Slonim is located in the south-eastern part of Grodno region on the Shchara River. It is administrative centre of Slonim district. Its population is 51000 people.
It aros as a fortpost of local princes in the first halt of the 11th century, dut in chronicals it was mentioned much later: first in 1252 under the name of Uslonim.
The names of such well-known people of the past as Leo Sapega, Michael Kazimizh Oginsky and ofhers are connected with it.
Five kilometres from the town there is a village of Zhirovichy, Known Since the second half of the 15th century. The modern Zhirovichy with its Uspensky Cloister and Minsk Religions Academy and Seminary is considered ty be the centre of Orthodoxy of Belarus and the icon of Zhirovichy Motherchrist is far beyond the borders of the Republic.
The town has a considerable number of architectural monuments and a rich historic and cultural heritade. The town’s history is reflected in the exhibits of the Museum of local lore named after I.Stabrovsky.
Modern Slonim is one of the most developted cities of Grodno region in industrial, cultural, sports and spiritual respects. It reasonably combines its historic heritage and the present.
As for sports facilities, there are two stadiums, two swimming pools, 30 gyms, six children’s sports schools (two of them have the status of Olympic reserve) which provide training in 10 sports (boxing, rhythmic gymnastics, handball, football, track-and-field athletics, billiards, carting, draughts, karate, kayak-paddling, rowing).
There are 26 pre-school facilities, 31 secondary schools, eight after-school centers, three special schools, two field study centers.
Today there are 78 cultural facilities in the region.
There are several species of architecture: Zhirovichi St. Dormition Monastery which is functional and unites St. Dormition Cathedral (built in 1650), a bell tower (1828), the Theophany Church (1769), the Appearance Church (1769), a seminary (17-18 centuries), residential and household outbuildings. Minsk Theological Seminary is located on the territory of the monastery. There are other architectural sites in the region – St. Michael Church (19th century, the village of Ostrovo), St. Nicolas Church (2nd half of the 19th century, the village of Derevnaya), the Nativity of the Mother of God Church (19th century, the village of Mizhevichi), a Roman-Catholic church (2nd half of the 19th century – beginning of the 20th century, the village of Selyavichi). Slonim region is proud of its natives. Among them are participant of the liberation movement of the 19th century M.Valovich, scientist and academician A.Prokopchuk, writers and poets – V.Tavlay, N.Orochko, A.Ivers, A.Suchek, S.Dorozhny, O.Loiko, I.Chigrin, sculptor I.Misko, artist N.Bushchik, literary critic and specialist in folklore I.Solomevich, historian and archeologist V.Suprun were born in the Slonim region.