What can I see in Gomel? We offer you the sights of Gomel and the surrounding area with photos and brief descriptions. And in more detail you will learn and see everything on the spot, in this wonderful city of Belarus.
Top 15 attractions in Gomel
Gomel is a magnificent old Belarusian city, the second most populous in the country: more than 500,000 people live here. First mentioned by historians in the 12th century, the city has a very rich history.
Today, various entertainment complexes and centers are built here, beautiful parks and gardens are laid out, world-class hotels are built, so you can rest and have fun perfectly. And the local prices are incomparable with European ones.
Gomel Park
This famous historical, architectural and natural monument was built in the second half of the 18th century. Today you can see the ancient settlement of Gomel, the beautiful palace of the Rumyantsevs and Paskeviches, the Cathedral of St.. The Winter Garden of St. Peter and St. Paul, the Winter Garden, many sculptures, etc.
The well-groomed park consists of five thousand trees of medium-sized Russian species and exotic and has an area of more than 30 hectares. It is divided in half by the Swan Pond. The center of the park is a palace, built during the reign of Empress Catherine II in the style of classicism. This is one of the most interesting places in Gomel.
Gomel Puppet Theater
This puppet theater was created in 1968, thanks to the efforts of the actors of the local drama theater. For a long time this theater did not even have its own building, until there was a beautiful mansion on Pushkin Street in the center of the city.
Here they love to stage Pushkin’s tales, plays by Belarusian playwrights and world classics. All in all, during its history, the theater company has staged almost two hundred performances, which were seen by several million young spectators. This is a great place to come with children while vacationing in Gomel.
Michael the Archangel Church
This church, built in the early 20th century, is a monument of wooden architecture. It is in operation and is in excellent condition today. But it was built in another place, later included in the exclusion zone of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, and was moved here in 2005.
The area around the temple is beautifully maintained. There is a farm where ducks, geese, rabbits, turkeys, ostriches, storks, dogs and goats live. They can be fed, which is extremely enjoyable for children. There’s also a little pond there. If you are wondering what to see in Gomel for a weekend with children, then go here.
Busly Fountain
If you come to town by train, the Busli Fountain is the first sight to see here on the square near the train station. These are figures of two storks made of bronze. These birds are considered a symbol of Polesie.
Interestingly, in Moscow, in one of the courtyards in the residential quarter, which is called “Belarusian”, is a reduced copy of this fountain with storks, it was made for Muscovites builders from Gomel.
Local History Museum
In the village of Pokolyuchi near Gomel during World War II there were fierce battles, in the course of which a Soviet plane with a pilot and a gunner was shot down. The remains were discovered in the mid-1970s, after which the museum was opened.
It is dedicated both to the war and the entire history of the village: the creation of the collective farm, the participation of its inhabitants in the war, life after the victory. Today it is a large state museum, which tells about the life of the entire Gomel region.
Gomel Circus
This circus was built in 1972, but even today it enjoys great popularity among citizens and tourists, giving 5-6 programs per season. In front of his building is a sculpture of Pencil and Blur, who often worked in this circus.
Here you can come for a weekend with children, watch the show and see the famous fountain with beautiful flowing figures and magnificent illumination. During its existence, the Gomel Circus has welcomed several million spectators.
Lovers’ Alley
In 2012 in Gomel near the Polytechnic University, not far from the wooden Church of St. Michael the Archangel, this alley was built, where you can see many interesting sculptures and beautiful benches of different shapes and designs.
There are real lines lined up next to the individual benches and figures to be photographed, so creative they are. You can sit and lie on them. And if you get caught in the rain, a bench with a canopy will help. This wonderful alley is sure to please you.
Amusement park
This park is one of the most interesting sights of Gomel, because. It is rightly considered one of the best in the former Soviet Union. It is located in a beautiful place: in the territory of Gomel palace and park ensemble, in the center of the city.
Here you can take your children on a merry-go-round, a Ferris wheel, an autodrome, a flying saucer, a trampoline, or a 5D movie theater. There are so many interesting and amazing things in the park that your children will be eternally grateful to you.
Ilyinskaya Church
This Old Believer church was erected in the late 18th century, is a monument of wooden architecture and today belongs to the diocese of St. Petersburg. In the 19th century there was a hermitage at the church. It is surprising that it was active even in Soviet times.
It is also interesting because Yemelyan Pugachev prayed in the church twice when he came to Gomel to ask for help from the Old Believers. It is still active today, and Old Believers come here from all over the world. The church is much loved by tourists.
Rumyantsev and Paskevich Palace
This palace is an architectural monument of Classicism and one of the main attractions of Gomel. It was built in the late 18th century by Count Rumyantsev, appointed by Catherine II as head of the city. For a long time the palace was the ancestral home of the Counts Rumyantsev family.
In the mid-thirties of the 19th century, it was bought by the famous commander Prince Paskevich and reconstructed by him. At this time, a beautiful classic park appeared here. During the October Revolution, the palace was confiscated, and today it houses a rich museum that tells the history of Gomel.
Gomel Drama Theater
The building of this theater was built in 1954. And the first production here was Arbuzov’s “Years of Wanderings. Gomel has a rich theatrical tradition dating back to the first Rumyantsev Theater and a private entreprise, but there was no theater building of its own for a long time.
Currently, every three years theatrical groups from different countries of the former Soviet Union come here for the international festival “Slavic Meetings”. It is not just a Gomel landmark, but a sought-after cultural center in the city.
St. Nicholas Monastery
This famous Gomel Orthodox monastery is now part of the Russian Orthodox Church. Its main church was erected with the blessing of John of Kronstadt in 1904, and the monastery itself was founded more recently, in 1994, already in the modern history of Belarus.
In 2004, the entire complex was reconstructed and restored. The shrines of the monastery are a myrrh-stained icon of Nicholas the Wonderworker and a part of the relics of St. John of Kormia. There is its own farmstead, where the monks work, providing themselves with food. It is a significant Orthodox center in the city, which is visited by believers and tourists.
Fountains of Gomel
This city is famous for its many beautiful, artistically decorated fountains. Among them you can stroll around all summer day, admiring and admiring the surrounding urban architecture and park areas.
A great fountain is located near the Drama Theater, a great place to relax – the fountain in the park Biletsky, an unusual fountain in the shape of a ball is on Victory Square. They all add freshness and extra beauty to the city.
Winter Garden
Today it is an architectural monument, created in the late seventies of the 19th century on the orders of Prince Paskevich. In the basement of this building there used to be two Russian stoves that heated the whole greenhouse with exotic plants in winter.
The walls inside the building are lined with natural minerals, so the climbing plants can create a real green carpet on their own. This beautiful attraction of Gomel is a place to relax and calm your nerves.
Embankment
The waterfront is an obligatory component of any tourist city. And in Gomel, it’s just great. It is the cultural center of the city, where festivals and artists from Russia, Ukraine and European countries perform.
The embankment was finally built and opened a few years ago and has already become a favorite place for walks of Gomel residents and guests of the city. It has a length of more than two kilometers from Lebyazhye Pond to the Sozh River.
There is a magnificent park, beautiful benches, a fountain, massive classical staircases, excellent evening lighting, there is a playground for children. From the waterfront you can see swans in the pond, admire the river views at sunset. And, of course, there is a monument to Prince Paskevich, a lover of hunting, with his greyhounds.
Video overview of the sights of Gomel
Currently, Gomel is rapidly developing, including. in the tourism sector. It can delight tourists with many historical and cultural monuments and attractions on its map, both in the city center and on its outskirts.