Swetlogorsk is located approximately 230 km south of Belarusian capital Minsk. The town fits in idyllically to the run of river Beresina. The district capital is Gomel, which history is closely connected to Katharina the Great.

History of the village

The origins of the town date back to the year 1560. In those days the village Schatilki developed at the river Beresina, which had a rather modest existence until the middle of the 20th century. The year 1954 became a caesura for the region. With the decission to build a heating power station the town Swetlogorsk developed into the „City of the Light“, which is also the official name since 29th July 1961. Young people from all over the former Soviet Union came to partizipate into fulfilling this project. New blocs of flats,  shops, schools, Kindergartens and a hospital developed. With the settlement of further industry, especially a synthetic rubber factory, an ample town developed from different suburbes with a special but own character.

Regional importance

Today Swetlogorsk is a town with 70.000 inhabitants. It is considered as a modern regional center of industry and culture. Modern factories of chemical industry, paper and cellulose production, oil industry and building industry - even today the town is called „town of the builders“ -  shape the picture of the town. Because of numerous parks, but firsty through the striving to keep as much forests as possible, the conception of town planning of the town at the Beresina is unique.   

Chronology of this twinning

The official twinning certificate between Helmstedt and Svetlogorsk was signed by the former majors Hans-Otto Kieschke and Alexander S. Jakobson on 15th April 1991. Since then numerous citizens of each twin town have visited the other town while travelling by coach, train or plane has been established. To foster further cooperation, accomodation is mainly at private host families, which has already lead to friendships existing for more than 20 years.