The Mogilev Oblast is located in the eastern part of Belarus and borders upon the Smolensk and Bryansk regions of Russia. It covers the area of 29,100 square kilometres and is divided into 21 administrative-territorial units. The total population of the Oblast – over 1.18 million people.

The city of Mogilev is the administrative centre of the Oblast.

Chemical and petrochemical industries, mechanical engineering and metalworking, food industry, light industry occupy leading positions in the industrial system of Mogilev.

The Mogilev Oblast has an enormous industrial potential. It is the only producer of truck and car tyres, elevators, curtain lace and tape recorders in the country. Its companies also produce chemical fibre and yarn, rubber footwear and electric motors in Belarus.

Mogilev, Bobruisk, Krichev and Osipovichi are the regional industrial centres. Products made by two industrial giants – Mogilevkhimvolokno and Belshina account for more than 25% of the total output of the Mogilev region.

Arable land covers 50.3% of the territory of the Oblast. Plant growing plays a leading role in agriculture. Most of the cattle-breeding companies specialize in milk and meat production. There are several companies in districts specialising in fur-farming and fish breeding.

The Mogilev Oblast has various mineral deposits including phosphorite fields, absolutely unique for Belarus. The Oblast has the biggest reserves of cement raw materials (chalk, marl, loam and loam soil), vast reserves of construction and silicate sand, sandgravel aggregates, peat, sapropel and mineral water. The eastern part of the Oblast (the Khotimsk district) boasts huge reserves of tripoli – a mineral with high processing properties.

There are six state-run and several private high schools in the Oblast.

Railways Vitebsk-Orsha-Mogilev-Zhlobin, Zhlobin-Bobruisk- Minsk, Orsha-Krichev-Unecha, Krichev-Mogilev-Osipovichi cross the territory of the Oblast. The most important junctions are Mogilev, Bobruisk, Osipovichi and Krichev.

The main motorways are St. Petersburg-Kiev, Roslavl (Russia)-Bobruisk-Brest, Mogilev-Minsk, Mogilev-Bobruisk.

The length of the navigable waterways (the Dnepr, Berezina, Sozh) is more than 400 kilometres.
Free economic zone Mogilev was founded in Mogilev in January 2002. Its total area exceeds 1,318 hectares. As of January 1, 2008 the FEZ was home to 12 resident companies.

FEZ Mogilev unites production, export and free customs sectors. All power generating units and production facilities are located in the zone the way to accommodate the needs of the residents. FEZ Mogilev has warehouses and workshops necessary for operation of mechanical engineering, building, woodworking, and automobile companies.

In 2007 resident companies of the zone boosted the export to $39.17 million.

Sightseeing attractions

The Mogilev Oblast has numerous specimens of archaeology and architecture as well as monuments of applied and decorative arts. 27 museums and their branches tell about the history of the Oblast. Among them are the Mogilev regional museum of local lore and the Museum of the memorial to the Soviet-Polish comradeshipin- arms in the village of Lenino, the Gorki district.

To learn more about the war events which happened on the territory of the Oblast visitors come to the village of Lesnaya in the Slavgorod district, where a memorial chapel and a monument to the fallen were erected in honour of the victory of the Russian troops over the Swedes during the Northern War. Tourists also visit the settlement of Saltanovka in the Mogilev district, where covering the retreat of the Russian troops General Raevsky defeated Marshal Davout’s corps in 1812. One more famous place is the Buinichi Field, which saw at least three historic battles passed into the history.

There are three theatres and a philharmonic society in the Mogilev Oblast.

Among the biggest cultural events hosted by the Oblast are the international sacred music festival “Magutny Bozha”, the international song festival “Golden Hit”.

There are a lot of churches and cathedrals in the Oblast. Among them are St. Nicolas Monastery of the 17th century in Mogilev, a Jesuit cathedral and a monastery of the early 17th century in Mstislavl, a palace and park ensemble of the 18th century in the village of Zhilichi of the Kirov district, a palace of Prince Potemkin of the 18th century in Krichev, the Carmelite Monastery of the Dormition of the 18th century in the Mstislavl district, St. Stanislaus Cathedral of the 18th century in Mogilev, the Trinity Church and St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral of the 19th century in Mstislavl.

There are two republican hydrological reserves Zaozerye and Ostrova and 72 local reserves in the Oblast.

The Mogilev Oblast has 37 health and recuperation centres and about 40 hotels and motels.