated Pyrography Hall for wood-burning art displays.
The Museum
of the Belarusian Automobile Plant (BelAZ), showcasing the city's
industrial pride—BelAZ is a world-renowned manufacturer of massive
mining dump trucks and heavy machinery, and the plant is a major
employer and symbol of Zhodzina.
A monument honoring the Soviet
patriotic mother.
A memorial sign commemorating the liberation of
Zhodzina on July 2, 1944, by the 3rd Tank Brigade of the 5th Tank Army
during World War II; this was installed in the central city square in
2010.
A monument to Peter Ivanovich Kupriyanov.
The modern
Sculpture of the Mother of God, erected in 2021 as a symbol of faith and
protection.
Religious Sites
The city is home to a diverse
range of places of worship, reflecting Belarus's multicultural religious
landscape:
The Church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God
"Redeemer."
St. Michael's Church.
The Peter and Paul Church.
The Church of Our Lady of Fatima.
A Seventh Day Baptists
congregation.
The Evangelical Baptist House of Prayer.
A chapel
and the Chapel of Saint Michael the Archangel.
Notable Events
Zhodzina has participated in significant national and international
events. On June 13, 2019, the city proudly hosted the torch relay for
the II European Games, highlighting its role in Belarusian sports and
culture. More recently, from August 5–7, 2021, it held the vibrant
cultural and sports festival “Vytoki. Croc da Alimpu” (Sources to
Olympus), which celebrated local talent, athletics, and community spirit
through various competitions and performances.
By train
Electric trains run from Minsk (from the stations
Minsk-Vostochny, Institute of Culture, Minsk-Central) in the direction
of Minsk-Orsha. Zhodino can be reached in 1 hour 20 minutes. The city
has a permanent railway connection with Minsk, Orsha, Vitebsk, Mogilev,
Grodno, Gomel. From the Russian Federation, Zhodino can be reached by
trains Minsk - Arkhangelsk, Brest - Novosibirsk, Minsk - Novosibirsk.
By car
From Minsk in a northeast direction along the M-2 and R-53
highways. Approximately 45 km from the Minsk ring road.
By bus
45 minutes from Minsk. Departure of minibuses from the bus station
Moskovsky. Last flight 21.45
City public transport is represented by buses and fixed-route taxis. There are 7 bus routes organized in the city and 2 serviced by fixed-route taxis.
Founding and Early History (17th–18th Centuries)
In 1643, Prince
Boguslav Radziwiłł (Bogusław Radziwiłł) founded the planned settlement
as Boguslav Pole (Богуслав Поле) on the Smolevichi (Smolyavichi) estates
in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It featured a central market
square and radial streets toward the Borisov tract. After his death, the
estate divided; by 1667, a postal tract from Vilna (Vilnius) to
Minsk-Moscow passed through. An inventory from 1675 notes two mills and
a Calvinist church of St. Peter. By 1688, it appeared as Zhodinskaya
Sloboda ("sloboda on the Zhoda/Zhodin river"). Early churches included a
Calvinist one and an Orthodox Church of St. Peter (later converted to
Uniate in 1745, returned to Orthodoxy in 1859; a new Archangel Michael
church built 1863).
At least five legends explain the name/origins
(common in local lore):
A French general "De Jodine/Zhodiné"
(1812 Napoleonic era) freed prisoners who settled and named it after
him.
A wounded French soldier "Zhodén/Zhordén" nursed by locals
during Napoleon's retreat, married locally.
Railway watchman "Zhodin"
post-1871.
Stingy Jewish miller called "Zhid/Zhadin" (derogatory),
leading to "Zhadina."
Tragic tale of orphan girl Zhodinka whose tears
formed the river.
19th Century: Russian Empire and Infrastructure
After the Second Partition of Poland-Lithuania (1793), Zhodzina became
part of Smolevichi volost, Borisov uyezd, Minsk Governorate in the
Russian Empire. French troops passed through twice in 1812. The 1863
uprising had local resonance (e.g., school opened as incentive). The
Moscow-Brest railway (completed 1871) brought a station at Zhodzino,
spurring trade, crafts (woodworking, weaving, leather, milling,
forging), timber rafting, and population growth. A postal station
operated into the late 19th century. By early 20th century, the economy
included a water mill on the Plisa, shops, taverns, and forges.
