Sights in Vitsebsk
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Chagall Museum
One of the most important names in 20th-century art, visionary Marc Chagall (1887-1985), often grouped with surrealists, was born in Vitsebsk on 7 July 1887. Nestled in a pretty park, Chagall Museum has two floors filled with 300 original, colourful lithographs (all donations), as well as reproductions of some of his famous paintings, including the infamous murals he did for the Moscow Jewish Theatre, considered so mesmerising that they were banned from the stage for distracting the audience.
There would be more originals at the museum had Soviet authorities accepted Chagall's offer to donate some to the city of his birth; they didn't think much of his art and declined. T…
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Marc Chagall House Museum
One of the most important names in 20th-century art, visionary Marc Chagall, was born in Vitsebsk on 7 July 1887. He spent from 1897 to 1910 in what is now the Marc Chagall House Museum, now charmingly kitted out with early-20th-century Jewish knick-knacks and photos. Chagall left Vitsebsk to go on to greater fame in St Petersburg and Moscow, finally settling in Paris from 1923, where he lived until his death, churning out fantastically poetic and often humorous murals and artwork.
Many of his pieces reflect the Jewish country life of his childhood, largely influenced by his beloved Vitsebsk.
To get there, turn left when exiting the bus or train station, walk one block, th…
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Art Museum
Immerse yourself in what distinguishes Vitsebsk from other Belarusian cities: art. Nowhere else in the country will you get such a concentrated dose of quality art! The grand halls of the Art Museum are decked out with mainly local art, both old and new. There are numerous 18th- to 20th-century works, including those by Repin and Vladimir Egorovic Makovsky. A highlight is the collection of very moving realist scenes of early 20th-century Vitsebsk street life by Yudel Pyen.
Of the 793 paintings he donated to the city before he died, only 200 have survived, most of them held here.
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Orthodox Churches
While Vitsebsk does not have many churches of note, there is a pair of very different Orthodox churches on the eastern bank of the Dvina, near the main bridge on vul Zamkovaja. These are reconstructions built in 1998 of 10th- (wooden) and 13th-century (white stone) styles. Both hold regular services; the atmospheric wooden church is especially worth visiting.
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Regional Museum
A few houses away from the Art Museum, past the town hall distinguishable by its clock tower, is the Regional Museum, where you are guaranteed something interesting and thought provoking. There are up to five temporary exhibitions (usually paintings and photography) plus a permanent one full of 11th- to 14th-century artefacts from the city and region.
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Museum of the Belarusian Army
The Museum of the Belarusian Army, set up by veterans of the Afghan War, has some touching exhibits on the history of war on Belarusian soil from the 6th century, as well as of Belarusians participating in foreign wars. The museum is difficult to find on your own; take an around BR8000 taxi from the centre.
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