Biaroza, Belarus is a town of 31,000 inhabitants (1995) in Western Belarus. In 15th century the village Biaroza received the town charter. Between 1538 and 1600 Biaroza, Belarus was an important center of Calvinism. In 17th century, the village was donated to the Cartusian monks who were settled there by Lew Sapieha. In 1648 Sapieha built a fortified monastery and a castle.
In 1706 the fortified monastery was sieged and looted by the forces of Charles XII of Sweden. Two years later the area was looted by the Swedish forces again, which resulted in almost total destruction of the town. Biaroza was also damaged by the armies of Alexander Suvorov in 1772, during the Partitions of Poland.
After the partitions, the town and the monastery were annexed by Russia. The baroque church was destroyed in 1868. After the uprising the town became an annexe of the so-called Pale of settlement and was repopulated with Jews, who were expelled from other areas of Russian Empire. By the 20th century, they constituted almost two thirds of the city's residents.
In 1871 a Warsaw-Moscow railroad was laid only 20 miles from Biaroza in Belarus, which connected the place with the nearby important cities of Brest-Litovsk and Smolensk. In 1878 the town had a marketplace, 200 houses and 7 streets. Both the town and the adjoining area had approximately 5,000 inhabitants. There existed the Catholic and Uniate churches, a sinagogue, Jewish baths and a market just outside of the city boundaries. In 1842 a new road was opened between Moscow and Warsaw and passed through the town, which contributed to a period of economical progress.
In 1917 the town was annexed by Germany and then passed to the short-lived Belarusian People's Republic. The town was captured by the Red Army on January 19, 1919, in the effect of the Target-Vistula offensive. However, on February 10, 1919, the Polish Army entered the area and regained the possession of the town on February 14.
After the Soviet Union's entry into war against Poland, which was a result of the Nazi-Soviet Alliance, Biaroza, Belarus was captured by the Red Army and incorporated into the Belarusian SSR. After the outbreak of Nazi-Soviet War the town was captured by Germany on June 22, 1941.
During the World War II an enclosure was created in Biaroza, Belarus for Jews rushed there from all over the area. More than 8,000 people were killed in mass executions or starved to death by the Germans.After the war Biaroza was annexed by the Soviet Union and the remaining Polish inhabitants of the town were forcibly expelled. In 1991, after the dissolution of USSR, the town became part of the independent Republic of Belarus.
Although the 17th century monastery has been mostly destroyed in 19th century, there are some ruins remaining in Biaroza, Belarus. Among them are:
- Historical gateway with a decorative facade
- Parts of fortifications surrounding the monastery with several towers partially preserved
- Ruins of the octagonal church tower
- Ruins of the hospital
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