Early 20th Century: Wars, Revolutions, and Sovietization
During WWI,
German forces occupied Zhodzina from February to December 1918. It was
briefly part of the Belarusian People's Republic (BNR) after March 25,
1918, then incorporated into the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic
(BSSR) on January 1, 1919. During the Polish-Soviet War (1919–1920),
Polish forces occupied it (August 1919–July 1920); it hosted an airfield
with Polish squadrons (reconnaissance and fighter) and saw aerial
clashes, bombings (e.g., Priyamino station), and ground fighting. Soviet
forces (including Shirinkin's squadron) contested it; liberation came
around July 7–9, 1920. In the interwar period, it became the center of a
rural council in Smolevichi district (after 1924 territorial
adjustments). Collectivization brought a sovkhoz ("Zarechye," 1920) and
kolkhoz ("Krasnoe Zhodino," late 1920s). By the early 1940s, it was a
small village (~250 houses, schools, feldsher point, forge, fire depot).
The Minsk-Moscow highway (1935) and narrow-gauge railway depot added
infrastructure; peat power plant (Smolevichi GRES) construction began
~1940 but halted by war.
WWII (1941–1944)
Nazi Germany
occupied Zhodzina on June 29, 1941. Liberation occurred on July 2, 1944,
by Soviet forces including the 3rd Tank Brigade (5th Tank Army), 29th
Tank Corps, and 220th Rifle Division.
Post-War Industrialization
and City Status (1940s–1960s)
Post-war reconstruction focused on
heavy industry. Peat-machine building plant construction began 1946–1948
(first products ~1950 as "Torfmash," reoriented to road machinery
"Dormash" in 1951). The Belarusian Automobile Plant (BelAZ) traces to
this era: founded 1948 for peat equipment, reequipped/reoriented in the
early 1950s, with the first dump truck produced November 5, 1958 (some
sources highlight 1958 as key reorientation year). It quickly
specialized in large mining dump trucks. The thermal power plant
(GRES/CHPP/TPP) resumed construction; first stage operational 1951. In
January 1958, Zhodzina became an urban-type settlement (work
settlement), incorporating nearby villages, power plant, and machinery
plant. March 7, 1963 granted city (oblast subordination) status due to
rapid growth. Villages like Sudobovka, Dymkovka (1964), and later ones
(2015, 2019) were annexed. Scientific centers (animal husbandry,
agriculture) relocated in 1961. Population exploded: ~6,591 (1959) →
22,083 (1970) → 33,926 (1979) → 53,744 (1989) → ~60,000+ by 1990s–2000s.
BelAZ became the town-forming enterprise, producing heavy-duty mining
trucks (30–450+ tons payload; every third large mining truck worldwide).
It employs thousands (historically ~9,000–11,000, a major share of local
workforce). Other industries followed: knitwear factory "Svitanak"
(1970s), forging/energo plants, construction materials, etc.
Post-Soviet Era and Modern Developments
After 1991 independence,
BelAZ remained central (state-owned, diversified into loaders/bulldozers
amid 1990s challenges, maintained production). Population
stabilized/declined slightly to ~63,000s. Ethnic makeup shifted toward
higher Belarusian share. In August 2020, Zhodzina hosted the first major
worker strike in Belarus at BelAZ, protesting the disputed presidential
election results.
Other notes: Prison No. 8 (opened 1984) gained
prominence for political detainees. Recent developments include electric
bus pilots (2023–2024, MAZ models). No universities, but schools,
polytechnic college, museums (local lore, BelAZ-related). Economy
dominated by BelAZ and heavy industry; exports include trucks and
clothing.
Zhodzina transformed from a small planned estate village to
a key Soviet/post-Soviet industrial hub centered on world-class heavy
machinery, with its history deeply tied to Belarus's broader
geopolitical shifts (PLC → Russian Empire → wars/revolutions → Soviet
industrialization → independence).
Zhodzina (Belarusian: Жодзіна; Russian: Жодино, also Zhodino) is an
industrial city in Minsk Region (Minsk Voblast), central Belarus. It
lies on the East European Plain, specifically in the Berezina plain
area, about 50 km (31 mi) northeast of the capital Minsk and 15 km (9
mi) southwest of Barysaw (Borisov). It serves as the most populous
settlement in the surrounding Smalyavichy District (though it has
city-of-regional-subordination status) and is traversed by transport
routes like the Moscow-Brest railway and highways (e.g., M1/E30).
