Gomel Travel Guide

Gomel (Гомель) is a city situated in south-east Belarus on the bank of the Sozh River (see map). With a population of 481,000 inhabitants (2005), it is the nation's second largest city. It's economy is highly dependent on agriculture; from farming, to food-processing, right up to the manufacture of agricultural machinery. It is also an important transportation hub, boasting a major river port and large railroad junction.

The city's existence was first chronicled in 1142 as a settlement belonging to the Kiev Rus principality. It subsequently fell under Lithuanian and Polish influence before being ceded to Russia in 1772. During World War II it was also occupied by German forces between 1941 and 1944. Although it was a rather short time in the context of the city's history, the Nazis managed to alter its social fabric forever. Historically, roughly 40% of the city's population was Jewish. At war's end, only a handful of Jewish citizens remained.

Today Gomel doesn't attract a great deal of tourists. Much of this has to do with its relative proximately to the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Most of its visitors, on the other hand, come to study in one of the city's respected universities or institutes of higher learning. Several of these include, the State University, the Belorussian Institute of Railway Engineers, the State Polytechnic Academy and the State Medical Institute. Those who do decide to journey to Homel will be treated to a number of noteworthy historical attractions including Rumyantsevs's Palace (1785) and the Peter and Paul Cathedral (1819).

Phoning Gomel
+ 375 (Country Code) + 232 (City Code) + Telephone Number
For a complete list of Belarus and CIS Dialing Codes, follow the link.

Independent Gomel Guides and Interpreters

Alesya V
Languages: English (fluent)
Availability: 7 days a week
Fee: $10 per hour
Resume: view Alesya's CV
Contact Info: email, cell phone
Contact Guides: members / non-members

To access the members area with IE7 web browser, you must 1st add Russia-Ukraine-Travel to your list of trusted sites. see instructions

Gomel Weather

(click for 3, 5 & 11 day forecast)

Additional Resources for Gomel, Belarus

Wiki: Gomel (eng)
Wiki: Gomel Oblast (eng)
Gomel Then and Now: A resource of Gomel history and trivia, plus the CyberGomel club - a virtual community of residents.
Gomel-Region.by: Official site of Gomel Oblast Executive Committee (eng & rus)
Sites below are in Russian. In order to translate, click on Google Translate and enter the webpage address.
Gorod.Gomel.by: Official website of the Gomel City Executive Committee (a little bit of information in English)
GomelParty.com: Gomel night club / night life information portal
FC Gomel: Official site of Gomel football club playing in the Belarusian Premier League
HC Gomel: Unofficial site of pro hockey club HC Gomel