Grodno City Municipality

• Population: 338,000 
• Area: 14,200 hectares
• Region: Grodno Region

Grodno is a city in Belarus. It is an administrative center of Grodno Region. It is situated close to the borders of Poland in the west and Lithuania in the north. The landscape of the city is mostly flat with the river Neman lowland in the center.

Grodno is an ancient town dating back to the beginning of the 12th century. For more than 880 years of its existence Grodno has been the place of living of Grodno Dukes (till 1240s), the residence of grand Lithuanian dukes and Polish kings (till 1795). An important centre of trade, commerce, and culture, Grodno remained one of the places where the Sejms were held. It was in Grodno that the last Polish king and Lithuanian grand duke Stanisław August Poniatowski abdicated.

One of the unique cities in Belarus is notable for its historical monuments – the witnesses of the past. They are:

• the Boris and Gleb (Kalozha) Church of the 12th century;
• the architectural monastic ensembles of the 16-18th centuries;
• the Old and New Royal Castles;
• the Augustus Canal – an engineering masterpiece of the 19th century, which is the favourite leisure site for the residents and guests of the city.

Grodno is reasonably called the city-museum. All its central part is of historical value. Where else you can find a pharmacy, where 300 years ago, drugs were released by healers who were the monks of the Jesuits Order? Here in pharmacy museum the surgical instruments, which more than 400 years ago produced the first anatomic dissection in Eastern Europe, are kept.

Grodno region has a significant industrial and manufacturing potential of multi-sectoral orientation. The largest enterprises of the region are represented by the following joint stock companies: "Grodno Azot", "Grodno Khimvolokno", "Belkard", “Neman” Glassworks”, “Conte”, etc., which are well-known far beyond the borders of Belarus. Foreign economic activity is one of the most important directions for the development of city economy. Special attention is paid to the investment sphere. Implementation of investment and innovative projects is aimed at creation of new businesses, upgrade of the existing plants, introduction of advanced technologies, modern machinery and equipment.

This city is known for its very important Yanka Kupala State University (the largest education center in Grodno Region), where many students from different parts of Belarus acquire an academic degree, as do a good number of foreign students as well. Other higher educational establishments are Medical University and Agricultural University.

The population of Grodno is multinational. Starting from 1996, every second year Grodno is hosting the concluding events of the Republic’s Festival of National Cultures. Grodno deserved its right to become the capital of the Festival by being a centuries-long venue of peaceful coexistence, development and mutual enrichments of various nations.

The symbol of Grodno since 16th century is St. Hubert's Deer jumping over the fence. Apparently, St. Hubert was a saint of hunters and the very first nature conservationist! An avid hunter he stopped hunting and sworn to protect Nature when a deer with a golden cross between horns miraculously appeared in front of him during his last hunt.