Geographic coordinates are approximately 54°06′N 28°21′E (or more
precisely around 54.1000°N 28.3500°E / 54.098°N 28.333°E in some
datasets). The city covers an area of roughly 19–22 km² (sources vary
slightly: 19 km² commonly cited, up to 21.97 or 26 km²).
Elevation
averages around 170–181 m (about 560–594 ft) above sea level, consistent
with Belarus's national average of ~160–162 m. Local topography shows
only modest relief: maximum elevation change of ~121 ft (~37 m) within 2
miles of the city center and up to ~230 ft (~70 m) within 10 miles,
indicating a predominantly flat landscape with gentle undulations.
(Note: Some sources list 250 m, likely erroneous or referring to a
specific outlier point.)
Terrain and topography reflect the glacial
history of the East European Plain. The area features flat lowlands with
gentle morainic undulations, low hills, eskers, and sand/gravel deposits
from Pleistocene glaciation. It forms part of the broader Berezina
plain, with surrounding landscapes of gently rolling fields, patches of
mixed forest, and agricultural lands. Belarus as a whole is mostly flat
(highest point Dzyarzhynskaya Hara at 345 m in the Belarusian Ridge to
the west/southwest; lowest ~90 m along the Neman River), shaped by
glacial scouring, with the Belarusian Ridge (a diagonal highland belt)
influencing central/northeastern areas but not creating dramatic relief
locally in Zhodzina.
Hydrology centers on the Plisa River (Пліса /
Plissa; ~64 km long), a right-bank tributary of the Berezina River (part
of the Dnieper basin, flowing south to the Black Sea). The city is
divided by or crossed by the Plisa, with additional mention of the small
Zhodinka River (possibly a local stream or tributary in the vicinity;
the city's name may derive from it). A small lake exists in the southern
suburb. The broader region includes numerous small rivers, streams, and
glacial lakes typical of Belarus (over 10,000 lakes and 20,000+
rivers/streams nationally, many from glacial origins).
Climate is
humid continental (Köppen Dfb), with cold, snowy winters and warm, humid
summers. Annual temperatures typically range from ~16°F (-9°C) to 75°F
(24°C), rarely below -4°F (-20°C) or above 85°F (29°C). Winters
(Nov–Mar) are long, freezing, windy, and overcast (highs often
<36°F/2°C; January ~27°F/-3°C high, 18°F/-8°C low; significant snowfall,
e.g., 6.2 inches/16 cm in January). Summers (Jun–Aug) are comfortable
and partly cloudy (highs 70–74°F/21–23°C; July hottest ~74°F/23°C high,
53°F/12°C low). Precipitation is moderate (~550–700 mm annually
nationally), with a wetter period May–Jul (peak rain in June ~2.7
inches/69 mm; 10+ wet days/month) and snow dominant Dec–Mar. Humidity is
generally comfortable (rarely muggy). Winds average 8–12 mph, stronger
in winter (peak Jan ~11.7 mph), predominantly westerly/southerly.
Daylight varies dramatically: ~17 hours in June vs. ~7.5 hours in
December. Cloud cover is higher in winter (75–78% overcast), clearer in
summer. The growing season lasts ~4.8 months (May–Sep).
Natural
environment and vegetation align with central Belarus: mixed forests
(pine, spruce, birch dominant; national forest cover ~40–43%),
interspersed with meadows, agricultural fields, and wetlands. Glacial
soils (granite, limestone, sand, clay deposits) support this. The Plisa
River and lake provide local riparian habitats. As an industrial city
(famous for BelAZ heavy truck manufacturing), the urban core is
built-up, but surrounding areas retain rural/forested character.
The city has 9 schools, 2 gymnasiums, 1 state college (formerly a
professional lyceum), Zhodino Polytechnic College, Zhodino Children's
Art School, and an art school. There is an ice rink, FOK, FOTs, city
swimming pool.
The Youth Center and the Central City Library are
working.
In Zhodina there are two scientific and practical
centers of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus: the Scientific
and Practical Center for Animal Husbandry and the Scientific and
Practical Center for Agriculture, which have postgraduate studies.