Happy TravellerWelcome to Horki, a historic town located in the Mogilev Region of Belarus. With a population of over 32,000, Horki is the administrative center of Horki District and is known for its rich history, agricultural education, and beautiful heraldic symbols. Let’s explore what this charming town has to offer.
Horki was first mentioned in written sources in 1544 as a village and was owned by the Sapieha family from 1584. In the 17th century, the village became the center for Hory-Horki estate and was known for its three markets and annual fairs. During the Great Northern War, Tsar Peter I of Russia stayed in Horki from July 9 to August 16, 1708. Horki was annexed by the Russian Empire in 1772 in the course of the First Partition of Poland. In 1840, the Horki Agricultural School was opened, and in 1848 it was transformed into the Horki Agricultural Institute. From this time, Horki became the center of agricultural education in the territory of present-day Belarus.
Today, Horki is a bustling town with a variety of industries, including milk production, forestry, and peat mining. The city is easily accessible by both railway and automobile transport, with regular buses and fixed-route taxis going to Minsk, Vitebsk, Mogilev, Gomel, Orsha, Mstislavl, and settlements of the Gorki district. The city is crossed by highways of republican significance R-70 (Mogilev-Lenino), R-15 (Lepel-Krichev), R-123 (Mostok-Dribin-Gorki).
For those interested in history and culture, Horki has several museums worth visiting. The Horki Historical and Ethnographic Museum showcases the town’s rich history, while the Museum of the Belarusian State Agricultural Academy and the Museum-office of Maxim Goretsky offer insights into the town’s agricultural education. Horki is also home to the Goretskaya Specialized Mobile Mechanized Column, a unique military museum that displays a collection of Soviet-era military vehicles.
Horki is also known for its notable residents, including Raphael Kalinowski, a Polish Discalced Carmelite friar, insurgent, teacher, engineer, Catholic saint, and student of the Horki Agricultural Institute. Lev Razgon, a journalist and writer, prisoner of the Gulag, and human rights activist, also lived in Horki. Sergei Tikhanovsky, a dissident and pro-democracy activist who is considered by Amnesty International to be a political prisoner and a prisoner of conscience, was born in Horki.
Whether you’re interested in history, culture, or agriculture, Horki has something to offer. Come and explore this hidden gem in the heart of Belarus!
