LEPEL DISTRICT, 31 October (BelTA) - Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko is expected to visit the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve during a working trip to Lepel District, Vitebsk Oblast on 31 October,
BelTA has learned.
The head of state will review the comprehensive development of the area, including its social and industrial sectors. The president will be briefed on the overall tourism prospects within the system of the Presidential Property Management Directorate, which also oversees the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve.
This reserve is the only specially protected natural area of the highest rank in Belarus. It is a unique natural complex that includes various types of forests, meadows, and swamps, as well as a distinctive floodplain ecosystem of the Berezina River.
For the reserve's 100th anniversary this year, its central estate in the village of Domzheritsy underwent a major reconstruction and modernization. A new lighting system, benches, and small architectural forms have been installed, while sidewalks and recreational areas have been repaired. The Serguch hotel complex has seen its restaurant and bar renovated, and a new spa complex has been built.
The Environmental Education Center has been re-equipped into a modern, multifunctional venue. It is now outfitted with video conferencing systems and professional audio equipment, enabling it to host international-level events. The Green Class has been expanded into two spacious rooms, allowing several groups of schoolchildren to study there simultaneously.
A Museum of Nature Reserve, the only specialized museum in Belarus dedicated to the history of nature conservation and the scientific research of the reserve, has also been established.
The forest zoo has been made more comfortable for both visitors and the animals housed within it.
All these transformations have radically upgraded the infrastructure, creating fundamentally new opportunities for the development of ecological, educational, and business tourism.
Earlier, in an interview with journalists, Belarusian Presidential Property Management Director Yuri Nazarov mentioned that he had invited the head of state to visit the reserve and its central estate in the village of Domzheritsy to demonstrate a comprehensive development model for such territories.
“Domzheritsy is the center of the reserve, a small village located far from large populated areas. We have completely updated the production base and created a wood processing workshop. After all, the reserve is engaged in forest maintenance and needs to turn logs into something. We practically built and restored the workshop from scratch. We don't just produce boards for export there. We have also started producing garden furniture, which is needed by the reserve itself to develop its tourist infrastructure,” the director of the Presidential Property Management Directorate said.
Housing construction is also underway in the village. A 24-unit rental apartment building has been commissioned. “We invite people to come work there. We provide housing. We already know by name who lives in which apartment. And it's mostly young people. We have large families too. They grew up there, received an education, returned back home, got jobs, and have had three or more children. There is a kindergarten and a school. Such infrastructure with the manufacturing base allows us to confidently develop this settlement,” Yuri Nazarov said.
